As you know, I have not shared Today’s Word for the past three weeks. While I did share many inspirational messages on social media during that time, my usual routine of sharing Today’s Word was interrupted for those three weeks. I enjoyed the break. I had time to reflect.
So this morning, instead of returning to the series I was teaching before the break, I want to share a message that will not follow my typical format. I’m going to share some reflections from my break. These are some things that I thought about yesterday as I looked back over the last few weeks. There are some lessons here that I can share with you.
So what does this mean for you today? It means we should take some time to reflect on God’s Goodness. Let’s talk about it.
While I was in the DR, we did several things. Here are the highlights:
– Handed out 700 backpacks full of school supplies.
– Celebrated my cousin’s 50th and my aunt’s 80th birthdays.
– Spent some time in a resort.
– Made time to visit pools, rivers, and beaches.
– Celebrated the construction of our church and had a church inauguration.
– Worked on several proposals for our business.
I will give you life lessons from each of these.
1. We handed out 700 backpacks full of school supplies.
There are categories of giving. In my book, “Level Up Your Life,” I talk about four types of giving: tithes, offerings, sowing into ministries beyond the local church, and giving to the poor. Our annual Back to School Drive falls into the latter category. Here are some Biblical thoughts about this.
God made Solomon the richest man on the planet. This is some of what he said about giving to the poor.
(Proverbs 18:27 ERV)
Whoever gives to the poor will have plenty.
(Proverbs 19:17 ERV)
Giving help to the poor is like loaning money to the Lord. He will pay you back for your kindness.
(Proverbs 22:9 ERV)
Generous people will be blessed, because they share their food with the poor.
Solomon was obviously in support of being a blessing to the poor. What the Holy Spirit said through Solomon should make it clear that a portion of your giving should be dedicated to this category. Honoring God with the tithe, giving offerings beyond that, and financially supporting ministries that are advancing God’s Kingdom all over this planet are all great. But please do not forget to give to the less fortunate directly or to partner with ministries that are doing so.
In the New Testament, Paul said,
(1 Tim 6:17-19 CEV)
17 Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life.
– God did not say money was bad.
– God said NOT TO TRUST IN IT!
– God gives you everything you need to have and ENJOY LIFE!
– Don’t love stuff… ENJOY IT!
– God gives us richly all things to ENJOY!
Paul goes on to say:
18 Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.
19 This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like.
– We are supposed to do good deeds and help everyone.
– We are commanded to be generous, and a portion of our generosity should go to the poor.
– God gives you MORE THAN ENOUGH (OVERFLOW), so you can BE a blessing to others! But YOU have to do it. God won’t force you. You must CHOOSE to be generous with your overflow!
Giving to the less fortunate comes from empathy, compassion, and God’s love.
– The answer to poverty is NOT in any gift. I have explained how the answer to poverty is THE WORD OF GOD. Jesus never gave money to the poor. He gave the poor His Word. But the gift is simply to show the love of God and to draw people with God’s love.
– When you willingly give to the less fortunate and go out of your way to BE a blessing, you are becoming God’s hands and feet on this planet.
– Simply put, one of the ways you express the love of God is by sharing your time, talent, and treasure with those who are less fortunate.
– There’s a blessing in it for you too… and I am not talking about money. When you give to the poor, with no strings attached, without expecting anything in return, you receive something ON THE INSIDE that money cannot buy!
– Just know that going out of your way to BE a blessing to those who truly need it is sometimes difficult, it can get ugly, and the people’s reactions cannot move you. You are there because you are doing what you are doing as unto the Lord.
– When giving away backpacks, or food, to the less fortunate, we have run into situations where the people who feel like they may not get anything wind up getting agitated and possibly even angry and violent. Just know that ministry is ministry, and many times ministry will not be easy or pretty. Sometimes it’s not even pleasant, but you cannot be moved by circumstances. You must be committed to doing whatever God tells you to do; however God tells you to do it, knowing that pleasing God is your reward!
2. We celebrated my cousin’s 50th and my aunt’s 80th birthdays.
I feel the most grounded when I am around my family. When I am with them, they don’t care about any of the titles I operate under, the fact that I have written books, or that I have accomplished “this is that.” To them, I am just “family,” and that type of perspective keeps you humble and grounded.
To do what God has called you to do, you must maintain the proper perspective, and being around people who genuinely love you just for being YOU helps you do that.
