I try to stay pretty far away from writing about politics or religion. I have my own personal views and faith but this is a Mommy blog...not a place where I am likely to discuss these issues. When something so dramatic happens though...it's hard not to talk about it.
Over the summer, I was in a Bible study with a group of friends. We all started talking about the economy and how stressful it's become to even get a tank of gas. One of the girls brought up the Bible verse Malachi 3:10. It's basically the only place in the entire Bible where God actually challenges you to test Him. He says that if you give your first ten percent to Him...He will "pour out a blessing so great" that you will not have enough room to receive it.
Hmmmm.
This seemed too good to be true but after the Bible Study I talked it over with my husband nonetheless. We sat down and figured out what the actual ten percent of what we make would be and realized that we weren't giving what we should. It was hard though. We kept saying to each other..."When we have more...we'll give more".
We both felt that we needed everything we had, just to take care of the kids, the mortgage, bills, food. That's just it though...that's what the whole message is all about.
If you look at how you spend your money, most people would take the first amount for what they needed, ie. house, bills, cars, etc. The next part would go to the government by way of taxes. Anything left would go to the extras...things you don't really need...but just want. That's what we typically do. The last of all on most accounts...is to take what little is left and hand it over in the offering plate with a "well- I did my duty" feeling.
According to Malachi 3:10, that's completely backwards. The first ten percent of that money should go to God with a happy heart. It shouldn't feel like a chore or a responsibility, but instead, a feeling of gratefulness. All that we have is from Him, so it's our way of being thankful to Him.
You might not believe that it could be this simple, but I'm telling you...we've done it over the past few months and words can't explain how much it's changed things. At times it has blown us away.
I've gone back and forth with whether or not to write about it but when you've experienced something so good and amazing...you want to share it with your friends and family.
So - wake up this Sunday, go to church, give your best and see what happens. We would love to hear what happens with you!
If you like our blog, Please click on the picture of this Mama for a Vote! Thank You!
Over the summer, I was in a Bible study with a group of friends. We all started talking about the economy and how stressful it's become to even get a tank of gas. One of the girls brought up the Bible verse Malachi 3:10. It's basically the only place in the entire Bible where God actually challenges you to test Him. He says that if you give your first ten percent to Him...He will "pour out a blessing so great" that you will not have enough room to receive it.
Hmmmm.
This seemed too good to be true but after the Bible Study I talked it over with my husband nonetheless. We sat down and figured out what the actual ten percent of what we make would be and realized that we weren't giving what we should. It was hard though. We kept saying to each other..."When we have more...we'll give more".
We both felt that we needed everything we had, just to take care of the kids, the mortgage, bills, food. That's just it though...that's what the whole message is all about.
If you look at how you spend your money, most people would take the first amount for what they needed, ie. house, bills, cars, etc. The next part would go to the government by way of taxes. Anything left would go to the extras...things you don't really need...but just want. That's what we typically do. The last of all on most accounts...is to take what little is left and hand it over in the offering plate with a "well- I did my duty" feeling.
According to Malachi 3:10, that's completely backwards. The first ten percent of that money should go to God with a happy heart. It shouldn't feel like a chore or a responsibility, but instead, a feeling of gratefulness. All that we have is from Him, so it's our way of being thankful to Him.
You might not believe that it could be this simple, but I'm telling you...we've done it over the past few months and words can't explain how much it's changed things. At times it has blown us away.
I've gone back and forth with whether or not to write about it but when you've experienced something so good and amazing...you want to share it with your friends and family.
So - wake up this Sunday, go to church, give your best and see what happens. We would love to hear what happens with you!
If you like our blog, Please click on the picture of this Mama for a Vote! Thank You!
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