The Source - October 30, 2016

James 1:17-18

I have a story to share about Ruth that helps with the sermon this morning,
so I expressly asked permission and she told me no. So, I pleaded for permission
and she told me I could on one condition...you're not allowed to laugh. Ok? So,
no laughing.
A couple of weeks ago, Ruth told me, "Mommy, when I grow up, I want to
be a mommy like you." Yeah? "Yeah, I won't spend any of my money on my kids,
but if my husband wants to he can."
Now, you could take a lot of things from that story. You could get that I am
cheap. You could get that Rick is indulgent. Or, you could get what I get, which is
that our daughter has no idea how much money I spend on her, only it doesn't
include many treats or toys. You see, I'm the accountant in our house. And she
doesn't see when I buy the weekly groceries, or pay the utilities, or buy

necessities, or any of the other things that "just happen" behind the scenes.
Never mind the day to day tasks that provide for her needs. She doesn't give
much attention to the laundry being done, or the bathroom being cleaned, or the
dishes being washed. And while she's glad to eat, she has no concept of what all
goes into preparing a meal. Children don't. It's not in their nature. So, she
obviously lacks a little gratitude for all the things she does have, simply because I don't tend to do the special things. But maybe as she grows older and becomes
more responsible for herself and the things necessary to provide for herself, she'll
begin to see. Maybe.
I don't tell you that so you can judge our parenting or give unsolicited
advice (unless it's REALLY good advice and then it's ok). I share that story
because I think it is sort of like our relationship with God. Sometimes we see the
big fancy, shiny things God does—the treats and the toys—and we're grateful for
those, but we don't always take note of the little things. We don't see the
common things that cover our basic needs: providing relationships, abilities, a
home, a community of faith, or even a job. And without taking note of those
things, we're likely not to be grateful for them either.
As we begin this new sermon series on stewardship, it's essential that we
start with identifying what it is God gives so we can give thanks and respond
appropriately. Our passage for today tells us that every "good and perfect gift"
comes from God. Every single one. That's a lot. And maybe that's all we have to
say to be grateful. Or maybe we need a little more meat on the bones to see just
how abundant God's giving is. So, here are a few other passages from scripture
that highlight what God gives:
Isaiah 14:3
the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow
Jeremiah 31:35
stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar
Psalm 146:7
[The Lord] executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The
LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.
Psalm 68:35
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.
1 Thessalonians 4:8
Therefore... God, ... has also given us His Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 8:18
And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to
get wealth, that He may establish His covenant
Ecclesiastes 2:26
For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight;
...
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The list actually goes on and on. God is a giver of gifts. God wants to pour
out blessings upon the people and does just that.
Now, some of us are doubters. Some of us have some good nay-sayers in
our lives who will ask the questions...what about the sickness you're facing? or
what about the car accident she had? or what about the job he lost? where was
God in that? Didn't God give all those things too? To those questions, the book of
James gives these answers...just before our passage for today. Verses 13-14 say,
13-15 "Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying totrip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The
temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us."
God is not the one causing us to stumble. God is not even the one tempting
us to turn away. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. So then the retort
becomes, "Ok, so what?!" What's the big deal if God is a giver of gifts? How does
that matter? Why does it affect me?
Well, that depends on how you look at it and value it. You could be like
Ruthie, taking things for granted and assuming God hasn't really given you
anything at all...you can just keep it all for yourself just like God does. Or you can
look into the details and see the vast array of gifts that are there. God gives
wisdom. God gives peace. God gives solace. God gives strength. God gives
direction. God gives provision. God gives forgiveness. God gives grace. God gives
mercy. God gives freedom. God gives the sun and the moon and the stars. God
gives you life. God gives you family. God gives you community. God gives
opportunities. God gives support. God gives healing. God gives hope. God gives
second chances. God gives every good and perfect gift. And that's not just like
"yeah, God gives it to somebody, but not to me." God doesn't discriminate like
that. God gives gifts, many and abundant gifts to each of us.
Have we noticed? Are we grateful? Are we going to use our gifts? Are we
going to give back? What does that look like? Does God give simply so we will
give? I don't think so, but I think in being aware of all that we have been given,we are invited to gratitude and often in the midst of our thanksgiving we will
want to share with someone else. When we've received hope in the midst of our
struggles, we're more likely to go out of our way to share it so someone else
knows hope is real and worth it. If we were the one helped on the side of the road
in the rain, we're more likely to stop for the next person who is stopped, aware of
what a gift it is to have help when you're stranded. It's not that we have to, it's
that gratitude draws us into awareness and often causes us to want to help
someone else.
Sometimes, we will be overwhelmed by the measure of the gift. We'll think
there's no adequate way to say thank you. In college, my grandmother offered to
help pay my tuition. She'd simply write a check and cover the entire term. it was
overwhelming. I didn't know quite how to say thank you. "Thank you" didn't
seem to cut it. And even a bouquet of flowers seemed horribly inadequate. Now,
she didn't pay my tuition so I would be indebted to her, but because she wanted
to bless me. And she did. I wrote my thank you, and sent flowers, but ultimately,
I decided the greatest thanks I could give would be to do well in my classes and
make her investment worthwhile. It wasn't that my grandma gave me a gift to get
something in return. But she did want something....she wanted me to succeed.
I think that's a part of who God is too. God doesn't give us things to make
us indebted to God. God doesn't give to us so we "have to" do something in
return. God isn't looking to "get things" from God's generosity. But God does want something....God wants us to succeed. God wants us to do well. God wants
us to have our needs covered. God wants us to thrive.
And in return we can simply receive the gift, as if God has to do all those
things. Or we can see the best of what God gives and be grateful for that. Or we
can look into the details and see all that God has done and know that we could
never really repay it. And we can know that we aren't asked to pay it back. But we
are invited to be mindful, grateful, and make the most of what's been given to us.
As we begin this stewardship season, I invite you to inquire and ask, "God
what have you given me?" Just look, listen, and feel for the answers—-what has
God given to you. And then maybe ask, "how can I make the most of it?" The
question is not "what do I owe you God?" But maybe "What did you hope I would
gain from this gift?"