Resourcing

As long as I can remember individuals have resourced me in my discovery of truth. By that i mean they have shared personal stories, articles, books, opinions, friendships with others they respect, etc. 

I have come to realize that one of the greatest gifts I can give to others is a resource to help them along in their journey of discovering truth. I have also discovered that no one discovers truth on their own, we need others.

I don’t always know how best to resource others as if I have secrets no one else has. I look at what I have and give to those who express a desire to receive.

How do you resource others?

What resources have you received that you are grateful for?

The landowner

Jesus tells a story about the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 20. In this parable Jesus uses a landowner, a foreman and several workers to teach us about his kingdom. I love the story because it teaches so much about the landowner. Things like he is the one who is in control. He is the one who takes steps to invite others to join him in his labors. He searches out others to join him. He even invites others to join him with only a few hours to go in the work day. He agrees to compensate those who join him with fairness. He speaks truth to those who join him, even when his workers drift into selfishness and untruth. He is generous.

The workers don’t “deserve” to work for the landowner. The workers had a streak of selfishness. The workers chose not to celebrate when others were blessed even though they were being treated with fairness.

And yet the landowner extended and they received grace and their lives were changed that day, if only for that day.

May I learn to celebrate when others are being blessed. May I learn to practice gratitude rather than grumbling.

Finances – credit cards

I can remember how proud I was when Candace and I received our first credit card. We had grown up. We had reached adulthood. We were in for a ride we hadn’t planned on. We agreed that we would pay it off every month. We agreed that we wouldn’t use it as a crutch. We agreed we would use it for emergencies. We had good intentions. And then it happened. I mean everyone was doing it. We didn’t pay it off one month. And then another month. It was weird looking back and trying to figure out where we had gone wrong. And how we had bought into the idea that “we needed a credit card.” We didn’t. And when we experienced enough pain or frustration at trying to become somebody we weren’t, we cut our credit cards. It was weird like I was quitting a drug or alcohol habit. All sorts of mental tricks played on our minds. But a calming voice kept speaking, “You were saved to be free.” And the truth is we weren’t free. We were slaves as long as we kept buying into the lifestyle we had allowed ourselves to get accustomed to. Now it has been years since we have had a credit card and the freedom is beautiful. It is kind of like trying to describe a sunset to someone on the phone…it’s hard to do. 

So how are credit cards working for you?

Are there some untruths that you are using to justify your credit card usage?

Are you free in your finances?