By My Measure

On August 18, 2025   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 6: 38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

I ran across this quote recently, “No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anne Frank. In case you do not remember her story, I made her name a link. The quote captured my attention on its own merit, but it is even more captivating in light of Frank’s experience.

The question became, for me, what motivated her remark? It sounds like an admonition that all should be givers. Perhaps it is even an accusation that we are not. The quote certainly made me question myself. I also found myself wondering if different cultures are more giving than others. I know lots of folks who are very generous, as it has been quite evident as I raise money for the MS Foundation. Yet, when I look in the broader context of our country it seems we hold tightly to our resources.

I wonder if fear of loss or fear of poverty lies in the back of our minds and has gripped our souls. You can imagine that those who lived through the Great Depression would certainly have reason to squirrel away their money. I had an uncle about whom the family lovingly joked that he had the first dime he ever made. Tight? Yes! I don’t know anything about his philanthropy; he may have given away lots for all I know, but he certainly didn’t spend much, dying with years of savings. Was that because of fear?

This quote by Anne Frank is encouraging, but it is also haunting. Bankers will tell you that Americans don’t save as much as previous generations. Pastors will tell you that fewer and fewer people tithe. One article I read said that the U.S. is still one of the most generous nations. At the same time, we see our charitable and religious donations shrinking.

I have always been proud of this country’s willingness to give. I remember as a child, perhaps in eighth grade, figuring out that our prosperity is tied to our generosity.  That is exactly what today’s verse says.  I still believe that to be true both at a personal level and as a country. Still, I wonder if I am doing my best. Am I actually charitable? Would others say that I am? While I was wonderfully blessed by all the folks that helped me raise money for MS, and by a super terrific group of sponsors who gave directly to the bike team, I was also surprised by people who wouldn’t cough up ten dollars to help. Our bike team saw amazing gifts of charity. I remember one woman who emptied out her bag of every single coin so that she could give us something. She left us feeling incredibly blessed even though it totaled less than three dollars. Then there were the folks who wouldn’t give us a dollar but would spend $12 on their coffee. There were people whom I had just met who overwhelmed me by donating $100, friends who gave even more than that but then the guy with whom I spent thousands of dollars who wouldn’t give me a dime for MS.

Are we stingy? Are we generous? Are we afraid of going broke or do we spend more and more on ourselves and pleasures? I don’t have any of the answers so, invite your comments and thoughts. Have you seen a trend? Do you find Anne Frank’s comment haunting as I did? Let me know what you think.

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Tabitha

On November 19, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 9: 36

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means Dorcas); this woman was excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.

One has to like this woman, Tabitha. Some of the other translations read, “She was always doing good and helping the poor.” First, she made it a habit to help others. Second, she excelled at acts of kindness and charity. What better report could be made of anyone. Would you like people to speak of you in these terms. I would.

She is called a disciple. It seems her understanding of following Christ was to be kind and generous. Most of us would agree that Christian charity is part of following Jesus. It used to be that the church took care of widows, orphans and aliens. That role has largely been passed to the state, but the state is not always best equipped to meet the need. By way of example, allow me to share one couple’s story with you.

Deneen, had a serious stroke 4 years ago followed later by a second stroke. She is 60 years of age, blind in one eye, crippled on one side, has busted teeth from the fall, etc. Things have gone downhill for her. She has been bedridden for about a year. Hospice helps once a week. The state has not awarded her disability. Her husband, Mike, is 67- 68 and still works 10 hour shifts so they can have insurance. They have very little help and no monetary support other than his salary. Mike was diagnosed, this week, with lung & throat cancer. In frustration and concern, Deneen’s friend wrote, “Where does the help come from?” and asked for prayer for this couple.

Prayer is great and this will be forwarded to the Ivey Ministries Prayer Team. However, I think we can do more. This holiday season please join with me to help this couple. I believe it is the church’s duty to care for people, but even more than that, I believe it is in the heart of believers to help those in need. Send what you can to help this couple. Send your gift to Ivey Ministries and mark your payment “Deneen”. Every penny of your gift will go directly to them. I can’t see any reason why we can’t raise a thousand dollars or more. Send checks to: Ivey Ministries, 7726 Amber Forest Lane, Lewisville, NC 27023. You may also click on the Donate button on the website to give with PayPal: IveyMinistries.org. Please know that PayPal takes out their percentage, which is fair, but it is a convenient way to give.

What do you say folks? Is this something we can do this holiday season? Perhaps you have additional ideas on how we can be a blessing to them. Please click reply or send me an email at irorie@iveyministries.org.

