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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Gifts, Giving and Forgiveness |
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Frontline Devotion for
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
By Anne B. Crawford
Text for the day:
Luke 15:11-32
“You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” Luke 15:31.
One of the disciplines I have been asked to reflect upon in this Lenten season
is the discipline of giving. Oh great – I guess that means I need to
write a stewardship devotion and try to convince people, including myself, to be
better givers – of time, talent, and especially resources. I wasn’t
sure that’s where I wanted to go on the subject of giving and then the story
of the prodigal son came up as our gospel lesson the other week. It
triggered some interesting thought on gifts, giving, and forgiveness.
Giving is an interesting word – it is related both to the word “gift” and
to the word “forgiveness.” In the parable of the prodigal son, the
father gives the younger son his share of his inheritance – not as a gift so
much as what was his due (albeit a bit ahead of schedule). After
squandering this inheritance and falling on hard times, the younger son comes to
his senses and returns home prepared to admit his foolishness and ask for
forgiveness (a gift). Before he can get a word out, his father forgives
him, embraces him, and showers him with gifts and a party. What a nice
complete cycle of giving, gifts, and forgiveness. But then the father has
a run-in with his older son. This one resents the gifts that have been
given to his younger brother. What does the father do? He also gives
a ‘gift’ to this son, by affirming that “all that is mine is yours.”
God’s gifting, as presented in this familiar parable, needs to be my model for
giving and forgiveness. I need to start by appreciating that I have
everything as a gift, not as a result of my own efforts or worth, but as a
result of God’s grace and His promise that “all that is mine is yours.”
Second, I need to acknowledge my own foolishness, i.e., sinfulness and the ways
I sometimes squander or put to poor use the life and resources God has given me.
This leads me to God for the gift of forgiveness. Finally, and perhaps
most importantly, I need to approach my giving not as a matter of obligation or
duty, but as a joyous gift-giving opportunity to express my love for God.
That’s a tall order, but I’m going to start with working on thinking about
my giving as “gifting” – offering my talents and resources not as a duty
or to earn God’s favor or impress anyone else, but as a Spirit-led response to
God’s love in the ultimate gift of salvation through the death and
resurrection of Jesus.
Let us pray: God of all grace, you have given us everything, including
salvation through the death and resurrection of your son, Jesus. Forgive
us when we lose our way and begin to think and act without gratitude, misusing
or failing to use the talents and resources you have entrusted to us. Help
us to see our giving as gifts to You and increase our faith so that we may
‘gift’ in joy, serving as your witnesses and disciples in the world.
Amen
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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