Yesterday, we dealt with the first common cause of turmoil in our lives: our sin. We constantly are reaping the fallout of poor decisions and disobedience to God's commands in our lives. Jonah was the prime example, but as in the story of Jonah, he was offered a second chance to make the right decision. We are all offered that choice (sometimes, third, fourth, fifth and sixth chances...and so on).
Today, I would like to deal with the second cause of turmoil that is given in the book I co-authored with Marc Farnell (Learning to Give in a Getting World) by examining the idea that sometimes turmoil in our lives is designed for the benefit of others.
Pain is never pleasant. Let's be clear about that. Just ask someone who has gone through the process of donating bone marrow. I highly doubt that anyone has ever put that high on their bucket list. However, when another human's life hangs in the balance, many people are motivated to donate bone marrow.
But why? What is the motivation?
Simple: the pain of bone marrow donation is motivated by the possible life-saving benefits for another person.
You see, in spite of making all the right moves, we commonly find ourselves in situations that bring us enormous pain, only to later find out that our suffering served some benefit of a fellow human being. Take, for instance, the story of Paul and Silas in Acts Chapter 16. After casting out a demon from a slave girl who had been used by her owners as a fortune-teller (and for them, a fortune-bringer), they were hauled off to be tried by the local magistrates. Even though they did what was right in God's eyes, they were unjustly beaten without mercy and thrown in prison to be held in the stocks overnight.
I dare say if this were any one of us, the temptation to bemoan our circumstances would be nearly undeniable. Instead, Paul and Silas sang praises to God, and during this time, the earth shook violently, throwing open the prison gates and their shackles. The prison guard, knowing that escaped prisoners would likely mean his untimely demise was about to commit suicide when Paul and Silas stopped him. By the end of the story, the prison guard had pleaded with Paul and Silas to tell how he might be saved, and salvation came to his entire household.
What an incredible impact Paul and Silas had, even though their day had taken a decidedly awful turn. There are three things that need to be gleaned from this story before I bring this back around to the subject of giving.
- In spite of their agony, they chose not to complain but to sing praises to God. What an example for us all!
- I believe they were able to sing these praises because, as highly effective evangelists, they were keenly tuned into every situation, noting opportunities for evangelizing all around them.
- Instead of running and caring for themselves, they recognized an opportunity to bring the Gospel to the prison guard.
There are many times that our financial turmoil is not, in fact, due to disobedience regarding our stewardship. Sometimes, external forces (the ailing economy, for example) can rain down a shower of unwanted hardship. However, we must always bear in mind that God can use any circumstances for His glory. Therefore, I submit the following parallels to the story of Paul and Silas.
- In spite of our agony in our sometimes precarious financial situations, there is always a reason to praise God. We have salvation. We have air to breathe. We have friends, families, other church members who care for us deeply. Those alone are reason enough to sing praises every second of every day.
- We should also praise God, knowing by faith that He can use our circumstances to minister to others.
- Instead of looking only after ourselves, we should be carefully observant of those around us, seeking to find how our situation might be used to benefit them.
Financial struggles are never pleasant. However, when we stare down the fear and continue to find ways to give to God faithfully in the face of these turbulent times, our actions become a living testimony to those around us.
In the face of financial turmoil, what do your actions say about you?
Learning to Give in a Getting World, by Marc Farnell and Jesse Greever, is available as both a paperback and eBook at the following locations:
CreateSpace (paperback, $13.99)Amazon.com (paperback, $13.99; eBook, $8.99)
It
is also available to Amazon Prime members as a free eBook download as a
part of the Kindle Lending Library. Pastors and church administrators
can contact me directly at jesse@accidental-author.com to find out about discounts available for churches that wish to use this for teaching and small group curriculum.
You can also become a fan of the book at www.facebook.com/LearningToGive.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JesseSGreever
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