Money, money, money!

The greatest thing about #40acts to me is that it has caused me to think very intentionally about how generous I am. As a husband, father, son, brother, leader, pastor and so on. This journey of three years lasts beyond Lent. It has stopped some of my bad spending habits and started new ones.

As I am prompted to think about how I spend my money by the folks at Stewardship I am also being nudged by the Ignatian Reflection for today that Jesus is everything I will ever need.

All the rest is just stuff.

The prompting is so strong for me that when I turn on my banking app I have set is so the welcome message says 'be generous'!

Initially I thought this was principally about money but gradually I rediscover (for I think I have known this before) that generosity is about being available, open, accepting, giving.

Do I support numerous charities as a result of this? Not on a regular basis but when possible I like to Sipport Open Doors (persecuted Christians), Bible Society and Habitat for Humanity as well as my own church at The Salvation Army in Cumbernauld.

Do I ever feel I am being generous enough? Honestly, no, but I also know that I am on the way to being more generous with my money, which for some of the causes that resonate with me makes a difference of a few pounds.

And on the way I have healthier spending habits and am more available to others.

Be generous because you already have all you need.

We have it too easy...

Now here's a first: I had done this mornings task before it was issued!

One of the challenges of living in the West, being a church leader in Europe is that we have it very easy. Yes, you might argue there is the challenge of declining numbers, lack of engagement, staid worship. But we are not killed for our belief. We are not persecuted for being followers of Jesus. That's why on a regular basis I pray for the persecuted church. Those who in fear of life and limb, ridicule and exclusion still worship Jesus.

They hide away to do so, they have no books they can turn to for inspiration - least of all a Bible. Yet they remember the words of scripture that are written on their hearts. They repeat them as they occasionally meet in secret places.

They are blessed.

So I remember them in prayer in the comfort of my home knowing that my particular brand of Christianity benefits from public acclaim. I look at the hundreds of books that I frequently neglect - 90% of which are on faith themes, the hymn and music books that are well thumbed on relatively few pages and remember those who have none of these benefits. And I ask forgiveness for myself and my fellow Christians who have allowed our freedom to lead to a cheapening of blessing as we take it for granted.

The very least I can do is pray.

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/