Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
Pathway Points
Stepping Up for Jesus
In these
last articles of the year, I’m asking you to reflect on the Vision 2020 that
Pastor Eric shared with us and how you fit into it both individually and
collectively as Grace Church. Last week, I encouraged you to think about how
you could fit 30 minutes of Bible reading into your daily schedule because the
best way to hear God is to regularly spend time in his word.
This week, I
heard a podcast that was challenging. (You can listen to it here: The Right Response |
Life.Church.) The basic gist was that obedience
is better than sacrifice. God isn’t looking for giving just to give or giving
out of guilt or compulsion. He wants obedience. He wants to be included in your
decision on what you give (time, talents, and treasure), where you give it, and
to whom. In Hosea 6v6, God says “I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love;
I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know me.”
Now, be
careful. That verse doesn’t mean you can give up giving and just sit around
with a me-and-God relationship. If you really love him and know him, you can’t
help but follow in his footsteps and give yourself to helping to fix what
breaks his heart.
So, let’s practice this week listening to God and giving out of obedience. If you need a little help, here’s a silly little calendar with a big impact if you include God in your decisions. Thank you to CoffeeCupsandCrayons.com for putting together this calendar each year.
Stepping up with you in His strength!
Monica Lebsack
Creative Ministries Director