Good Measure

“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” - Luke 6:38

If your checkbook register would be projected in front of the congregation on Sunday morning what would you do? Squirm? Run? Hide? Would you be embarrassed about where your finances are going or not going? What about your mercy and grace? If we played a video in front of the congregation of your life this past week would we see mercy, grace, and forgiveness extended to others? The idea of “good measure” in this verse implies an acceptable and inspiring act. Luke is giving us a picture of how God views the importance of having a heart full of the goodness of Christ. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

We see a similar passage in 2 Corinthians 9:8,

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Paul in this passage is talking specifically about finances and giving to the work of God. In these Scriptures it always goes back to the heart. Are you a cheerful giver? Do you get excited about giving to the work of the Lord and watching the kingdom of God grow? I really want to encourage you to read the passages below today. Allow God to speak to you through them. Ask the Lord to fill your heart with good and take away the greed, selfishness, and dirt that is in there.

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” - Luke 6:45

Further Reading: Luke 6:17-39, 2 Corinthians 9

Restrained

Have you ever had to be restrained?

When it comes to living passionately for Jesus Christ one of the last words I think of is restraint. That is why it caught my eye as I was reading Exodus 36. As the people of God were constructing the Tabernacle, everyone whose hearts were stirred to do the work came. The people of Israel continued to bring contributions for the work of the Tabernacle. In verse 5 the workers approach Moses.

"and said to Moses, "The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more." - Exodus 36:5-7

I love the fact that they had to be restrained from giving. There is no way you would see that in today's culture. We are either holding on so tightly or when there is an abundance it is never enough. One of the prayers for the ministry is that God would provide all that we need to do what he has commanded us to do. Not more and not less, just enough. Every month God comes through. Every month we have enough to pay the bills. God continues to prove time and time again that we can trust him. I don't know where you are at but I do know God wants you to trust him.

I love to dream. I love to dream big. What if the people of God would desperately care for the work of the LORD? What if the people of God had an eternal perspective? Would their focus shift? Would the world look any different? What would it look like if pastors would have to tell their congregations to stop giving because of the abundance of their giving? What an awesome sight that would be!