Be ready to be inspired to be generous.

I have noticed over the past few weeks how the theme of generosity has been cropping up for us as a family. We have been taking part in a 40 Acts of generosity challenge so maybe that’s part of it, but we have also been hearing stories of extraordinary, generous living.
So, the theme of generosity has been mulling about in my mind. I have noticed that everyday opportunities to be generous are all around us, are we making the most of them? (Even if it can seem a bit weird!)
Whether it’s being generous with your speech, your time or your money, what you invest has ongoing effects.

I was even considering the other day - what would the journey of a £1 coin look like from it’s manufacture? How many pairs of hands has it passed through? How many banks? tills? How many pavements has it rested on? How many purses?
 A single £1 coin has a story to tell. That coin has been an important sum to some, an investment for others, a gift for a few and a commodity to many. That £1 has meant much to many. Yet, the value of the coin isn’t so much it’s monetary value, but the worth of it is measured by it’s usage; you can save it, spend it, lose it, invest it, donate it. A single coin has a multiple of options open to it. So, my question to you is - what are you doing with the coins in your hands? Maybe you don’t have any coins, but you do have some form of treasure whatever it may be; money, skills, time, resources. These things are your treasure that you can choose to put to use how you want to. There are a multitude of choices. What are you going to do with what you have in your hands? What is the next stage of the journey of your treasure? You have responsibility for what you have got whilst you have got it, so how are you going tout these things to work?

I have a simple story to tell you along these lines this week, as our treasure was rhubarb!

The other day we discovered that there’s rhubarb growing in our newly-acquired-overgrown allotment, it was a hidden treasure as it’s take us 5 moths to find it! So my daughter and I  picked some - 9 sticks in total, some for us and  some for the neighbours.

As we were walking home with our 9 stalks of rhubarb, we saw a dog-walker who commented on our bundle, we asked if he wanted any- and he walked away with 3 stalks.
When we got home, I chopped off the leaves, cut up 3 sticks and stewed it (rhubarb crumble here we come!). It wasn’t until later when my daughter came into the kitchen that she asked about how much rhubarb we had. So, I reminded her; we picked 9, gave 3 to the dog-walker, we stewed 3…. She then told me that wasn’t right. So, I explained again. Again she told me that wasn’t right - it didn’t add up. So I asked her why. She told me that 9-3-3 is (not surprisingly) 3. Yet we had 5 stalks left!
This made me smile, so I said that clearly God has been at it again! He multiplied the fish and loaves to feed the 5,000 and now he’s multiplied the rhubarb to feed the neighbours!

I have no idea why God would do this, but it was a beautiful little miracle that shows the reality of God to us and our kids. It shows the lavish generosity of God. Why would He do that? I don’t know - maybe it was just because He wanted to!
How can we not be generous when we have a God that does things like this?! He makes 9-3-3 equal to 5!

It also struck me how when we put our mind to give away what we have got, God has a habit of multiplying your capability to continue to give. As a family we have cut back many times, wages have reduced, time has been precious, things have gone wrong, but God has always, always taken care of us. We have had times when it doesn’t make sense for us to have money in the account, yet we have.

It seems God may be challenging us again to step up into a new level of generosity. However He does it, whatever He asks us to do, i pray that we will have the confidence to do it because He can increase whatever we give. However scary His ask, I want to say yes because I know He will never let us down. He will press down and increase the little treasure we have. Just like rhubarb and the £1 coin - who knows the journey our treasure is going on? How many lives will be effected? How many hands will what we once had pass into?

Be ready to be inspired to be generous.

Is it all vanity?

The book of Ecclesiastes says a lot about vanity. That many things in life are ‘vanity’. These things include; Working, seeing, hearing, ’New’ concepts, pleasure, wisdom, foolishness, gardening, building, treasure, having wealth, being the boss. All vanity! There’s not a lot left if all these things are counted as ‘vanity’!

So, what is vanity? It’s defined as ’brief and unsubstantial, emptiness’.

