To: Him
"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things." (Romans 11:36)
This verse - which is probably worthy of reflecting and pondering deeply as much as any in God's Word, speaks of how great God is, how long He has existed, and how worthy is He.
Knowing what this verse simply says - that all things are His, points back to the concept of being good stewards of what God has given us.
As many of us are engaging into this Christmas season, and giving gifts to our loved ones, I want to bring to your remembrance some fundamentals financially that will help to keep us in the right path to take.
It can be very tempting to overspend on gifts... especially for our children. You may recall the verse from Matthew 7 when Jesus spoke about giving good gifts to your children, and how much more our Father will give what is good to those who ask Him. However, leaning back to what wisdom says... "to lend and not borrow" (Deuteronomy 28:12), and to "owe no many any thing but love" (Romans 13:8), we know there is a balance in this area to strive for.
If you've arrived at gift ideas that may extend beyond your means this month, please seek God's peace regarding them, and ask for God's wisdom in managing your finances.
If you choose to go forward and make these purchases, set out now to plan for how to pay back any deficit from December as soon as possible - in January or February at the latest.
Remember this post to seek balance as you turn the page into mid-2023 --- and to not encounter a repeat of going into debt with Christmas giving, but instead to plan ahead. Consider an old-fashioned concept that has helped people in this category... the Christmas Club Account. It is simply a type of savings account to make routine deposits throughout the year, with those savings available for the holiday season to have the funds for gift giving. If your bank does not offer one, set aside the funds in the same manner on your own.
Next, let's look to another avenue how we can also be good stewards during this time of giving. We'll go through some excerpts from verses in Matthew 25:
"I was naked and you clothed Me"
"I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink"
"I was hungry and you gave me food"
There are many good organizations in our metro area serving those without, and serving them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to bring to your attention two of them:
Denver Rescue Mission - helping restore the lives of people experiencing homelessness and addiction through emergency services, rehabilitation, transitional programs and community outreach with the goal of returning them to society as productive, self-sufficient citizens. Their website is denverrescuemission.org.
Restoration Outreach Programs - serving the East Colfax Community, they develop redemptive relationships with teens and children, and provide resources that help individuals lead lives towards self-sufficiency and restore broken lives. Their website is ropserves.org.
Going back to Matthew 25, the people the King spoke these words to had this response, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink, or naked and clothed You?"
The King replied to them, "Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least of these My brethren, you did it for Me."
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
