“Give my money away! What, are you kidding me? Don’t you know we are in a recession and the economy is bad right now?”
Of course we all know that, but when you realize that giving a portion of your money over to God will lead to future blessings, you might change your mind. What we all have to realize is, God is our soul provider. He has given us everything we have. He does not just hand it to us, He wants us to work hard for it as stated in Proverbs 10:4 “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
Once we are given our hard earned dollar, what is next? What should we do with it?
Being Good Financial Stewards in a Troubling Economic Time
God doesn’t just want us to throw it away frivolously. In the Bible God tells us in 1 Corinthians 16:2 that on the first day of every week each one of us is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when God comes.
God has a plan for each and every one of us and saving is a part of His plan. He wants us to prosper and live a happy life. He does not want us to live poor and struggle, but we have to be good stewards and plan accordingly as He states in Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. “
Maybe you have been trying to save for a new car to be able to drive your family around safely or maybe you are putting those pennies away to buy a house to provide shelter for those you love. God wants to help you do that, but you have to realize, YOU can’t do this by yourself. Ask God to help you, to bless your efforts and guide you. He will hear you and when it is the “right time” or “His time” He will provide for you as He says in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”
For most of us it is hard to wait for “His Time”. We are inpatient beings and at times very selfish. We want things now. If you aren’t the impatient type, you might be a worrier, but God gives us peace of mind in Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. We have to trust that everything is in His hands.”
God is such a loving and gracious God and although we may not receive His gifts right away, we trust and have faith that He will. God shows us He loves us everyday just by letting us breathe in the air around us day after day, by seeing the beautiful sunset on your way home from work in the sky that He painted for all to see, and by reminding you of your precious little blessing He has given you when your baby looks up and smiles at you.
There are so many ways He shows us He loves us, but how do we show Him that we love Him?
My Mind On HIS Money… HIS Money On My Mind
One way we can show our love is by giving our offerings or tithing. What does it mean to tithe? Tithing is voluntarily giving one tenth of your income to your church for the greater good of God. Back in the day, people use to tithe by giving the church land, agriculture, and livestock. Now people give their money instead. How can I give anything right now with money being so tight, you ask. Proverbs 3:9-10 states: “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
God knows your heart. Some of us do not have much to give, but if you give even a penny, God knows that your whole heart is behind giving that penny and He will bless you. We have to remember God tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.”
How will you be a good steward? Will you try your best to use or spend your money wisely? Will you save diligently? Will you trust that God will help you if you ask? Will you show Him how much you love Him by giving an offering to your church to help better God’s kingdom? There are so many financial responsibilities that we have and the best way to manage them is to fully put our trust in God and remember that He is the reason we are here and He loves us and wants the best for us. We hear about His wonderful promises in Deuteronomy 30:9 “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors.”
Go and be a good steward, so you too will be richly blessed by doing so.
By Allison Bitcon