Attitude more than amount

[toad]

“With God attitude counts more than amount.”
Life Recovery Bible, page 1241

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people putting their gifts into the collection box. Then a poor widow cam by and dropped in tow pennies. “I assure you,” he said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
Luke 21:1-4 NLT

Share with me what the Life Recovery Bible has to say about these verses of Scripture.

“God has a unique standard by which he measures giving and givers. With God, attitude counts more than amount, so Jesus praised this widow. A generous person is not one who gives conveniently and comfortably out of abundance. A generous person in God’s eyes risks all, sacrifices cheerfully, and gives without demanding attention or expecting a reward. Whether it’s our time, talents, or money, God wants us to turn everything in our life over to his care. One small step in giving may become one giant leap toward recovery.” (Page 1241)

What a wonderful meeting we had at the prison last evening. There were around 85 men gathered together in a room and the topic we chose was sharing. Even though we had a large attendance, no one spoke out of turn, everyone was polite, no one spoke too long, everyone stayed on the topic, and there was a wonderful mood of respect for each other. The love of God seemed to flow through each heart and was the anointing oil that kept the meeting alive and interesting. Why is it that giving has greater rewards than receiving? I can acquire material possessions in my life, but unless I share them with someone, they just sit there. As I continue to study and grow, I see where the lessons that Jesus taught were not necessarily meant to be taken into solitude, and kept there. You could have the whole Word of God memorized and have powerful faith, but if you spent your whole life in a cave and never saw anyone else, what good would it do other than provide for your own salvation? Jesus was about sharing. Church is about sharing. Alcoholics Anonymous is about sharing. You don’t have to go very far into the preamble of AA before you hear about sharing. “Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other, that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.” If God is in it, it is meant to be shared. Oh, solitude is wonderful and refreshing, but we need to share our experience and what we learned. “To keep what you’ve got, you’ve got to give it away.” A paradox in receiving and enjoying what God has done for us that we could not do for ourselves……………..JRE

“We have tried in all manner of ways to help ourselves. But not until we begin to help other people do we get full relief. It is an axiom that the AA program has to be given away in order to be kept. A river flows into the Dead Sea and stops. A river flows into a clear pool and flows out again. We get and then we give. If we do not give, we do not keep.”
HAZELDEN……………….Twenty-Four Hours A day

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I had a talk last week with another about giving. Yes attitude is the key.
God loves a cheerful giver.

This troubles me...

what good would it do other than provide for your own salvation?

Some say once saved always saved. Some say we can lose our salvation.
A point of difference between many groups but something I don't feel we need to argue over.
Still though...
In The Parable of the Talents I seem to feel that it says...
Use it or lose it.
All that I know who have been given salvation in life... be it recovery or eternal life, I see that they give and do use it. It is out of a gratefulness for what has been given that I hear people say that they share from.
A changed heart is a happy heart and a happy heart shouts with joy.
So maybe the parable is saying that the one who had all taken away didn't have a changed heart?
Something more to pray on and research. Maybe I will find a pearl in my search.


Matthew 25
The Parable of the Talents

14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

[toad]

Best,
What I was thinking when I said "You could have the whole Word of God memorized and have powerful faith, but if you spent your whole life in a cave and never saw anyone else, what good would it do other than provide for your own salvation?"..........was in reference to someone, like a monk in a cave, who was saved by the grace of God but never got to share it. "Providing for your own salvation" of course was because of faith and knowing what the Word of God says.

There are those who are in solitary confinement, possibly pow's or something like that who are born again, and are not able to share their faith (talents, blessings), and I don't think that they lose their salvation because of it.