The things that we can invest our time and pleasure in can all be summed up as brief and unsubstantial emptiness. Now, I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t make me feel very good - To think that all my efforts conclude in brief and unsubstantial emptiness! The book of Ecclesiastes says about these things that there will be ‘’no enduring remembrance’ (2:16).

So are all our works, our efforts, our toil worth nothing? Are they all but a puff of smoke that vanishes in the wind that dissipates into the atmosphere with no lasting effect? Will they disappear into ‘no enduring remembrance’?

Are all things are vanity?

None of us wish to think so. None of us want to think that our lives are worthless or that they will have no impact on the world around us. Personally, I don’t think it’s true either.

The things listed are all stuff. They are all things we can get busy with, things we can take for granted, but is there deeper purpose behind it all?

A lot depends on our motives for what we are doing.  Do you have purpose behind the things you do? Do you have long-term goals? And do your short-term actions fit with those goals? In essence - are you working for purpose?

If you are not working with a purpose then the things in your life can all seem like vanity. They can feel like they are unsubstantial, brief and empty.

So, today, remember  and evaluate the purpose to what you have and what you do; The things you have, the job you do, the skills, abilities and qualities within you and the culture you’re in are all for purpose.
You don’t have to live in an empty cycle that is brief and unsubstantial. You can make changes today to build a life of purpose.

Who are you working for?

“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” 
 Ecclesiastes 4:8.

This is a good question to ask ourselves. What is the purpose to our working? Whether it’s voluntary, paid, around the home, in the community or in business - what’s the purpose of your toil?

Do you work hard to provide for your family? Give your kids nice things? Provide for your retirement? Make advancements for the next generation? keep busy? earn money? We all have different reasons. I’m not saying any of them are right or wrong, but it is good to consider why do you do what you do.

The verse above implies that as we work we deprive ourselves of some pleasure. That is true - we can’t do all the things we want to when we have all the responsibilities of work (whatever kind of work that is). So is the balance worth it?

I have had times in my life when I have to consider the balance of work and home life. Compromises have to be made. The decision has not always seemed for my benefit either, but it’s often a consideration of many factors.

One of the hardest decisions I had to make regarding work was when I gave up a job I absolutely loved and was good at. It stretched and challenged me, I enjoyed the day-to-day responsibilities and workload. I was successful and I had a sense of enjoyment and escape from the difficult home life we had at the time.
The opportunity then came up for me to be at home full-time without losing a wage. That, for me, was a terribly difficult decision (it may seem like a dream to some). I found home life so difficult that work was an escape. Maybe you’ve experienced something like that, or even the other way around. I had to carefully consider if I could give up something I enjoyed for something that would deprive me of pleasure and success, and would most certainly be toil. Maybe God is also calling you to something that is really hard, or to make a decision that seems not to make sense but you have a yearning towards it - what are you going to do?

At that time in my life I felt that God asked me to give up the job. It took me weeks to consider, pray and set my mind to do it though as it was not something that I actually wanted to do. Sometimes our lives call us to endure toil. This was a time of great toil for me. But my life is not just about me getting enjoyment, success or pleasure out of it.

As christians, God calls us all to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and I was required during that season to give up some pleasure in order to invest in the future disciples of our household. I was required to invest in the lives entrusted to us. It took me weeks of internal battle to make that decision because I didn’t’t actually want to do it. I was aware this season would be one of toil. But, now, over 3 years later, has the investment been worth it? Really, does that even matter? To God, our obedience matters, but yes, our family looks vastly different to how it was then. We have all grown. I have had the privilege of noticing the small improvements, to provide the simple things that our kids have appreciated and we have healthy relationships. I can only hope and pray that this continues. The years of toil for you and I will be worth it when we are following what God wants us to do. If our toil is simply doing it for our own advancement there is limited reward in that.