As far as the celebration of the actual birthdays, I believe those are important too, for several reasons:
– You should not wait for a funeral to get together. While the Bible does say that we should “weep with those who weep,” it also says that we should “rejoice with those who do rejoice.”
– You should look for reasons to celebrate life and celebrate each other.
– I have often told you that God does not want you to wait until you get to heaven to celebrate and enjoy life. He wants you to know you are going to heaven, but He also wants you to ENJOY THE RIDE!
– Celebrating milestones helps you enjoy the ONE LIFE God has given you.
– Life is not just about the years of experience you have. It’s about creating experiences for your years!
– Lastly, make sure people know how much you appreciate them. I know many say, “It can go without saying,” but you will be amazed at how much people appreciate it when you actually open up your mouth and say it!
3. We spent some time in a resort and made time to visit pools, rivers, and beaches.
In my latest book, “Grace Based Success,” I provide a significant level of teaching from the following passage:
(Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NLT)
Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.
Isabella and I work hard and put our hearts into everything we do. I only have ONE SETTING, and that is “MAX.” I have done teaching about work/life balance and claim not to have one, meaning that I am not trying to balance my life and work as separate things. Everything I do is my life. If I am working on our business, our ministry, our marriage, our family, or on something for our children, I put my ALL into it. If I am writing a book because the Lord wants me to invest in others, or if I am laying on the beach because it is time for me to take a break, I put my ALL into it.
Solomon tells me that my approach to life is good. It’s a good thing for me to ENJOY my lot in life. I enjoy running a business, leading our non-profit, speaking about technology, preaching the Gospel, spending time with my wife and children, and getting a massage at a spa. I enjoy it all.
A major lesson I believe many Christians (especially Christian leaders) must learn is that it is “okay” to give yourself the LICENSE to rest and ENJOY IT! You were not designed to work 24x7x365. You must learn to embrace the grace to rest, and if you ENJOY relaxing you should also ENJOY working. It is all part of YOUR LOT IN LIFE!
4. We celebrated the construction of our church and had a church inauguration.
Our ministry built our school building during COVID, so we did not have a big school inauguration, but thankfully, we were able to inaugurate our church during our trip. This past Saturday, we took the time to think about all the things God has done with our ministry in the DR since 2015. We talked about the school, the church, and all the challenges we have pressed through to get to where we are. On Saturday, we celebrated, and on Sunday, I preached the first sermon in our church post-the inauguration. I dealt with the investment God led us to have in the property (land, buildings, etc.), and how that investment pales in comparison to the investment God wants us to have in the people. We are raising up a generation that will change the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the surrounding area.
It has truly been a blessing to take the time to consider, ponder, recap, and celebrate all the things God has done in and through our ministry. I want to take this moment to THANK all of our partners and supporters. While you may not have traveled to the DR, everything we have done with your financial contributions is annotated on your account in heaven!
5. We worked on several proposals for our business.
This point goes hand-in-glove with the last two. If it’s okay for you to rest, it is also okay for you to work on the things God has given you to work on. We were in the DR for 21 days, but that does not mean we were on vacation for 21 days. There were days when we had to do ministry things, like hand out backpacks, take care of things for our school and church, but there were also days when I worked on our for-profit business. I had people in my family who questioned why we couldn’t just be on vacation, but when you love what you do (love what God has called you to do), you truly ENJOY it! A recurring theme you will hear from the Holy Spirit in me is that we must seek to ENJOY every aspect of our lives.
Just like I put my heart into Rick & Isabella Pina Ministries, Victory Christian Ministries International, Grace Destiny Church, The Thelma Steward Destiny Academy, spending time with my wife, and spending time with my children and family, I also love leading Inspired Solutions, Inc. Why? Because it is part of what we are called to do!
Paul said, “…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31).
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
I am an instrument of Your glory, extending Your love to the less fortunate as You allow me to do so.
I am committed to expressing Your love through my actions, time, and resources.
I cherish the gift of my family; their love keeps me humble and grounded.
I choose to celebrate life; I rejoice with those in joy and comfort those in sorrow.
I value each person in my life, expressing appreciation and love openly.
I am fully invested in the work You’ve given me, finding joy and fulfillment in every task.
I embrace balance, enjoying both work and rest as gifts from You.
I am committed to investing in Your church and people, making a difference through Your word.
I cherish every aspect of my life, knowing that all I do is for Your glory.
Living this way, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