What do you think?.................toad

[cmc]

When I was younger alot of our friends would make jokes about one or the other who had backslid or not done alot of 'work' for the Lord as 'being just a doorknob polisher' in heaven. Although we had a few laughs- all pointed towards ourselves, it reflects a mystery of how we do arrive in heaven.
What about all the scriptures that refer to us not entering the kingdom if we are sinners? Is the context of those verses directed at someone who has accepted Jesus as their savior?
We all know that as 'saved' people it is impossible to attain a sinless life. And what about the crowns that are apparantly 'earned' here in this life? So some are doorknob polishers?
There will be no sorrow or suffering in heaven- so I imagine that even a 'door knob polisher' to be content in the presence of God- no envy, sorrow or crying, yet different levels of glory? It is something to wonder about.
And 'just how' does God evaluate us for these levels? I suppose many of us will be quite suprised to see that what we thought was gaining us points in heaven was not. If we have been judgemental, lovers of self etc...
I choose to believe that all these instructions on behavior are just that- a 'how to' for while here in this world.
The talents are our gifts- and resources. The parable is to me, about having faith and trust in the Lord- to not being stingy and make the most of what we have been given. It is very convicting- to read:

26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

This is where the parable's tone changes- it seems to me that Jesus is addressing a bitter and unbelieving heart. One who perhaps is saying...'I just got a little bit of money given to me- it won't go far, it is mine now, I had better not lose it so I will hide it, He may never give me any more and so on-
Jesus' anger is directed straight to the person who views him as one who would 'gather where he had not sown' , one who is calling the master/giver of talents an angry taskmaster instead of a giver of gifts.
This is to me shows that once again, Jesus is interested in the attitude much more than He is the action.
Oftentimes an issue or topic will arise where the scripture is not specific- and when that happens what I do is look at the 'big picture' provided by the Word of God. In this case... it seems to be about the heart of God, His nature- His plan. I see him not as one who would gather where He has not sown-and that it is His nature, His desire to save us and to spend eternity in heaven with His church. Without a doubt there is alot that will not be fully explained until then.

[cmc]

I have another thought I wanted to share about those who are isolated for valid reasons such as illness, imprisonment or who for one reason or another, most not of their own choosing, are not able to share their faith with others. Many of these are called to a much higher purpose of intercessory prayer.

A perfect example of one who has not buried his 'talents' is
one of my dearest friends' oldest son. He is a young man with Down's Syndrome, and is the same age as my oldest son.
He has photos of friends and family (one of me) pinned on his wall and every night without fail, he prays for each one. This young man can pray! He is so enthused and full of faith. He cannot preach the gospel nor witness in an intelligent manner- yet I know his prayers are what he gives as service to God. He gives so much back- and he also provides an example of what it is like to live so humbly with the emotional and mental abilities of a young child.
He has maybe been given much less than 2 talents- yet the idea of the parable rings true in this young man's life. He has not buried the treasure but has invested it in faith inspired praying. Sometimes when I am feeling badly, I try to remember that he prays for me and I know that God hears and answers those prayers.

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Originally Posted by toad

What do you think?.................toad

I think it all comes down to attitude of the heart. As cmc stated "to not being stingy"

Discussions like this can be very convicting.
Am I doing all I can?
Am I doing all I should?

As I think on situations I have witnessed over time and compare what I do or not do with what I have seen others do or not do, I find the verse...judge not least ye be judged...enter my thoughts. By the measure I judge others, I shall be judged (convicted). I think I need get a shovel and unbury the things I have buried and put them to use.
Could I evaluate others to a lessor degree and thus give myself some slack?
As I look at situations in life, others are in those situations with me. As I compare actons and inactions, I don't feel I am judging but comparing what I see against God's word. I feel and hope that I may grow as I look about and I hope that I always use God's word as my measuring stick.
Something I try to do... When I see something not right in another, I look for 3 things in my own life that I need to improve. If I can stay the course with such a way of evaluating things that I see, I can grow all the more.

Yes I better hurry and get that shovel and unbury a few things and bury a few other things. I don't like self convictions but I do like self convictions.
Double edged sword that cuts to the bone but it removes what needs be removed.
Thank you for being the iron in my life today.
Iron does sharpen iron.