Giving It All Away…And Getting It All Back Againنموونە

Only One Life                                                                         

I love the British cricketer and missionary C. T. Studd’s poem, “Only One Life.” The lines that really get me are, “Only one life ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

I believe God has placed us on this earth to work, to earn, and to care for those he has entrusted to us. Yet I also believe that we are put on this earth to give, to devote ourselves to a radical brand of generosity that changes lives and leaves a legacy. To paraphrase God’s words to the patriarch Abraham, we are blessed so that we can be a blessing.

But what do we mean when we talk about being blessed? In our culture, this might be interpreted as financial blessing. And certainly, finances can be part of it. I believe, however, that the blessing God talks about encompasses so much more:

• Family
• Friends
• Talents
• Freedom
• Education

I could go on and on.  

When I consider all of the blessing I’ve been given, it’s hard for me not to pause and thank my Lord and my God. His heart is generous. His blessings are wide and rich.

Application: List some of the many ways you have been blessed. How could you use these blessings for eternal purposes?