Giving It All To You

This week we're doing a new song (new to us) called "Giving It All to You." I played it at the end of the service last week. Pastor Philip had told me that he was doing a mini-series on giving and I wanted to find a song we could sing together. This is one that came up when I started searching.

Over the years, I have had people ask about giving 10% to the Lord. I always respond, "Oh, it's much worse than that. He doesn't want just 10%. He wants it all... and not just your money. He wants everything!"

I talked about time, treasure, and talents a few weeks ago. God wants it all. My ability to sing is not mine. It belongs to Him. My income is not mine. It belongs to Him. My leisure time is not mine. It belongs to Him. My possessions are not mine. They belong to Him.

As my children were growing up, they all wanted to do different things. I was very clear to them that they didn't have to be in vocational ministry in order to serve the Lord. Jesse wanted to be a meteorologist. Ruthie wanted to be a chef. Mikey wanted to be in the Army. I told them all that God needed followers who were meteorologists, chefs, and soldiers. God needs followers who are bankers, IT people, music teachers, etc. Your vocation is not yours. It's His.

When I went to Chaplain's School in 2008 at Fort Jackson, I was driving a new Suzuki XL7. I lived nearby, so I just drove there. Many of the chaplains were from all over the country and were not authorized a rental car. They would come to me and ask if I could drive them to the store, or a restaurant, or whatever. I would just hand them the keys and tell them to do what they needed. They were generally shocked! "You're going to let us drive YOUR car?!?" I would say, "Well, it's not my car. It's God's car. Now, if you wreck God's car, then your insurance needs to pay for it; and if you spill a drink in God's car, please clean it up." Your possessions are not yours. They are God's.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Or maybe not. So many followers of Jesus struggle with this idea. It's like when they were baptized, they held their wallet above the water. They walk through their lives and never think about how they can use their jobs, their skills, their time, or whatever for the glory of God.

Giving it all means giving it ALL. It's all the Lord's, and we should be constantly seeking how Yahweh wants to use what is His to expand His Kingdom. I hope that as we walk through this series and sing this song, we are all thinking about two things:

1. Is there anything I am withholding from God?

2. Where does God want me to use my time, treasure, and talents for Him?

SONGS FOR SUNDAY

Build Your Kingdom Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdJXKqVgtg

In Christ Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8YmH3-HcLY

Christ is Risen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IExdrZGQVeI&t=180s

Giving It All to You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qetf37_gCH0

All Creatures