Last Sunday, in the sermon The Holy Spirit: Our Helper in 2020, Part 2, I preached about our need for God’s grace in order to abound in giving. Later in the day, Christine Mugimba narrated to me an experience she had with her daughters, particularly Grace-Joy, after the service. Their conversation will bless your heart even as you will further know that what we heard and learnt was indeed a word in due season from God to us.
Here is Christine:
Today after the service my husband Dennis, the children, and I while en route home stopped by Quality Supermarket Naalya. My daughter Christina had money that she had been given as a birthday gift and wanted to buy something. As she headed out of the car with Dennis to go to the shops, I reminded her to set aside and not to spend the tithe because it is God’s money.
I remained in the car with my two other daughters Elizabeth and Grace-Joy. Then Grace-Joy, picking on from the conversation of tithing said, “Mummy, why is it difficult to give? Sometimes I want to give but it is hard, and especially money." She went on: "So I have been praying and asking God to help me. I told God I don’t want to be rich if I am not going to be able to give because in heaven that won’t count."
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I then told Grace-Joy, "And you know, Jesus left us with a helper – the Holy Spirit. Actually that is exactly what today's sermon was about. Pastor Moses actually said that ‘giving is not natural to most of us, so we need the Holy Spirit to help us. Even when you think you are generous you still need the Holy Spirit to help you.’" I also told Grace-Joy that God wants people like her who want to give and recognize that they need help to do so. Then she said, "Actually mummy, even when sometimes it's hard to give, when I give I am happy. Remember the time I had to give my nice pink dress to Christina; it was hard but when I did I was happy, I felt joy." End.
Isn’t this amazing? Grace-Joy was speaking by the inspiration of God when she brought up the subject of needing God’s help (grace) to give and the joy that follows. Mind you, she was not in the adults’ church on Sunday. Therefore, until her mother told her, she did not have a clue that what she was talking about was what I had preached. This all goes to confirm four things that were the highlights of the sermon:
- The sermon was not a time filler; it was surely God’s timely word to us. (Remember Carol Busingye and Christine Mugimba’s unplanned testimonies on giving and receiving that preceded the planned testimonies of the two children LAT has taken through University)
- We shall by all means prosper financially this year as we delight in God’s law (Psalm 1:1-3)
- When the financial increase comes, (and it must), we should abound in generosity
- We need the infilling of the Holy Spirit who will enable us to abound in generosity. (NB: We received that infilling on Sunday)
God bless you.
PS: Considering the above events on Sunday, it is highly likely that Grace-Joy will in time to come be entrusted with wealth and the grace to distribute it as a worthy steward of God. And like all givers, her greatest joy in life will come when that gift of giving is at work. Just my thoughts...