When I was twenty one, I spent the summer in San Diego with 50 college students from around the country. We squeezed into four condos in the heart of the beach community for ten weeks. We shared meals, got summer jobs in the community, and swam in the ocean, but our main purpose was to worship God and share the Gospel with anyone we would meet where we lived, worked, and played. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
I was a new Christian at the time, in fact it had not even been a year since my decision to follow Christ. I was as they say "green behind the ears," and I had a lot to learn. That was the best part about it though. I had a community of faith who showed me a living example of Christ, taught me how to study the Bible, and how to communicate my faith to others. But one lesson that impacted me the most that summer was what I learned about generosity.
Each of us who participated had committed to raise $2,000 to cover room and board. We were encouraged to invite others we knew to sponsor us as prayer and financial support partners. Because I was a new Christian, my ability to raise support for my summer was pretty limited. My girlfriend at the time was a Christian so I remember asking her if I could send some letters to her parents and her parents friends, but that was about it. By the time I arrived I was able to raise about half of the funds, but I still owed $1,000. I almost didn't go, but someone told me I shouldn't back out because God would provide the rest.
So that's what I did, I went and hoped for the best. Thankfully the best happened, and I got an amazing job. While most of the guys and gals who were with me were selling beach souvenirs, snow cones, or hamburgers, I was working as an intern at AT&T making good money. In a little more than a week's time I had enough money to pay off the remainder of my commitment, but for some reason I didn't. I think I liked seeing the money in the bank and watching it grow. I liked the feeling that it was my money, and I was proud that I had earned it. So instead of paying off my debt, I collected paychecks and watched my balance grow, and grow, and grow.
You can probably guess what happened next. About six weeks into the summer I lost it all, right? Wrong. Actually I kept making money and decided that it was finally time for me to pay up. So one day I got my check book out and I asked the group administrator what I owed. With my pen in hand, ready to write a check, I remember her answer to me was "nothing." "Are you sure?" I asked. "Yes," she said, "your balance is zero." I said to her, "that's impossible, I know I still owed about $1,000." Then she told me, "someone else paid your debt. You don't owe anything." Oh my gosh, are you kidding me, someone paid what I owed? I was so happy ... and that's when it happened. God had me right where He wanted me.
In my heart I heard the Holy Spirit say "you see Aaron, even when you are caught up in your bank balance, I will lavish you with grace. You didn't deserve someone paying your debt, but that person did it anonymously anyway. That's grace Aaron. And from here on out, I want you to remember what just happened, because it's my grace. You can never out give me Aaron because I have given you everything, even my only son, Jesus. All I ask is that as you live your life you give back to me like I gave to you, generously and sacrificially."
That summer I learned that God doesn't care about our bank balance, our great job, or our success. God's not impressed because how can be impressed when He made it all happen. He's not impressed with what we accumulate, God's impressed with how we give it away.