Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 217
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
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What
would Christmas be without the bell-ringers?
Every year the folks from the Salvation Army are at the store’s front
doors…ringing and ringing and ringing…and people walk by and drop something in
their bucket. Listen to Michael’s
illustration of a great truth to see what kind of “giving” you and I are
practicing…
DAY 234
Remember the
Bell Ringer
Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped.
--Philippians 2:5, 6
Imagine
going into a grocery store where the clerk rings up the sale, puts your hard-earned
money into the register, and then places your groceries under the counter and
asks you to leave without them. How would you respond? I imagine that most of us would throw a
fit, screaming at the injustice of paying but receiving nothing. There might
even be an ensuing fight.
In
contrast, imagine walking by the Salvation Army bell-ringer at Christmastime
and putting $20 into the bucket. Would you be upset if the bell-ringer gave you nothing in
return? Not at all, for you give to the bell-ringer a gift from the heart,
expecting nothing in return.
Sad to
say, very little giving
within many Christian homes has its origin in the goodness of a heart turned toward
Christ. When a good
deed is done for another and anger occurs because of lack of response, the
reaction proves only that the action was not done from the heart without
strings attached. It reveals that whatever was paid was done so with the
expectation of receiving something in return. This kind of giving is bondage that yields no joy. Giving is a delight if we
desire nothing in return. I pray that God would give us bell-ringer
marriages.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Christmas is not only known for the bell-ringers, but for the giving of
gifts to family and friends. The
question is: does our giving have its origin in the goodness of a heart turned
toward Christ? Or, do we give with
strings attached? Even the tiniest
little piece of a string???
Michael states that “Sad to say, very little giving within Christian
homes has its origin in the goodness of a heart turned toward Christ.” So, perhaps the question I must ask myself:
Does any of my giving to family and
friends all during the year have its origin in the goodness of
a heart turned toward Christ? Does my
giving bring me the delight Michael speaks of…the delight if I desire nothing
in return?
I join Michael in praying God would give me a bell-ringing LIFE. May that carry over into a bell-ringing marriage,
family relationships, fellowship with neighbors, and interaction with strangers…etc…
To access ALL past weekly
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NOTICE: another blog on
Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the
Wilderness. You can access by logging onto
www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches,
TX 75963 936-559-5696
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