 “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” 

You may say for me, it was for our kids, but mainly I did it because God was asking me to, and of course, it was of benefit to our family. The long-lasting effects, who knows?!
I am now in a position where I am again considering my work life. It seems like God is unsettling some things and bringing some new things closer - what decision will I make in the following months? Where am I going? and what am I going to do? Am I going to trust God in the difficult decisions when there’s an easy way ahead? I pray for you and I that we will bravely take God’s way - there’s much more pleasure in that even when there’s a lot of toil involved.

I'd encourage you to take time today to consider this, and maybe ponder these questions:
Are you following your own plan?
Someone else plan?
Or God’s plan in your life?
Does your work fulfil the mission God has given you?
For whom are you toiling and depriving yourself of pleasure?

Is it all vanity?

Working hard and playing hard - is that what life is about?
Seeking after enjoyment - does that fulfil you?
Leaving a legacy for future generations -is that the purpose of life?

We all question ourselves and rightly so, about our purpose in life, what conclusions have you come to in your ponderings? What do you live your life for? Have you found purpose and meaning in what you strive for?

The writer of a book in the Bible called Ecclesiastes also ponders these very questions. He was the wisest and probably the richest man who ever lived - King Solomon (son of David). He, with the wisdom he’d been blessed with pondered such questions as these - and the conclusion he came to?
‘all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.’
 Ecclesiastes 2:11.

Mmmm, that’s not so encouraging is it?!

Solomon saw that whatever you achieve in life doesn’t really last. The pleasure found in an activity - temporal, the success from work - fades, and the legacy you leave for others - do they make the most of it?
At the end of your life what will you have to show for your years on earth?

What does working hard achieve?
What does enjoying life produce?
What does accumulating wealth do?

It leads me to wonder - is there a greater meaning to life?

The pleasure and rewards from the things we see and experience on Earth last a little time. So what real gain is there in anything?

Solomon’s conclusion is this; ‘So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.’
 Ecclesiastes 2:17.

So, if you’ve ever hated your life, felt desperate and hopeless then you’re not alone - even the wisest man in history felt the same!

The thing is though, there IS more to life than these things, so far these thoughts are all self-centred. About our achievements, our legacy, our pleasure. These ponderings are about what does it do for me?

Is all of life meant to be about you?

If the point of life it to; work, seek pleasure, gain wisdom, live in folly, gain wealth, accumulate stuff, be healthy, then it IS all vanity. It’s all just to make us feel better and to make us look good or feel good for a while.
Solomon admits;
’12*I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; *13*also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.' 
Ecclesiastes 3:12 –13

So, appreciate and enjoy the things you have. Not because you have them but because they are given by God. Just changing your perspective in this way makes things different. The small pleasures of life have purpose because God created them. God has given them to you. There’s a difference in that. If someone makes you a cup of tea it’s always nicer than one you’ve made for yourself because someone else has considered you and served you. A simple but real example. We value the things given to us more than the things we gain for ourselves. When we see that someone else has made an effort for us it increases our value and appreciation.
Now, pause to consider - what has God done for you this week? It could be something simple. What have you got that you value -  Did you know God gave you that in your life?

The good news doesn’t stop there, the following verses say this; ’14*I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.’
Ecclesiastes 3:14 - 15.

God never changes, He endures, He is unbeatable, He is experienced, He is good, He is ultimate. He gives you the life you have, the things in it and He has done it for a purpose greater than your own. Your life is not full of vanity if you know God is in it. Your life is purposeful and hopeful. You have great gifts and great pleasures to come.

Look around you and see the great things God has given you today.
Look around you to see the value of your life.

The Lord Knows...

'the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials'
2 Peter 2:9

Isn’t that comforting to know. God knows how to rescue you. Even if you are stuck and can see no way out - God can.

Keep your hope in Him and you will, in time, see how God has worked through your trials and even brought greater things out of them. Take comfort that God knows your situation and He sees the result of it.

None of us like suffering, none of us enjoy trials, yet we should get used to it. Trials will come, they’re a part of life, and we will in some way be caused to suffer. But take heart because God knows. He sees every angle of a situation and he sees the long-term plan. So dig in. Pray. Hope.Why? because.; ‘the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials’.

