Week 2 – Reluctance

Sacred Insight: What’s the intention?
As you read, considering the context, determine the intention behind the author’s words. Name all that apply:  1. To show us His truth, 2.To expose our human rebellion 3. To correct our mistakes, or 4. To train us to live like Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 Reluctance is defined as being unwilling and hesitant; disinclined.
 
In the context of giving, there are three main reasons a person would be reluctant to give money to others.
  1. Because it’s needed personally
  2. Because it’s earmarked for another cause
  3. Because they want it for themselves
In the first case, a person is reluctant to give their money away because they need that money themselves. Maybe it’s needed pay rent or buy food or pay their bills. This a situation where reluctance is merited. We are called to use our money wisely and to provide for our needs and the needs of our family.

1 Timothy 5:8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The second reason for reluctance in giving comes when a person chooses to give their money elsewhere. My husband and I have a specific account that we call our ‘giving fund’. We portion out this money to the organizations that we feel called to support. Because our family is very active in supporting Nashville’s homeless community, we use a good portion of that fund to help and support organizations with that goal in mind. But, there are times when someone else asks for our support for other ministries/causes. 99% of the time it’s a cause that is perfectly valid and the need for donations is very compelling. But we feel reluctant, because that particular cause is not one of the organizations or people groups we have chosen to support.

When that happens, the best thing to do is to pause. God often brings new opportunities for helping others into our lives and it’s our job to be open to God’s promptings. So, in those moments, we should pray for his guidance. Be open minded and yet steadfast in following God’s will for our lives.
 

The third instance of reluctance comes from wanting, simply, to not part with our money. Maybe we are reluctant to give our money away because we want to spend it on other things. It is in these moments that we once again, pause and determine what those things are. Maybe it’s a need like food or shelter, a vacation with the family, a new car, or just a trip to Costco. This is where we stop, take inventory of how we are spending our money, and determine whether it’s healthy. A vacation with the family or a trip you’ve dreamed of your entire life is a bad thing. God wants us to enjoy the blessings that we’ve been given to the fullest.

But there are times where we need to evaluate whether those blessings have become idols. Specifically, we should evaluate if we are finding more joy in our money and things than we are in our Heavenly Father. Money and wealth can easily becomes an obstacle to our faith and that’s when giving is an excellent thing to do. Making that choice to give, rather than spend our money on things we don’t need is a powerful way to reorient our hearts. It’s like a reset button that allows your heart to know what the joy of giving feels like.
 
The point is, listening to our reluctance is a good thing. It compels us to be deliberate and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s calling in our lives, prompting us to open our eyes to the needs or idols of our hearts and then seeking the Holy Spirit’s voice in our life through prayer. It can be difficult to say no, but  nobody has unlimited resources and we will always have to prayerfully discern to whom our money is going..

Proverbs 13:16 All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.

Ultimately, we are to love God more than we love money. Reluctance can be a matter of godly discernment, or it can be a warning that our affections are being misdirected. Use your reluctance to evaluate the contents of your heart and connect with your Heavenly Father in seeking his will. Ask God to make you a wise and cheerful giver and always remember that we are to ‘freely give because you have freely received’ (Matthew 10:8).

Determine the intention behind the author’s words. Name all that apply:  1. To show us His truth, 2.To expose our human rebellion 3. To correct our mistakes, or 4. To train us to live like Jesus.

Do you ever feel reluctant to give? Think of a time and share where your reluctance was coming from? Did you make the Godly decision in the end?

What did you ultimately decide to do?

With this passage in mind, do you feel your decision was Spirit-led?

 

Live It Out:

  • Write out our scripture in your journal. Add notes, drawings, encouragements and thoughts about its original intention and meaning.
  • Journal about any reluctance you have in your life regarding God’s instructions. Ie: Reluctance to give, reluctance to serve, reluctance to encourage others, etc. Dig deep and determine whether that reluctance is stemming from a place of Godly discernment or otherwise, and make a plan to lean into God’s will for your life.