THE ROLE OF THE FAUCET

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”  (1 Corinthians 3:6-7 NIV)

Don’t make the mistake the associates of Lawrence of Arabia made. He took them to Paris after World War 1. They had never seen such sights. The Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon’s tomb, the Champs Elysees. But nothing impressed these men from the Arabian Desert more than the faucet in the bathtub of their hotel room. They turned it on and off, on and off, amazed that with a twist of the wrist they could have all the water they wanted.

When the time came to leave Paris and return to the east, Lawrence found them in the bathroom with wrenches, trying to disconnect the spout. “We need faucets,” they explained. “If we have them, we will have all the water we want.”

They didn’t understand the role of the faucet. Spouts carry water, not produce it. Spigots are the tool, not the source. The valve might direct fluid, but generate it? No. We know this…

Or do we? Through what faucets has God poured His love into your life? A faithful church or small group? A pastor or youth leader? A prayerful parent or spouse? Time-tested traditions or contemporary praise songs? A girlfriend in college or a grandma from childhood? God’s water passes through many faucets. His gift comes in many packages. The treasure, however, is not the plumbing or the box, not the container of the gift. No, the treasure is the Giver Himself! 

-- Adapted from Max Lucado in “Come Thirsty: No Heart Too Dry for His Touch”

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REFLECTING ON OUR BLESSINGS

"I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.”  (Psalm 77:11 NKJV)

Gratitude gets us through the hard stuff. To reflect on your blessings is to rehearse God’s accomplishments. To rehearse God’s accomplishments is to discover His heart. To discover His heart is to discover not just good gifts but the Good Giver.  

-- Max Lucado

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GENEROUS GIVING

God’s goodness expresses itself in His generosity. God is good, and God is a giver. In fact, He is the Supreme Giver. God spoke the universe into existence. God breathed into you the breath of life. God formed you in your mother’s womb. When you were lost, God gave you Jesus to show you the way home. And God prepares all eternity for you. God is a giver. You are made in His image. So the best-version-of-yourself will be a generous giver, too…

The most joyful people also happen to be the most generous. Generous giving is joy. To give is to become more like God.

God delights in your giving and even multiplies it to bless others. “God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things… you may have an abundance for every good work.”  (2 Corinthians 9:7b-8) 

-- Allen R. Hunt in “Nine Words: A Bible Study to Help You Become the Best-Version-of-Yourself”

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THE GIVER AND THE RECEIVER

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  (John 3:16 NRSV)

Gifts require two parties, a giver and a receiver. The right motivation of a giver is love -- no strings attached. The right attitude of the receiver is to accept the gift with gratitude -- no hoops to jump through.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9 NSRV) 

-- Adapted from Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians”

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