Apples of Gold

David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague.” “Take it, My lord the king, and use it as you wish,”

Araunah said to David, “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”

But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” I Chronicles 21:22-24

Helpful Help

When my kids were little it was so much easier for me to just do the dishes or pick up the living room rather than teach them how to do it. But if I never put in the extra work to show them, they would not only be unable to do these things but they would expect that they were not going to be required to do them.

How many school science fairs have actually been won by 40 year old fourth graders? Sometimes it is very obvious that a parent, rather than a child completed a project. Regardless of a report card or prize that might be won, when a parent does the work for a child the child doesn’t learn at the same level as when they do it for themselves, with a little help. Sure the volcano might be leaning or the details a bit messy but the child accomplished it.

We can rob each other of opportunities to learn and grow when we try to instantly remove every obstacle from someone’s path. What if God put it there because they needed to learn something? Parents cripple their children when they hand them everything with no cost. When a child, who was raised this way, finally gets out on their own, reality often hits like a battering ram. Groceries don’t just appear in your cupboards, WiFi isn’t free, “I forgot” is the wrong answer when your power is shut off for lack of payment.

There is a delicate balance we must achieve to know when helping isn’t actually helpful. Scripture encourages us that trials serve a purpose.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1Peter1:6-7

Just Say No!

This goes both ways. Trials make us stronger. They also make other people stronger. They might not be fun, but isn’t the pure gold what we are looking for in our lives?

Living halfway across the country from my parents brings some serious challenges. Unfortunately I usually only get to see them a couple of times in a year. My mom is a ridiculously talented cook and baker. She also comes armed with a complete array of everything that I enjoy eating, and when I arrive in Maine, I usually find a kitchen stocked with most of my favorites. Tollhouse pie is usually guaranteed to be cooling on the counter and more likely than not homemade, gooey, chocolate sauce is ready to accompany it. It is not unusual for me to eat a lot more than I should while I visit them. If the visits lasted more than a few days my waistline would be in serious danger of expansion!

Whether it is turning down a third cupcake, or an over generous offer, sometimes we just need to learn to say no. A sincerely offered good thing is not necessarily the best thing for us.

David had a grasp on this. Araunah was trying to help. He was ready to bless the king and give assistance but David understood that this sacrifice needed to cost him personally.

We have probably all heard of re-gifting. Most of us are probably guilty of re-gifting. There is a time and a place for that but it is not in our offerings to our LORD. God doesn’t want our sacrifices to be white elephant gifts. He wants heartfelt, valuable sacrifices.

Worth the Cost

Our oldest daughter is a missionary to Japan. She recently finished her itineration and we headed to the airport to send her off for three years. How are you supposed to give your child a hug that lasts for three years? Difficult doesn’t begin to express how hard it is to walk away from those last precious minutes together. We rarely realize how steep the cost of foreign missions really is. It is so much more than money or not having some modern conveniences or favorite foods. As we sang “You Are Worthy of It All” during the song service before we headed to the airport the realization of what that actually means was pretty raw. We often flippantly sing songs like that without processing the true meaning. Is there anything He can ask for that you would not be ready instantly to comply? What kind of sacrifices are you giving the Lord? I don’t want to be giving enough to simply get by, I want to hold loosely to everything so that I will not hesitate if He asks for it.

May God give us wisdom to know when and how much to help others or accept help from others. May we never give him hand-me-downs or left-overs. Let’s offer the sacrifice that costs us something!