Beauty

     

         This morning, as I was standing in front of the mirror in my essentials everything hit me. My son was laying on the bed in front of me just smiling at me. He was happy and giggling, there wasn't an ounce of judgement pouring from his body. You see, I was standing there with my mommy tummy, my lines that now encroach the beautiful skin that used to be there, the extra pounds that replaced the perfect number that I once was on the scale, and my son was staring at me in awe. He doesn't need me to show him how beautiful I am, he already believes it. Jack taught me this morning that I need to believe I am beautiful just as he believes it without question. Beauty isn't my definition, it isn't my worth, it is the beliefs and the spirit inside of me pouring out of my skin. It is my heart showing its true character through the shell that holds it, it is the love and joy that I have radiating from my inner being. My beauty is not based upon my outward appearance but who I am within my soul.

       As you start each day remember that you are your own definition and your beauty is not a measure of what you see in the mirror.

Is Redistribution of Wealth Biblical?

Is Redistribution of Wealth Biblical?

Redistribution of Wealth is a hot topic in today's political world.  Both parties have positive intentions but neither understand how redistribution of wealth can be used in a Biblical Sense.

I am not naive enough to believe that everything that our country was built on was God inspired.  However, the general idea of freedom and liberty is the only place where God can operate at his maximum ability.  You see, "the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor. 3:17).  However, we must remember that a governments policy and a book of rules and regulations can not effect the freedom that we feel and experience through Christ.

Now, back to redistribution.  The main complaint against redistribution is that we will eventually become a pure socialist economy.  The most extreme explanation of this policy is that everyone has the same amount of everything.  We know from history that most of these systems did not work.  Why doesn't it work?  Government takes Biblical principles and ideas and attempts to turn them into a government run program.  The governments goal is to make everything fair.  However, they don't understand that Biblical redistribution of wealth has nothing to do with what is fair.  Biblical redistribution of wealth is God inspired overflows of our heart.  It is when us Christians listen to the holy spirit and we find ways to bless those around us.  

God can not force us to give anything to anyone.  However, the more you understand the goodness and love of God the less and less importance you will put on the worldly stuff around you.  Jesus said it like this:

Mat. 6:28-30 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?"

God does not need a government program to provide for his Children.  He needs his Children to listen to his voice and receive from Him!  Here is how this happens:  God wants to bless every Child of God.  However, most of us don't receive the amazing life that God has provided for us through Jesus.  So, God is so big that he will use us Christians to lift up, and sometimes support, the Children of God when they are not able to receive it for themselves.  This is where we come in.  

Redistribution of Wealth has nothing to do with giving 10% of your income or some number a government comes up with based on a 100 different variables.  Biblical redistribution of wealth has to do with us trusting God and giving with cheerful hearts because God has first given to us.

1 John 4:19 is very simple.  It says, "We love because he first loved us."  Everything that we have to give to those around us is because God first gave to us.  We are able to love because we first loved us.  We are able to forgive because he first forgave us.  We are able to give because he first gave to us!

How do you know when to give?  

Try to listen to what the holy spirit is telling you.  Giving because you feel directed to give is the best feeling in the world!  When you understand how messed up you are (without Jesus) and how much God has blessed you (through Jesus), you will care less about what the money is going to be used for because God told you to give it.  You don't have to second guess it because there is plenty more where that came from!  Don't limit God, and raise the bar of how good you believe He is!  

Give without strings attached.  Know that God has directed you to give and that is all you need to know.  Don't hold it over someones head.  Never make them feel like less of a person.  Let them know that you are supposed to give it to them and God loves them.  Make sure they know that you don't care what they do with the money but also be sensitive to if the Holy spirit wants you to direct them.  Be extra sensitive to the Holy Spirit if you are like me and you think you know the way everyone around you should live their life.  Since I know I am like that, I choose to simply give without even thinking about the need.  I simply trust that God knows their need and I am open to listen if they want to tell me about how this will help them with their need.  If I try to tell the best way to use the money I am now playing God and man.

Don't turn into an accountant or a financial planner.  This may be the only time of this person life that they are experiencing the unconditional love of God in the physical realm.  Leave and thank God for His goodness, blessings, provision, and wonderful Grace.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.