To Freely Give this Christmas...Continued from page 2

How do we know the difference?

By having a relationship with the Lord, we have learned to communicate with Him. As this relationship grows, the communication becomes stronger and the still small voice (confirmed by the Word of God) becomes louder within the depths of our hearts. God wants us to be able to pray, “Oh Lord, what do you want me to do in this situation?” By spending time in His Word, certain verses will come to your mind. This is the Lord’s leading by the Holy Spirit. Part of the Holy Spirit’s role in your life is to bring to remembrance the instruction and ways of God (John 14:26).

The only way to walk in the freedom of the Lord (guilt-free) is by including Him in the conflicts of everyday life, like pulling up to the homeless at a stop light. I pray, “Give me Your will in this situation. Should I give or not?” I wait, I listen and then I act in accordance. Whatever I end up doing, I do in faith believing that the Lord has led me. It could be anything from giving money, to giving food, to parking and sharing the gospel, to praying for the person, to giving clothes, a gift card or a Bible. It is not a random thought that comes to mind and calling it faith. It is about humbling yourself in prayer and seeking His heart through Bible reading as you desire to be led by His Spirit, not your thoughts.

I went to Connecticut to celebrate Thanksgiving because that is the part of the country where Thanksgiving started and it was where I could practice loving and thanking the Lord. In the same way, I continually go to the Lord for discernment on decisions regarding giving because He is where my Christian life started – and I grow richer as I include Him in every situation of my life.

We are about to celebrate Christmas. No matter where you go to celebrate Christ’s birth, He goes with you. We just need to make sure that no matter what we are doing and no matter what decisions we are making, we are doing it according to His will and not ours. The Word of God is for our everyday instruction and Jesus is not just about December but living out the meaning of Christmas every day of the year. God’s Word is not a matter of opinion but of life.

We need to choose each day who we will serve. Do we serve the ways of man or the heart of God? It is not difficult to discern God’s ways. And God is not so demanding that we have a hard time following Him.  So those of us who are rich in faith, regardless of our financial status, will please God’s heart (James 2:5). Christmas time is the best time to test our motives to see if we are in the faith and the best time of the year to act in that faith and to remember: