Our homegroup series at the moment is studying the Lord's Prayer, and we're doing it in detail - a line at a time kind of detail. Last night we were looking at the line, "Give us this day our daily bread", which I thought was a useful and very helpful topic for me, given that I'm currently in the process of preparing the church budget for next year.
A lot of interesting things came out of our discussions, thinking about our needs as opposed to our wants, about provision for the "day" ahead, thinking about trusting in our God who provides, not worrying overly about the future. But one thing, one detail stood out for me, more than any other, and that was just one word, the shortest word on the line, which is "us".
Because, even though we are told to pray this prayer in secret, behind closed doors this is a prayer about community. Whether the line "Give us this day our daily bread" is a request, or a confident statement of truth about our provider God, it is a communal statement. God's provision, as with all his promises, is worked out in our lives, as we live them as worshipping, praying communities, not as we act as disconnected, self-reliant individuals.
Will God provide all my needs - yes, I believe he will. Will he provide for everything directly, supernaturally to me? No, not necessarily - he may provide through someone else, in my church, in my family, amongst my friends.
And when he does provide something directly to me, then what does that mean? Surely it means I have an obligation to share it - whether it is money, time, a gift or a talent, or anything else that the Almighty, awesome God choses to give to me, because he doesn't give it for my glory, but so that, through me, acting, living, working in my communities, he will be glorified.
What does this mean for me, as I work on and discuss the church budget with the Finance Team tonight.... I'm not 100% sure, yet, but I'm convinced its relevant. And as I work out my everyday life, well then it could just be life-changing...
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