Let’s show, if not the world, at least this one couple what Christian love and charity is. I hope you can get behind this. I pray we can make a real difference in this couple’s life. Bless you!

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Giving Tuesday

On May 5, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 9: 6 – 9             NLT

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

Today is giving Tuesday and we can each ask what that means to us. For some of us it has no bearing at all. We are able to pass over it without it affecting our thoughts. Others of us feel pressured to give and we don’t want to. Then there are those who embrace giving.

Secondly, regardless of which group we find ourselves in, what is it that we think of giving? Most people are going to think that someone wants them to give money. Money is our medium of exchange these days and the easiest thing to give. It isn’t all we have to give though, so maybe our personal conversation needs to be about what we have to give that we want to give. Romans 12: 6 – 8 is illustrative on this point.

As the situation with covid-19 infections continues it is not surprising that people are becoming less tolerant, less patient and less circumspect. It seems there is less of a sense of camaraderie and charity. So, today is an opportunity to pause and ask ourselves where we stand. Is there room left in our hearts for charity? Or, is it time to turn our attentions to ourselves? Does giving to others have a place when so many of us are either unemployed or working at a reduced salary? If you want to make a gift of abilities or money, to what organization or group would be blessed by your outreach? Would a small gift help anyone? Is it worth your time?

These questions are best answered by you but here is what I would add. Don’t give to anyone if you don’t feel it in your heart? This should be a moment of worship between you and your Father. Do it with Him or don’t do it at all. Second, there are many opportunities to give. Just about everyone could use a hand right now and most organizations have experienced decreased revenue. Don’t forget your church and the ministries which support you. Though services are not being held, expenses continue and many churches and ministries have increased their expenditures in trying to support people during this crisis.

Don’t let fear rule you, don’t let guilt be your guide, but if you find it in your will to do something for someone else today, that would be great. Take a moment to ask your Heavenly Father to be in this with you. Whom or what organization would He like to bless? How can the two of you do something that will be meaningful to you? Though some people won’t tell you this, your giving should be a blessing to you too. It should feel good inside to reach out to others. And last, if you want to do something but are concerned about your own income, don’t feel bad about making a small gift. Give according to your faith, not someone else’s. There are also non-monetary gifts. Let the Lord lead you and have a good time with your giving.

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The Greater Blessing

On September 8, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 20: 35

“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Do you really believe that? We have heard this expression all our lives and we have each experienced those moments when giving something to someone else really did bless us but, do we actually believe this statement in our hearts?

Sometimes I think the world is divided into two groups, the givers and the takers. It seems sometimes that people do not flow from function to function but rather remain fixed in their group. I have observed folks who are accomplished givers. They think of things the rest of us would never have considered. It isn’t that we wouldn’t do some of the same acts if we thought of them, we just never think of others that sincerely. We live in a society that tells us to “Get all you can for yourself” and “He who dies with the most toys wins.” This is not the Christian ethic so there are warring messages inside of us. To which of these voices will we surrender?

I want to send out encouragement today in the hopes that the result will be each of us looking around for someone to give to. Proverb 19: 17 reads, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.” I would venture to say that anytime you give to others, whether or not they be poor, God is well pleased. The way I see it, that provides a number of motivators for giving. First, it pleases God. Second, it is like giving to the Lord. And third, self-interest is advanced. Don’t think the third one is “dirty”. God rewards his kids and it is His pleasure to do so. Besides, isn’t self-interest the reason most of us are not more generous in the first place? 

I honestly believe that this “giving thing” is a real big deal to our Father. We are supposed to be like Him and we all know that He is a giver. Additionally, we are told that kindness is one of the traits we are supposed to exhibit (Gal. 5: 22) and the verse from Proverbs makes me think that kindness leads to charity. Charity is part of a generous heart.

Here is what I would like to suggest. Let us all give something today. Let’s just all unite in a spirit of giving for this one day. Find some way to give something to someone. Now here is a thought. Make it personal. The easiest thing to do is to give to a national charity. Now, there is nothing wrong with that but it doesn’t require much of us personally. It would be really great if we could all do something for someone where we can look them in the eye or make some kind of personal contact. We should endeavor to give out of our hearts not our pocketbooks. The two can go together but the former cannot be overlooked. One other caveat . . . I learned this from Joyce Meyer; don’t just give away something that you don’t want or are done with anyway. Give something meaningful. It does not have to be expensive but it should come from that good place inside of you. Maybe it is nothing more than buying someone in the break room a drink. It doesn’t have to be big but you should extend yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit.  

Open your eyes and look at the world a little differently. Look for ways to bless folks. I am hoping that you will have a lot of fun. I am also hoping that you will write me this evening telling me how you were blessed.

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