Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Tithe Giving from the Heart
Bible portion: 1 Timothy 6:17-22
Bible Verse: 1 Timothy 6:18 ( New Living Translation)
‘ Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others’.
Devotion:
Firstly, as we focus on the Scripture Portions for today, in 1 Timothy 6, these are the teaching passed on by Apostle Paul to his spiritual protégé Timothy and which are sound teaching for the Mar Thoma Christian Community in today’s world as well. We continue our theme on the topic of Tithe and how we are to give as ‘cheerful givers ‘(2 Corinthians 9:7) from our heart and without compulsion or coercions. Our charitable giving is to be in accordance with expectation that God sets for us and not in a way that we are shortchanging the aspect of charitable giving in any manner.
We take a closer look in today’s assigned devotional , at the few verses that Apostle Paul focused when it comes to wealth and how we are to be stewards of what God has bestowed upon us. All the wealth we have is purely a gift from God , that we are in turn commanded, as we see in Malachi 3. 8-9, to be responsible and accountable of the wealth that God has bestowed on us. Apostle Paul clearly elaborates on similar lines that those who are wealthy are not to be proud and conceited and place their reliance on wealth. Apostle Paul continues to admonish that our trust must be on God, who gives us wealth and affluence in our lives. I have chosen verse 18 as the key verse today as its foundational truth that drives each of us when it comes to our wealth and possessions. Apostle Paul says we are to use our wealth for good, generous to those in need, and always be willing to share and give unto others in need. We can be assured if we are following these financial principles in life, then we will be storing treasures in heaven, as Jesus mentioned in St. Matthew 6:19-24. We are largely a generous community and have not been miserly or penny-pinching for all the evangelistic and charitable opportunities we have in our Mar Thoma Churches. Our Diocese Projects on Light to Life and the Mexico Missions have been funded by the generosity of the Marthoma Churches community of believers in North America. We have been generous givers on the account of the strong foundations of our Judeo-Christian values, passed on to each us by our parents and grandparents. We must be continue to live the life of being a generous community ‘rich in good works and generous to those in need ‘ as the Almighty God abundantly blesses each of us.
We take a closer look in today’s assigned devotional , at the few verses that Apostle Paul focused when it comes to wealth and how we are to be stewards of what God has bestowed upon us. All the wealth we have is purely a gift from God , that we are in turn commanded, as we see in Malachi 3. 8-9, to be responsible and accountable of the wealth that God has bestowed on us. Apostle Paul clearly elaborates on similar lines that those who are wealthy are not to be proud and conceited and place their reliance on wealth. Apostle Paul continues to admonish that our trust must be on God, who gives us wealth and affluence in our lives. I have chosen verse 18 as the key verse today as its foundational truth that drives each of us when it comes to our wealth and possessions. Apostle Paul says we are to use our wealth for good, generous to those in need, and always be willing to share and give unto others in need. We can be assured if we are following these financial principles in life, then we will be storing treasures in heaven, as Jesus mentioned in St. Matthew 6:19-24. We are largely a generous community and have not been miserly or penny-pinching for all the evangelistic and charitable opportunities we have in our Mar Thoma Churches. Our Diocese Projects on Light to Life and the Mexico Missions have been funded by the generosity of the Marthoma Churches community of believers in North America. We have been generous givers on the account of the strong foundations of our Judeo-Christian values, passed on to each us by our parents and grandparents. We must be continue to live the life of being a generous community ‘rich in good works and generous to those in need ‘ as the Almighty God abundantly blesses each of us.
Prayer:
Almighty and Gracious Lord, enable us, to be as Apostle Paul says ‘ rich in good works and generous to those in need’, that we may use our wealth to bring glory to God and the extension of God ‘s Kingdom here on Earth , in Jesus Name . AMEN.
Thought for the day
“He who bestows his goods upon the poor shall have as much again and ten times more.” - John Bunyan (1628-1688).
Abraham Kurien, Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Houston, Texas.
Thought for the day
“He who bestows his goods upon the poor shall have as much again and ten times more.” - John Bunyan (1628-1688).
Abraham Kurien, Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Houston, Texas.