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