Memory Verse for this week:
“Now godliness with contentment is great gain”
1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV)
I’ve heard it, you’ve heard, it we have all heard it – in fact, we have probably heard it time and time again throughout our lives. “If you give, you will get it back ten-fold” , “You will reap what you sow”, “Bless and you will be blessed”., Yes, we’ve all been raised on a variation of Luke 6:38 and its a scripture that doesn’t lack understanding. God promises if we give, we shall receive.
I have a friend who has struggled most of her life with addiction. However, even during these times of addiction I watched her stop to help strangers time and time again. At one point downtown she ran into someone that had a dog with a health problem and right there on the street she showed the owner how to correct it. I’ve watched her change tires for people on the side of the road, get gas for a vehicle that ran out, and not think twice about passing out cigarettes from a pack that someone just had to buy her because she didn’t have a dime to her name. She just GAVE without thinking, even in the state of addiction. This was the goodness very few people saw in my friend. She was a [quiet] giver and do-er – nothing was publicized or bragged upon – this was just who she was. She gave with total contentment. As I helped her pack up her house to go into treatment and worked along side of her to get ready to go, all she could think about was making me a special steak dinner to thank me. I didn’t want her to spend her money on me; however, the last night in her house she had dinner waiting for me and we ate on a small table covered with a white towel – all because she wanted to give in appreciation. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking about that night – here she sits at rock bottom, leaving her son and all she has right now to go into treatment – but all that was important to her that night was ‘giving’. – giving with total contentment. How many of us give without thinking? How many of us have to stop and evaluate, pray for a few days, and then decide if we have enough to give? Where are we in our level of ‘giving’.?
Now, Where is God in His? OVERFLOWING is the only way to describe it. As Priscilla says, “His gifts are overflowing. He’s not stingy with His goodness or ungenerous with His supply” YES, He fills us up with far more than we started with, far more than what’s fair ~ He fills our cups until they runneth over and can no longer be contained – when we choose to give, this is His promise.
AND, it’s even larger than that……Days when we are at our lowest points, when we have given all we think we can possibly give – if it is God’s Will and we feel that ‘nudge’ but we just don’t know how we will find the energy to give with the desire of Our Heavenly Father’s heart – He will simply bust up inside of us with all of His power and through HIS power we’ll get it done. He provides us with every need to follow his request. Do you get those ‘nudges’? Those nudges that are ever so slight, but oh so powerful; that you just KNOW it is a request coming from above and not just random voices in your head? WOW, I do…… More often than not, I feel my Father telling me – “Now Kelley, you know you need to do this’. It’s then I know there is no further questioning what is expected of me. It is also here when I must understand and find peace within, KNOWING that giving contently and carrying out this desire of my Father’s heart will provide me with an over abundance of blessings – when we take what little we have left inside and are willingly able to give that away, God promises, it truly will come back to us in unimaginable amounts – in blessings beyond belief. How absolutely amazing and beautiful our God is. He never ceases to amaze me with His Love for us.
Remember, every day starts with a choice. We can be content or discontent ~ let’s make the resolution right now to be CONTENT, let’s intentionally live our lives each and every day being content -content in giving, content in doing, and content being a Christ Follower. Try this and watch the blessings flow – be prepared, anticipate, and be ready to pour yourself out at the drop of a hat, the nudge of Our Father – whether we are weary and tired, full of energy, or lacking – remember, He will provide so we can provide.
HOMEWORK:
Based on God’s provision that you listed at the end of the last chapter, what is the one thing you could close this book and go do for someone else out of that resource?
Let’s pray:
Dear God, Thank you for the ‘nudges, for pushing us ~sometimes not very comfortably~ into being the Christ Follow we need to be. For teaching us to live in contentment rather than discontented. Thank you for providing us with the strength when we are weak, for smiles instead of frowns, for sunshine instead of rain – for taking care of each and every detail in our lives, preparing us to carry out your requests to give contented. We love You, Honor You, and prayerfully make the resolution today give with a content heart. <3 Amen
Question of the day:
When you consider your level of willingness to give of yourself, does it reveal more contentment or discontentment residing in your heart? In what way? Let us know below –
After reading today’s blog, please return to our Online Bible Study Group on Facebook for your daily activity! ♥ You just never know what we have in store for you!
If you are not currently a part of our Online Bible Study group, and would like to be, please send an email to GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll be glad to add you!
Praying you have a beautiful, blessed 4th of July holiday. Remember today the soldiers that continue to fight for our freedom and our country every day of their lives.
Live Intentional, Live Content
Hugs, Kelley
About Kelly
I'm pretty stingy with my time and talents/gifts. This is due to my lack of confidence in those things and lack of time becomes my excuse. I'm an incredible encourager. I know this because I have asked people, both those close to me and casual acquaintances. I hate to see people down on themselves and/or their situations. I'm a person that always looks for that silver lining. I also seem to be blessed with the gift of healing but am not at the point in my walk that I am confident in that. In my head I know that it's not me doing the healing but His power through me, but my heart hasn't seemed to catch up with that. Today, I resolve to give more of me whether I am confident in it or not. For in doing it more, my confidence will grow for if it is of God, it will be successful.
