…having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. They are the fragrant aroma of an offering, an acceptable sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights.
Philippians 4:18
Within the context of your contribution, the portion you are able to bring to the table to advance the Kingdom of God, what’s the end game in mind when bringing your portion? Simply put… what is the reason for your contribution?
While taking a walk one night, this thought re-occurred to me as I was thinking about everything I was currently doing. As I was busy talking to the Lord, my words to Him were that I’m not doing this for fortune or fame, but simply knowing that I am living in the confides of His will and bringing my portion to the table.
How I wish everyone would take the time to evaluate the reason behind what they do. It sounds silly to say, but if some would do so and be honest as to the reason, they might be pleasantly surprised to find that they carry a genuine heart for the things of God, while others would discover their motives are far from godly.
We can get so caught up with the doing, doing parts of the ministry, that the reason as to why one might be doing it escapes them. If some were completely honest they would find that their contribution stems from a place of fear – fear of disappointing man or being scolded by them, fear of disappointing God and punishment, while others do it to be known by all – finding ways to profit from their contribution.
If our contribution stems from a place that is driven by a wrong motive, how good is that contribution really then to the kingdom? Oh, make no mistake, God can, and does, use all sorts of men and women to fulfil and advance His kingdom’s goals. The question is simply on which side of the contribution do you want to find yourself?
Personally, I would like to know that my portion falls in the area of highly approved desire the Lord has for my life. I would like to know that I am pleasing God with the way I bring my portion to Him.
The motives buried deep within often get concealed by our business or in the thinking that we are doing it from a heart that finds favour with God. But how sad it would be to discover that our contributions all came from a place that has been driven by a heart that carries self at its core in the end?
My friend, today calls for us to examine the reason for our contribution, the way we conduct ourselves and the way we live our Christian walk.
If the reason isn’t Christ centred, wanting to live in the perfect will of God, then it’s time to redirect our contribution, lining ourselves and our contribution up with the will and plans of God. Today is the day to commit your contributions again to the Lord.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father. My prayer today would be that every contribution I bring to the kingdom would be pleasing to You, finding both approval and blessing for bringing them. Help me keep my reason for contributing pure. Where my motives have been wrong, help me to learn from them and live a changed life from this day forward. I pray this in the mighty and precious name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.