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 It's
that time of year when the church asks you to consider your
giving for the coming year. The stewardship committee is using
the Pony Express campaign we used a number of years
ago, since everyone seemed to enjoy it. So get ready for the
‘saddlebag skedaddle'.
The story goes that a layman, who was a sometime participant
in the life of his church, reported that he had a horrible
dream. "I dreamed that the Lord took my weekly
church contribution and multiplied it by ten. And that became
my weekly income! In no time I lost my TV, my boat, and one
of my cars! After all how can someone live on $100 a week?"
Suppose the Lord took your offering, multiplied
it by 10 and made it your weekly income? How much would
you make?
When
Jesus sent his disciples to Jerusalem, he told them they would
find a donkey tied up at the front of a house; and they were
to untie it and bring it back. When they went to get the donkey,
the owner asked: "What are you doing with my donkey?
Leave it alone you thieves!" The disciples said:
"The Lord needs it" The owner said: "Oh,
that's different, go ahead and take it." If you
view this year's campaign for our Operating Fund as Jesus
saying: "I need it" Then you can join
with others who say: "Oh, that's different. Go
ahead and take it." I have an idea that the man
who said it was the happiest man in Jerusalem. How happy you
will be, may very well be decided by how willing you are to
let the Lord use your ‘donkey-dollars'
I like
the response of the little boy, after the concept of the tithe
(giving 10% to God) was explained to him by his father. He
was amazed and said: "Wow!, you mean that God lets
us keep 90% of everything?!"
Stewardship is a state of mind. Everything belongs to God,
including you and the donkey you rode in on.
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