Addition by Subtraction?

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

-Jim Elliot

Jesus implies things that defy conventional wisdom.  Things like not storing up treasures on earth.  Things like not worrying about provision and finding life through death.  While we hear these statements and nod our heads, it is tough to be confident in these counterintuitive teachings.  One way we can discover if these things are actually true is to try them out.  It’s like taking a few steps out onto a bridge to see if it will hold you.  Ultimately, we need to decide whether to trust Jesus, but there are ways we can get more comfortable with entrusting things to him.

One area of life where we can test the waters a bit is through generosity.  We don’t have to give everything away to see if what the Bible says about giving is true.  By simply giving a little more, we can judge for ourselves if there is gain.  We can decide if being more generous makes us more joyful.  Do we find a greater freedom from our worries and fears when we give more away?  The Bible is filled with examples of God replacing our material possessions with even more valuable forms of wealth - relational and spiritual wealth - while still meeting all our needs abundantly.  Our church family is full of these stories too.  So why not give it a try?  You know what you have to lose.  Now you can find out all that you can gain.