Well, life, as you may have expected, has become abnormally busy for me... and this time it does not involve making money, but rather spending it at a pace faster then I ever have before.
College. I never though I would ever make it here. I teased my friends that college was only for the rich people... or the ones who willy-nilly absorb their entire bill as debt.
In November every year, my church back home has stewardship month. That's when Pastor gets to tell everyone that we should be giving more money to the church.
I'm joking.
He preaches on what it means to be a good steward. It has a lot to do with money, but it also concerns our time, witnessing opportunities, and our Christian life in general.
The past several years, I haven't really been under too great of conviction. I've only had a job during November once before this year and tithing on $20 a week wasn't that bad.
This past November, I became a Scrooge. There's nothing wrong with being frugal and thrifty. And living within your means. However, there is something wrong with keeping such a tight fist on your finances that you forget to even thank the God Who provided that money.
It's not that we are specifically commanded to tithe in the New Testament, however, we are expected to give cheerfully and not grudgingly to the local church (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). Well, since there is no baseline given, a lot of people kinda ignore the whole giving thing. To the point that the rest of us don't really feel guilty if we "miss a payment".
That was the point which I had gotten to.
God taught me, though, that if I am where He wants me to be, He will completely provide for me. In other words, holding tightly to the funds that He has given to me is kind of pointless. My purpose in going to college is to gain more skills so that I can better serve God in whatever ministry He calls me to. Right now, I am heading towards camp ministry, but God can change my life any time He wants to. So why, if I am serving the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, do I struggle with glorifying Him through my giving? I'm not focusing on God who changed my heart's desire, the God who has done exceeding abundantly above that I can ask or think, the God who has guided my every footstep to bring Him the glory. My focus has selfishly turned inward. I want to go to college. I want to go for MORE then one semester, I want, I want, I want.
What do I want? I want to serve God to the complete expenditure of my time, talents, and treasure for His glory alone.
Because of Him,
Missa
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