I was just reading Amy's blog that mentioned Nathan's quick message at the Stirring last night and it got me going. I just have a few things to say and I'll probably offend everyone, but that is not my intention.Yesterday Nathan got up at the leadership meeting and then again last night at the Stirring and talked about how we are $14,000 under budget for this year. To be frank this REALLY makes me angry (and that's my nice way of saying it). I do not understand it at all!!! You all know that Matt does the finances but just to be clear I don't know who gives or how much anyone gives, only Matt and Meghan know this. What I do know are the over all numbers and every time Matt and I talk about it I get sooooooo heated. I know that we are in a bad economy right now and that some don't have as much as others but when it comes down to it EVERYONE has $10 or $20 extra a month. Sean said it well yesterday, he said that we should all make a pie chart to see how much we are giving to other areas in our life. How much do you spend on gas each month, on food, on entertainment, on your pets, etc. If you are giving 25% of your income to entertainment each month and none to God... well let's just say that you need to check your priorities.
Okay, I'm getting heated... changing the subject...
Nathan has said it many times "we don't need your money, God will provide" it's not about you giving us your money, it's about our family calling us into a deeper relationship with God and who doesn't want that? So many times the Bible talks about sacrifice and about giving God your best. If God is calling us to sacrifice then I think we should be making sacrifices! Matt and I have always agreed that we would figure out what we wanted to give (for our tithe) and then give $50 or $100 more than that just so that we could see how God would provide for us. It has been amazing! Every time we do this God totally provides for us; we have literally received checks in the mail, random gifts from family, etc. we never know where it's going to come from but God ALWAYS provides and because of this our faith in God has been dramatically increased!!! Sure we still have our doubts, but like I said in my earlier blog, we are always learning. Just this weekend we were talking about some big expenses and when we needed to have them paid by and after working out the numbers it was amazing to see that by the end of our deadline God will have provided EXACTLY how much we need, and that's just what we figured on paper, I'm sure He will end up providing so much more!!!
I think giving is SO important, not only does it financially support what God is doing around us, but it allows us to grow in faith and it allows us to be free from the burden of money that the world has put on us. If you weren't around for the Money, Sex, and Power series in the fall you should totally check out the podcast.
I think I've said enough and I hope that I haven't offended too many of you. Please just see that my heart is not to condemn but it is to call out the greatness in each one of us. We all need God and we all love God. God loves us all, and God needs us to give back a portion of what He has so generously blessed us with. Please at least pray about it, don't just turn a deaf ear when Nathan talks about money.
