Our house in on the periphery of a vast open field. We often drive through the field on our bike and park somewhere in the middle just to enjoy the view and the fresh air. I told Sharel recently, “If the breeze continually blowing through this field blew through our house, we would never have to turn our fans and air-conditioners on.”
Ironically, even though our house is literally on the field, we hardly get any of that breeze blowing through our home. Guess why?
Poor cross ventilation!
If the breeze could pass through one window and get out through another, we would have a lot more air flowing through our house. Coz whatever gets in must also get out. And what we really want when the air is blowing through our home is to be somewhere in between. But the air doesn’t get in at all because it cannot get out.
It’s kinda like the Dead Sea. Israel has two seas: the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Both of them get their water from the same source – the Jordan River. But while the Sea of Galilee is teeming with life, the Dead Sea is literally dead. Guess why? It has no outlet. Whatever gets in never gets out. It remains there and stagnates and consequently nothing can thrive in that environment.
But this post is not about Air and Water. It is about our lives.
Have you noticed how some people always seem to have an abundance of everything flowing through their lives? And others, not so much. It’s like the church of Jesus Christ, where healings, miracles, deliverances, unmerited increments and promotions are commonplace. But some people never see any of it. If you are one of them, then the questions you should be really asking are, “Is there any cross ventilation in my life?” “Are all my windows open?” “When God blesses me, does it benefit anybody apart from me?” “Am I a miser and a hoarder?”
When Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” I am certain He meant it literally. The more we give, the more we get. So, our goal should be to give at least 10 percent of what we make to kingdom work (the gospel, alms, charity). Don’t be only giving it to your wife and kids and your favorite aunt and say I am spreading it around. Some of what you make should benefit people you don’t even know. Give quietly and in secret and watch what happens.
God did not say give 10 percent coz He needs our money. But He is trying to get us into a flow – a system of reciprocity where we keep giving and receiving – except that every time it comes back to us, it is much bigger than what we gave away. Even money needs to keep flowing to keep coming back…that’s why it is also called currency (like a current of water that flows from a stream into a river and then into the sea only to come back again as rain). Get it?!
God is busy taking care of His creation and we are His hands and feet. We are blessed to be a blessing. He is looking for people who will pass what He gives them to those in need. If you keep all of it for yourself, then you are not being a good custodian of what God has given you and He cannot trust you with more. It is like Jesus said, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” (Luke 16:10)
If you want more of God’s blessings flowing through your life, pray that you will be a good conduit between heaven and earth. Strive to become a channel of God’s love, bringing peace where there is strife, love where there is hatred, joy where there is despair, abundance where there is lack. Then you will see a shower of God’s blessings raining down on your life.
Those who say, “Let God bless me first, then I will give, then I will help, then I will serve,” have got it twisted. It is in our giving and our service to the Lord that we receive. And it is not just financial. We must give our time too, and our skills, talents, resources and also our money. Dedicate it all to the service of God.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your life. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38)
Kevin Menezes 