What sort of person ought you to be?

The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. *10*But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 
*11*Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, *12*
2 Peter 3:9–12.

One day, all of this, as we know it, will end.

Do you know that?
Do you live that?

One day, maybe when you least expect it, this life, this world, will end. You may be on Earth when it happens, or you might of already left it. Whichever way, do you contemplate what that will be like? Do you live with the reality that one day you will not be here? Are you ready for that day to come?

I don’t mean to be morbid, but one fact about life is that there will also be death. Not much else is  guaranteed in life other than this. One day you and I will no longer be inhabitants of Earth - are you ready for that day to come?

The verses above describe how the Earth will end - the stars will be dissolved, and then the things that are done on Earth ‘exposed’ - are you ready for that? I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds terribly scary! I would prefer somethings in my life to remain hidden for all time. Yet this verse says the things we have done will be exposed. That scares me. I don’t really want all the things I have ever done to be visible to others, as I am sure you don’t either. However that is what this verse says. It should challenge us as to how we live our lives from now on. We can be forgiven through our misdeeds through Jesus, but these verses should cause us to consider, ‘what sort of people ought you to be’?

If you have a faith in Jesus, how do those around you know it? What kind of person are you? What sort of person do you want to be considered to be when the world, or your life ends?

‘what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness’?

Is Jesus really real? Is it all a myth?

*16*For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 Peter 1:16.

This verse can sometimes reflect how I feel when people question christianity. I sometimes feel like saying, a bit like Peter did, ‘Hey, I’m not making this stuff up! It’s not a fairytale!’. Do you?
It’s similar to what Peter is saying in this verse, he’s confronting those with closed ears to his message, to the doubters and questioners. To those who don’t believe, and actually think what you believe is make believe. This is who Peter seems to be directing this thought to. I am not sure why, but it seems easy for non-christians to think that christians are; uneducated, unintelligent, deceived or a bit crazy. This is far from the truth. There are many educated, intelligent, enlightened and perfectly sane people who know who Jesus is. How do we know? Well for one thing, because christianity is not some made up fairytale with a happily-ever-after ending, it’s not a myth or a legend told and adapted through the generations. There is, in fact, historical evidence of many of the events in the Bible. In particular, historical documents detailing the life of Jesus, documents not in the Bible, but  recorded,  trusted and confirmed accounts from other credible sources.

One such source is a person named Josephus who was employed by several emperors of Jesus’ time to record key events and key people of the era. He records events that involve Jesus. His account tells how Jesus was a good and wise man who performed ‘surprising deeds’, was crucified by Pilate and that the disciples claimed to have seen him alive days later. Josephus had no agenda, other than to record the significant events happening around him. He was employed to do so, he must of been pretty good at it, trusted and valued as several rulers paid him to do it.  He was employed by those not of Christian or Jewish faith and he faithfully recorded relevant events and key people of the time. He also made an account of the significance of a holy man called Jesus. A man who performed unusual wonders, a man who had disciples, who people believed in him as God, and who was reported to of risen from the dead. This event Josephus even records, so there must of been significant evidence at the time otherwise why would he of written it down?

So, even without the Bible there is evidence that Jesus lived and was an incredible man. Josephus, a non-christian, but a Jew, recognised the significance of the life of Jesus to the extent that he recorded it as a matter of historical importance. If Jesus was just an ordinary person, then Josephus would unlikely of mentioned him. He recorded key events and people of significance. For example, he also records the lives of Herod, Pilate and the high priest Caiaphas. These were also key people that existed at the time of Jesus (we can also read about  them in the Bible). Strangely, though, people do not seem to question if these people existed, just Jesus.

The Bible is not merely a collection of stories, those who follow the Bible’s teaching are not just moralists, good people or uneducated fools following a bunch of myths, they have based their faith on historical events - the reality of the life and death of Jesus, the man who is God.
The life and death of Jesus are documented facts in the history of the world. What you think about it and how it effects your life are up to you.