I only know one person who drives his own car in Ho Chi Minh or in Hanoi. He is Vietnamese and it is probably a company car. I know several expats who have a car and driver, a very nice perk from their company. If you can afford a car, and they are very pricey in Vietnam, do you want to battle the intense traffic and the challenging unwritten rules of the road? Even if you are ready to do that, where will you park every time you want to stop at a store, restaurant, bank, etc. There are very limited parking spots except at large buildings with underground parking.
We were in Hanoi last week and had many appointments scheduled. Very kindly an expat couple offered to give us their car and driver for the day. What a generous gift. It saved us taxi fares. And save us time. Rather than trying to flag a taxi for every new trip the driver and car were waiting every time we finished an appointment. When we thanked our new friends, they replied that it was only what Christian friends should do. They were evidently giving to us with joy.
I am impressed with the description of the Macedonian churches. "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity."II Corinthians 8:2 Persecuted, impoverished but filled with the joy of the Lord, they gave generously to the needs of the poor believers in Jerusalem. In fact they were so eager to give that "they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. --- they pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." 8:3, 4
How do believers arrive at this attitude and this level of giving? Most of us feel we are doing really well by reaching the goal of a 10% tithe. Some very dedicated people give 20% But to give as much as you are able and then more? To plead for the opportunity of giving? (Of course we understand that they didn't get requests for giving in the mail, in TV commercials or in emails every week as many of us do.)
Paul comments about these joyful, generous givers, "they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." It is so much easier to give generously and sacrificially if we have first truly given ourselves completely to God. If He owns me and everything I have, should be much easier to give away what doesn't belong to me.
We were in Hanoi last week and had many appointments scheduled. Very kindly an expat couple offered to give us their car and driver for the day. What a generous gift. It saved us taxi fares. And save us time. Rather than trying to flag a taxi for every new trip the driver and car were waiting every time we finished an appointment. When we thanked our new friends, they replied that it was only what Christian friends should do. They were evidently giving to us with joy.
I am impressed with the description of the Macedonian churches. "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity."II Corinthians 8:2 Persecuted, impoverished but filled with the joy of the Lord, they gave generously to the needs of the poor believers in Jerusalem. In fact they were so eager to give that "they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. --- they pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." 8:3, 4
How do believers arrive at this attitude and this level of giving? Most of us feel we are doing really well by reaching the goal of a 10% tithe. Some very dedicated people give 20% But to give as much as you are able and then more? To plead for the opportunity of giving? (Of course we understand that they didn't get requests for giving in the mail, in TV commercials or in emails every week as many of us do.)
Paul comments about these joyful, generous givers, "they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." It is so much easier to give generously and sacrificially if we have first truly given ourselves completely to God. If He owns me and everything I have, should be much easier to give away what doesn't belong to me.
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