You are right Tracy – you will know when it is 'of God' – He will be right in the center and you will have confidence and grow in each step you take! Praying! and I can't wait to hear praise reports – I know they are coming!
The title of today's study immediately put me in a praise moment with the Lord "overflowing blessing". That is what my Lord has provided me daily. I am very content in my level of willingness to give….my heart "bubbles over" when I "get" to help others not matter what it is I get to help with. I find peace in giving. I find joy in knowing someone gets to smile when they realize their need has been met. as long as God can use me in this area I want to be there at the next time…and the next time and so on to serve Him and the precious ones He sends in my path. Thanks Lord for using me as your tool….and pouring into me so the overflowing blessings you supply can be poured out to others.
What a huge beautiful heart! I feel the same way you do! I absolutely love to give, I love to help others, I love to see the smiles – for me it is truly – Here I am Lord, Send me – Use me, let me be your vessel, mold me – I am most content when I am serving others. Thank you for sharing this Beverly! You are an awesome sister in Christ!
This truly hits home. I was raised to believe that if you give you shall receive,and have seen this too be true on many occasions. I recently was driving in front of a young lady that lost control of her car crossed the center line then her car crossed back across the road and done an embankment I felt GOD telling me to turn back around to help her. She was visible shaken but ok. Later I was asked by a coworker " Why did you stop she was behind you?" I said I have children this girls age and did what I was taught to do,hopefully if this happened to our children then someone would be kind enough to lend a hand to them. I ask GOD everyday to keep a watchful eye over our children. Today's society has too many people that will turn their heads and look in the other direction instead of listening to their hearts,and God's tugs..
What a powerful story – and you know, you are so right – we have to listen to the tugs on our hearts….the nudges (like intuition) that we know we should listen to – God isn't going to physically appear in front of us and tell us exactly what to do – so we have to be still and listen for Him in other ways. Listening to one 'nudge' or 'tug' could change a life – Thank you for sharing your story – thank you for listening and for having the heart of an awesome Jesus Girl!
Love the gift of giving that your friend had Kelley! That is truly a gift! I have to be honest and say that I have not always been a giver like this, especially when it comes to giving financially. I used to be, but got burned so many times with my giving, that I shrunk back from giving as much as I used to. I know I should never expect something in return for my giving, and that's what I began to do after being burned so many times. It is an area that I need to work on! I do tithe every paycheck, but I know there's more to it than just tithing. I need to honor God more with what He has given us.
Christi, You are a huge GIVER. You have a huge servant's heart – it's not about being financial – you reach out every day to millions of people in this new ministry you have founded – sounds like you have been burned and that it has shut you down to some degree in other areas – but listen to His nudges, to His tugs and act upon them. I am a big snail mail person – I love to pick up little goodies and mail then to the ladies of my groups, to friends in need – and this is HUGE – this is one of my favorite ways to minister. Sometimes it's the small things that we can do that make the biggest differences!!!! I'm proud to be serving along side of you! You are definitely giving this ministry 150% and we are so thankful!
Thank you Kelley. You are truly a blessing to me, and to this ministry!
Thank you Kelley for this awesome word. In regards to the "question of the day" Im uncomfortable to respond because I don't want my response to appear I'm being haughty. I'm not. It's very easy for me to give. I love giving especially to those in need. However, no one knows when I'm giving because I don't want any praise or recognition for what God is having me do in my giving whether it's paying it forward, helping someone in trouble, giving away my favorite suits or clothing (which is hard at times lol) time, money etc….I feel like I resonated with your friend. My heart is content today because God has given me a desire and willingness in the area of giving and I say this with a humble heart/attitude. This was hard to post and I'll probably not speak of it again because it's uncomfortable and by no means want this taken as I'm bragging. I enjoyed reading your post today and have been so encouraged by it!!!!
Lannette, I do not see what you have posted here as being haughty, in any way. I have seen your heart, and know what a giver you truly are!
I too am content in my giving and I agree, it's a hard topic to speak of. Matthew 6 tells us to not broadcast our giving; so I appreciate your honesty and humble/gracious words. They are very true. I do think on the other hand that some need the inspiration of a content giver – a chance to see first hand God at work in the lives of others through giving – this goes back to how we walk in our every day lives (not on FB but in our daily lives) – Do we reflect the giving heart of Christ in all we do? Can someone look at us and see Christ within us? This is enough to change lives – and this is not bragging or boasting – it's the true reflection of Jesus in our hearts. Thank you for being a "content giver" and for sharing with all of us here!
I am very blessed in my life, my cup runneth over. I feel that I am designed to serve, and receive great joy by being able to give to others. I believe that with great blessings come great responsibility to give back, pass it on, or pass it forward. Of course, I always feel that I could do better in this area, and right now I'm searching for my path as there have been many changes in my life.
God has a purpose and a plan for all of us – your path will be made known and may be right in front of you – be careful not to miss it…. 🙂 Praise God that your cup "runneth over" – Our God is amazing! God's Amazing Grace!
Contentment – because contentment is the gateway to finding your place in God's family. For many are chosen and few answer.
Many are chosen and few answer – God bless those that do not know to answer, or choose not to. The blessings being missed are huge!