[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 13/Oct/2024]
What does it mean to be a Christian? This is a rather probing question, for which the huge number of different Christian denominations is evidence that not everyone is fully agreed on the answer. Daniel Gbegbe from the organisation Compassion, spoke in Church last week and described it as a journey. The term Jesus follower is now becoming more commonly used, and I suppose an answer to the question I posed at the start is that a Christian is one who has chosen to follow Jesus on life’s journey.
I chose to follow Christ many years ago on this journey, and I find that Christ has his unique way of bringing to my understanding things which I do not have a clear understanding of when I read the Bible.
An example of this is of giving to God. Usually this implies financial giving, but it could also be of our time, skills, etc. Paul, one of the apostles, wrote to the church in Corinth and said: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”[1]. He also reassured them that God would bless them abundantly.
Now, there are some who interpret God blessing them abundantly as an expectation that the more they give, the more God will bless them. It is almost like investing in stocks so that you can gain tons of money back in return. This has never sat comfortably with me, as it could mean that we only give to God for what we can get back.
I saw giving in a different light this last weekend. My daughter and I spent a day in London. It was her birthday gift to me, and she just wanted us to spend time together. It started off with breakfast, then we did the Natural History museum, and it ended with dinner at a restaurant. Each time I reached for my wallet to pay, she gently but firmly reminded me that this was her treat, and I put my wallet back in its place. It was a lovely day, one to be remembered with a smile. She had given of her time and money with a cheerful heart, not expecting anything in return, just the pleasure of spending the day with me. The overwhelming feeling I had was that I was loved and valued by her, and my immediate wish was to find ways not just to reciprocate this towards her, but to do even more than she could ask for.
If I, with all my flaws, had this desire to give good gifts back to my daughter, how much more does it bring joy to God our Father, when we choose to spend time with him, and to selflessly journey with Him. He is pleased to journey with us. He blesses us with His presence. He reassures us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His blessings flow to us not as something we could ever earn, but rather, from one who has promised to do exceedingly more than we can think or ask. So, whenever we have the opportunity to give of our time, our money, our skills., let us do this as Paul says, with a cheerful heart.
Lastly, my daughter mentioned as we were speaking, that unlike some social engagements where she would be worried the night before about the event, she slept really well, because it was me she was meeting the next day. I reflected on this and I pray that I will also look forward each day to spending time with God, to see it not as a chore, but as a blessing.
Resources:
[1] 2 Corinthians 9 v7
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Last week’s reflection: Are We On Mission? by Martin Shorey
Contributed by David Makanjuola; © David Makanjuola