When God Speaks: Why God Doesn't Appreciate Your Drug Money Offering or Glory In Your Negative Account Balance (Proverbs)

When God Speaks:"Why God Doesn't Appreciate Your Drug Money Offering Or Glory In Your Negative Account Balance"
January 7, 2009

Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the first fruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.–Proverbs 3:9-10

I believe that at the beginning of any new year, an assessment should take place. As you resolve to do better this time, it's always important to analyze why you didn't do so well the last time. Remember, we're in the Year of Release and Manifestation (Application and Cultivation, for me) and if we truly want the greatness God has stored up for us, some areas need lots of work. And for some of us- that area is our finances.

Now, this isn't a "Why You Should Tithe" message. The lowliest of sinners understands that requirement. On the matter of tithing, I will just say this: if you aren't, START! It may not have caught up to you yet, but God will get what's owed to Him and when He does (ooohwee), you'll wish you just cut that 10% check each pay period. Moving on. No- this isn't about tithing as much as it is about the spirit with which we get and spend our money.

Notice what the first half of the scripture says: Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from your righteous labors]. Hmm….wonder why God wanted that emphasized? Probably because He didn't want the local drug dealer thinking that paying his tithes absolved his wrong. Or maybe He hoped the cutthroat businessman would realize that giving to the seed offering didn't please God anymore than cheating workers out of rightful wages did. Understand that because all we do is supposed to bring God glory, it would stand to reason that He would not welcome an offering made from that which didn't please Him. You may not work for the church or for some internationally recognized nonprofit agency, but you provide a service and it should be one that will uplift a soul and not diminish it. God will honor the offering of a waitress making $2/hour that brightened the day of her customers more than He will a teacher who's just there for a check and not the growth and development of her students.

I have learned that I just don't honor God through earning it the right way and giving Him 10%, I also honor Him in how I spend the other 90. As an only child and college student who appreciated a $500 monthly allowance and Visa credit card that mysteriously (thanks, Mom) kept a $0 balance despite my overspending, I never knew what it meant to budget. If I my account saw red, I just picked up the phone, called home, cried, listened to my mother's lecture, went to sleep and woke to a very black balance. But as I get older, I understand that not budgeting and overspending shows God that I lack discipline. It tells Him that I have no regards for the restraints He puts on my life and that I know more than He does. After all, I really needed that 40th pair of jeans and that quick weekend getaway was necessary to my sanity. Who cares if I have to spend a week and a half in the hole to pay for it? Yea right. If we believe that God gives us everything we need (and He does), what right do we have to squander it on our wants? Honor the Lord in how you get it, give it and spend it and He'll keep the luxuries coming and those overdraft charges at bay.

©BirthRight, 2009

Here are a few FREE financial health sites that are beneficial:
http://www.crown.org/ (A Financial Empowerment Ministry)

http://www.smartypig.com/ (Set up savings accounts for specific items or activities- for instance, a new pair of shoes or an annual girl's trip)

http://www.creditkarma.com/ (Track your credit score and anticipate its changes based on your actions)

http://www.bankrate.com/ (Compare rates on mortgages, other loans and money market accounts)