Who Is Your Nest For?

Good morning!

I pray all is well and that you have been able to experience the fullness of God's love and grace in your life today and throughout this week! I would like to share with you a devotion that I have reflected on for a couple of weeks now. It is from Practicing Extravagent Generosity: Daily Readings on the Grace of Giving by Robert Schnase.

The notions of building nests is often used as a metaphor to describe people successfully providing for their own comforts. If someone arrives at a career position of some ease and security, friends say, "You've built yourself quite a nest for yourself here!"...The words nest often connotes shelter, coziness, homelike, comfortable.

In actual fact, the nests which birds build are not for the birds who build them, but for their young, for the next generation, for the future of the species. The hours of carrying straw, sticks, and mud; the days of defensive watchfulness; and the weeks of endless feeding are all for the benefit of the new ones, the young, the future.

Now consider "nests" we build in our churches. The buildings, the programs, ministries, job descriptions, and services we build - are they for our own comfort and coziness? Or are they to further the faith and provide for future generations? Does our giving serve us and our needs or serve God by serving the mission of the church to reach new people? Vibrant, fruitful congregations focus as much energy, prayer, and planning on those who are outside the congregation as they do on those who are already active in the congregation.

When I think about the nests I build, I realize that many of those nests are for me. I wonder how God is calling me to use the nests that I've built in my life for others? Am I ready to put in the time, the effort, the hard work, and probably with no recognition for it, to ensure that God uses all of me to reach people for Christ? Am I ready? Am I willing?

Are you?

Precious Lord, You provide all I need. The nests I have built, I've been able to build because of Your provision and blessing. Remind me again and again that the nests of my life come from Your hand. May I be generous in the way I share all of myself and all that I have so that others may experience the fullness of Your love and grace in their lives. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.