WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO AQUIRE AND ALSO GIVE AWAY ?
Sometimes it is pretty amazing what The Holy Spirit can put on your heart when you seek time with God. I spend a lot more time these days in prayer and also simply focusing on being quiet and listening for God to fill my heart and mind with His Will and Thoughts. It has become a more and more important thing to prioritize and I’m always amazed at what God has to show me and tell me about My Life. I was in this place of rest when God put a really interesting question into my mind : “Jim, what is it that you have spent most of your life trying to AQUIRE ?” It wasn’t a trick question, nor was it difficult to answer in the moment. Most of my life I had spent a lot of effort trying to acquire Worldly Things. An Education, a career, all the things that would let me amass MONEY ! It would free me up to be Secure, Comfortable, with a home and furnishings, and STUFF ! Success to have a nice car, vacations, toys ! I could support a relationship, have a family, wife, kids, pets ! I worked my tail off to be successful, build a business, establish an identity and reputation. All the things that a person wants for their life. Good things. Solid things. No question that as a Man, I am meant to work hard, provide for myself and others, and also enjoy my Life. God spoke again….” Remember when at 17 you asked my Son Jesus to be your Savior, Lord, and King ? Do you remember how Alone and unsure you felt about yourself and where you really belonged and Fit In ?” At 17, I knew that I needed a Savior and Guide. My family and friends were Awesome, but there was that missing piece that Only God Can Provide. I NEEDED HIS LOVE AND EMBRACE ! I needed to AQUIRE A FAITH AND TRUST IN HIM. That assurance of HIM BEING BESIDE ME gave me the confidence to Change Myself, and Seek His Way. He made me a New Creation. He gave me a path and purpose. HE SHOWED ME WHOSE I WAS AND WHO I WAS….and I am SO THANKFUL ! I Truly Believe that God allows us to be “Blessed” in certain ways IF WE ARE SEEKING HIM AND HIS CHARACTER. The things that go along with blessings are many, but for ME, they were pretty simple. Generosity, kindness, caring for others….humility, growth, worship, prayer. Engaging Life with passion, striving, and joy, while resting in effort and results that I felt satisfied and complete in. Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually COMPLETE….by God’s Grace.
THEN THE LORD GOD FORMED THE MAN OF DUST FROM THE GROUND AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE, AND THE MAN BECAME A LIVING CREATURE. Genesis 2:7
THEN GOD SAID, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS. AND LET THEM HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA AND OVER THE BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS AND OVER THE LIVESTOCK AND OVER ALL THE EARTH AND OVER EVERY CREEPING THING THAT CREEPS ON THE EARTH.” Genesis 1:26
HE HAS TOLD YOU, O MAN, WHAT IS GOOD; AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO JUSTICE, AND TO LOVE KINDNESS, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD ? Micah 6:8
THE END OF THE MATTER; ALL HAS BEEN HEARD. FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. Ecclesiastes 12:13
ACQUISITION seems to be a two sided coin, just like most things in our lives. It is not so much WHAT WE ACQUIRE from a worldly sense, but I would frame it in terms that DEFINE its Importance to us, how we aquired it in terms of Our Actions, and What We Use It For…..Acquisition can be Blessed, and it can be Cursed. Be Selfish, or Generous. Good, or ultimately Evil and Destructive. It OFTEN REQUIRES a rewiring of our hearts and minds, and a reprioritization of VALUE AND SIGNIFICANCE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN AQUIRE IS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD, SAVIOR, AND KING. IT IS “THE GOSPEL”.
Often the more difficult thing to get our hands around from a worldly point of view is What Can We Truly Give Away ? Often our nature is to CLING to things and when moved to share, give up things that are pretty worn out, or are carefully measured to not stress our Protected Boundaries. The gift of Generosity is something that I feel very Free in, with both my wife and kids. It is a spiritual gift for me, and I rarely struggle with Giving. HOWEVER, there are times that I have given foolishly and have not been a good steward of God’s blessings. HE TEACHES ME CONTINUALLY ON STEWARDSHIP AND HIS WILL AND PURPOSE. The world today is Full of misguided and foolish giving in to causes and places that do much more harm than good. I believe that there are a multitude of things in Scripture that show us the rel things that God values for us to Give Away Freely. It is ALL THE THINGS THAT GOD GIVES US ! Love. Kindness. Hope. Wisdom. Rest, Peace, and a host of others. It is the effort and ability to SHARE GOD HIMSELF and support it with Love, Prayer, and Fellowship. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN GIVE AWAY IS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD, SAVIOR, AND KING. IT IS “THE GOSPEL."
AND JESUS CAME AND SAID TO THEM, “ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND BEHOLD, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE.” Matthew 28:18-20
“YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A CITY SET ON A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN. NOR DO PEOPLE LIGHT A LAMP AND PUT IT UNDER A BASKET, BUT ON A STAND, AND IT GIVES LIGHT TO ALL IN THE HOUSE. IN THE SAME WAY, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, SO THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GIVE GLORY TO YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN. Matthew 15: 14-16
AND HE SAID TO ALL, “IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME. Luke 9:23
At 67 years of age, I have truly had my EYES AND EARS opened to what really matters in our life upon the earth. I heard the Gospel and gave my life to Jesus 50 YEARS AGO ! Those 50 years of learning aand growing, and sinning and confessing, and stumbling and repenting have truly CHANGED ME. MY HEART IS ALL ABOUT SHARING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. My life still encounters the need to leave things behind and mature, BUT JESUS HAS ME ! He abides in me, and HIS WILL LEADS AND COVERS ME. In Him, I Am Alive and Whole ! If you don’t know Him, AQUIRE HIM ! If you do know Him, PRIORITIZE SHARING HIM WITH OTHERS. Life is precious and short, and it matters where your heart is, and also the efforts you make. THE TIME IS NOW. Seek and Acquire….Share and Give JESUS TO ALL:). GET AND GIVE/JAA
AND HE SAID TO THEM, “FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.” Matthew 4:19
TIME TO FISH:)