Pastoral Perspective
October 2009
While walking near his home in 1999, Stephen King, the best-selling author, was left with severe injuries when struck by a car. In a Family Circle magazine article (Nov. 1, 2001, p. 156) he explains that having a close brush with death taught him to think about the real meaning of life. He wrote:
“…I want you to consider making your life one long gift to others. And why not? All you have is on loan, anyway. All that lasts is what you pass on…. Giving isn’t about the receiver or the gift but the giver. It’s FOR the giver. One doesn’t open one’s wallet to improve the world, although it’s nice when that happens; one does it to improve one’s self. I give because it’s the only concrete way I have of saying that I’m glad to be alive…”
His words remind me of what has been called the paradox of generosity, namely: If you want to keep it, give it away! Kirk Nowery unpacks that by saying: “If you want to keep your children, give them to the Lord. If you want to keep your life, give it in wholehearted service to Christ. If you want to keep the real value of your money, give it to an eternal cause. The more I study generosity the more I realize that it is absolutely revolutionary. When we put it into practice, it transforms our actions, shapes our attitudes and changes the way we look at virtually every dimension of life.”
As Christians, we are called to be rivers, not reservoirs. God wants us to be channels, not containers. As the blessings of God’s love flow into our lives, they must be allowed to flow through us into the lives of others. Any attempt to hoard God’s gifts would lead to stagnation and staleness. We are called to a life of revolutionary generosity – by giving who we are and what we have in such a way that amazing things will happen.
“Imagine the feelings of the disciples,” says Mr. Nowery, “when Jesus took those five loaves of bread and two fish and turned them into a feast for thousands. Think of the hilarious joy they felt handing out food to the hungry, seeing God multiply it as long as they kept sharing.” That hilarious joy is what every band of believers (e.g., every local church!) is meant to experience through the ongoing generous giving of those who follow Christ.
Listen to Stephen King’s words again: “I give because it’s the only concrete way I have of saying that I’m glad to be alive…” Are you glad to be alive? Are you grateful for the stream of God’s love and mercy that flows into your life day after day? Are you glad for the difference that Jesus Christ has made in your life? Then pass it on. Let an overwhelming sense of gratitude motivate you to good works and generous giving. As King notes: “Consider making your life one long gift to others.”
Yours in the Love of God,
George - The Pastor George Imhoff
* Thanks to The Rev. Linda Prinz for sharing this illustration in the Lake Hopatcong UMC newsletter
“…I want you to consider making your life one long gift to others. And why not? All you have is on loan, anyway. All that lasts is what you pass on…. Giving isn’t about the receiver or the gift but the giver. It’s FOR the giver. One doesn’t open one’s wallet to improve the world, although it’s nice when that happens; one does it to improve one’s self. I give because it’s the only concrete way I have of saying that I’m glad to be alive…”
His words remind me of what has been called the paradox of generosity, namely: If you want to keep it, give it away! Kirk Nowery unpacks that by saying: “If you want to keep your children, give them to the Lord. If you want to keep your life, give it in wholehearted service to Christ. If you want to keep the real value of your money, give it to an eternal cause. The more I study generosity the more I realize that it is absolutely revolutionary. When we put it into practice, it transforms our actions, shapes our attitudes and changes the way we look at virtually every dimension of life.”
As Christians, we are called to be rivers, not reservoirs. God wants us to be channels, not containers. As the blessings of God’s love flow into our lives, they must be allowed to flow through us into the lives of others. Any attempt to hoard God’s gifts would lead to stagnation and staleness. We are called to a life of revolutionary generosity – by giving who we are and what we have in such a way that amazing things will happen.
“Imagine the feelings of the disciples,” says Mr. Nowery, “when Jesus took those five loaves of bread and two fish and turned them into a feast for thousands. Think of the hilarious joy they felt handing out food to the hungry, seeing God multiply it as long as they kept sharing.” That hilarious joy is what every band of believers (e.g., every local church!) is meant to experience through the ongoing generous giving of those who follow Christ.
Listen to Stephen King’s words again: “I give because it’s the only concrete way I have of saying that I’m glad to be alive…” Are you glad to be alive? Are you grateful for the stream of God’s love and mercy that flows into your life day after day? Are you glad for the difference that Jesus Christ has made in your life? Then pass it on. Let an overwhelming sense of gratitude motivate you to good works and generous giving. As King notes: “Consider making your life one long gift to others.”
Yours in the Love of God,
George - The Pastor George Imhoff
* Thanks to The Rev. Linda Prinz for sharing this illustration in the Lake Hopatcong UMC newsletter