Offering

‘I offer myself to you totally.’ Said the bride to the groom. ‘I will give a liberal offering today in church.’ Said a man who heard of the needs of the church. On our daily experiences we offer something, whether consciously or unconsciously. We may offer a word of encouragement or discouragement; we may offer to open a door or offer to buy a friend lunch. But what are we offering to others when they interact with us? What message are we offering to others in words, in deed and in action?

One day my brother offered to climb the ackee tree so we could all eat a haughty breakfast, so I offered him my assistance in climbing the tree but when he was done, I realized my assistance was limited to getting him up in the tree and not in bringing him down.  May times we say and do things without looking at what we are offering.  What should be most important is that we offer ourselves TOTALLY to Jesus. Not half, not a quarter, not some today and some tomorrow-totally. Trust Him, admit your weakness, acknowledge your limitations and ‘if you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land,’ Isaiah 1:19.  Isn’t that a great offering? When you totally surrender to God, Rick Warren says ‘you experience peace…you experience freedom…you experience God’s power in your life…the paradox: victory comes through surrender.’ He continues, ‘so give it all to God: your past regrets, your present problems, your future ambitions, your fears, dreams, weaknesses, habits, hurts and hang-ups. Put Jesus Christ in the driver’s seat of your life and take your hands off the steering wheel. Don’t be afraid; nothing under His control can ever be out of control.’

-Christal-Ann Thompson Richards