I always wondered, "What if God had a huge vacuum cleaner and sucked up all the money laying on the streets, how much money would he have?"
A few weeks ago God started dealing with me about some movies that I had that were coming between God and I. At first it took me a long time to get rid of them, but I eventually obeyed (partially). I had held out on the most expensive movies because of the money I'd spent on them. The other movies were tough to get rid of, but I got rid of them. With these movies I kind of ignored that I heard God speak to me about them, but a few days later God brought it up again when I was journaling. When he brought it up again, unable to ignore God again, I had an Old Testament burnt offering in the backyard. Even though I was in the middle of God's will, I felt like someone had hit my heart with a sledge hammer. It didn't feel good doing the right thing. I had no idea what God was preparing me for the next morning.
It was a Tuesday and I hopped on my bike to take my son Nolan to school. As I pedaled off in the cool air with the beautiful sun poking out over the hills I noticed some money lying on the road. I stopped and picked it up. I thought to myself, "Should I go to this person's house to see if they lost some money (because it was in someone's yard about three inches from the road)? I just hopped on my bike and took my son to school, I was going to come back and ask later because I didn't want to be late for my eight a.m. class. I called my Dad and asked him what I should do, he told me there was no way to know who's money that was, it could have blown in the wind and rested in that yard. So I thought I was so lucky, God had given me some money because of my obedience to him when I burned the movies, right...? Wrong. I told my friend about the whole incident and he stated, "You should pray to God and ask Him what he wants you to do with the money." Huh, that thought had never crossed my mind. Maybe God had a use for this money. I went home and did the dishes (inspired by the Holy Spirit, He wanted me to bless my wife). I shot up a quick prayer in my mind and God spoke immediately. He said, "I want you to give it in convocation." Okay so now I knew where he wanted it, but I was thinking to myself, "I have brought money to convocation every week and never been able to give it, if they don't take up the offering this week I'm going to have to find someone to give it to, I don't even know who's in charge of that." We when I got to convocation minutes later all I heard was this worship in a different tongue. I immediately knew that it was missions day and they would take an offering. I was relieved, I finally had a grasp on what God wanted to do with this money. The cool thing was that because I had set money aside for convocation every week and they never took it up, this was the first day that I didn't set aside money for offering, I was so sure they weren't going to take it up. So when God provided this money it left me my School of Christian Ministries Chapel offering still intact for Thursday.
Thursday as I was riding my bike I saw this homeless man (like I do every morning) and God spoke to me about the money in my wallet, "Give him the money." I said this can't be God, he provided me the money for convocation so that this money could be devoted to SCM chapel. This is clearly the devil trying to take God's money. So I took my son and put him on the bus. As I was riding the bike back to school for class I saw him again. I heard the Lord and I stopped, laid my bike down, and dashed for the elderly gentleman. I placed the money in his hands and hugged him, I told him, "God wanted me to bless you with this." I got back on my bike and as I peddled I began to break down in tears, I knew I was in God's will. After I got back from class God reminded me of some money stashed in the car that I could give in chapel. I would find out later that even though I gave less that I'd planned, the offering was the largest the SCM had ever received. God got the glory, not me for giving.
I wrote this to share with you about how God is working in my life on the issue of money and obedience. Instead of hoarding what God has given me, I'm trying to be a channel so that the blessing flows through me. God is not going to keep blessing someone if they just hold it all to themselves. My pastor talked about two types of people onetime, givers and takers. The givers walk around happy and fulfilled because they realize their purpose is to give. The takers walk around mad and unfulfilled because they think everything is about them, and the world owes them something. I have one question for you. Are you a giver or are you a taker...
