Friday's Challenge on Posted by Rebekah

Every Friday @ 12:30pm (CST), you can hear a weekly challenge from me on Faith Music Radio.  My podcast is called Posted by Rebekah. You can listen online HERE or download the free app for your smartphone.  I would love for you to join us, listen and take the challenge!

Tune in any time of the day to Faith Music Radio for uplifting Christian music and talk. 

Here is today's podcast in blog post form. :)

My husband just finished up a sermon series for the month of May called “Living Generously”.  As a person with their main spiritual gift as giving, I really enjoyed this series.  I came across this thought as we were discussing this series together one day.  “Living generously is not a transaction; it’s a relationship.”

We both just loved this thought!  What is the difference between “giving” generously and “living” generously?  I thought of this illustration…

Have you ever seen the movie Annie?  We actually just watched it as a family for the first time last month.  I loved how the story line of this movie painted the picture beautifully for this concept.

When Mr. Warbucks decided to open his mansion home to an orphan for a week, it was merely a publicity stunt.  It was a transaction, if you will.  Yes, he was definitely giving anything and everything to Annie who was visiting his home – yet, it wasn’t out of love.  It was to look good to others around him.  He was definitely giving generously.

As time went on, he and Annie formed a friendship – a relationship.  By the end of her stay at the mansion, she did not want to leave and he did not want her to go.  Why?  Because now – he wanted to “live” generously – not just “give” generously.

And that is how it is in the Christian life.  First, we form a relationship with Christ when we accept Him as our personal Savior.  As we deepen that relationship, we naturally want to give more and more.  More of our gain, more of our time, more of our love.  We just want to “live generously”.

Maybe you are out there listening today and say, “Rebekah, I’m afraid to live generously.” The number one reason people are afraid to live generously is fear.  But the Bible says, “Perfect love casteth out fear.”  When love is in a relationship, it will drown out the fear.

So today’s challenge is:  What is holding you back from living generously?  Ask Jesus to give you His perfect love, cast out the fear in your life, and begin to live generously today!

Will you take the challenge?