The Current of Pride
August 22|The Generosity of God Series
August 22|The Generosity of God Series
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Read the entire passage: 1 Timothy 6:17–19
In his book Satisfied, Senior Pastor Jeff Manion writes, “You won’t have to work at becoming arrogant. As your wealth grows, just do nothing, and you will drift toward egotistical self-centeredness. It requires corrective action to prevent drift toward conceit.” Increased wealth is fertile ground for thinking it is all about me, my comfort and my accumulation. We gravitate toward “I did this” in contrast to “God did this.”
In today’s verse, Timothy commands the wealthy Ephesians “to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18). There is something powerful about people of wealth who give of their time consistently.
Faithful, humble servanthood is anti-arrogance training. Service can train us to think and believe that it is not all about me. For those “afflicted with affluence”, you must find a regular outlet for servanthood that is inconvenient and uncomfortable. It does not mean that serving should be a chore. On the contrary, it invites us to reconsider that it is not “about me” as we sacrificially give our time, resources and finances for the benefit of others. Serving cultivates humility, faith and generosity when performed with the right attitude.
Identify how you will paddle against the current today. Ask God to help you find your inconvenient and uncomfortable place to serve. Ask God to cultivate a humble desire to see a need and fill a need.