Giving In the Hard Times

 

    No one enjoys the hard times in life, but they do have a way to showing you what you value, who you really are, and hopefully ways to change.  When hard times are thrust upon you it is natural to bunker down and go into survival mode.  What God is trying to teach us is to break that natural behavior and lean into Him instead.  

    Hard times have a way to showing you where you don't fully trust God.  In every Christian walk, people will approach a financial fork in the road.  You can trust God to provide and continue to tithe as an act of faith or you can hold onto your money and watch it slip away anyway.  Money reveals the heart faster than anything.  Where you put your money is where your heart desires to be.

    Not all hard times are financial.  There are relational, physical, aging, natural disasters, and other types of hard times.  They all take an emotional and spiritual toll.  When the hard times comes, it won't be fun, but you can look at it as an opportunity to not hold back.  Show your love, devotion, and trust in God.  

    No matter where the struggle is, you can't outgive God.  Give what you have and watch Him work.  If He is not working, then it may mean that you need to repent, release, or turn to God in a new way.  He is always working for your benefit, but you have to do your part too.  When you follow obediently, you will discover that you will go much further than you ever expected to go.

    Abraham understood all of this.  He never hesitated.  He never questioned God on what to do.  His walk with God gave him confidence to act as he saw a need.  We can all have that same confidence to take action without hesitation.  It just takes time to mature in your relationship with God.  

    Abraham's actions helped a king that was not Godly.  The king tried to give material things to Abraham, but he had all he needed thanks to God.  Instead of taking the glory, Abraham turned it all back to God.  His victories were because God provided what was needed to succeed.  

    Abraham's first action after the crisis was to tithe.  It is the first record of anyone ever tithing to God.  All he did was give a little back of what God had given him.  Abraham was wealthy.  It was easy for him to give, but to do it in the way he did was unprecedented.  People would have thought he was frivolous, crazy, or foolish. 

    God never said only give me your money.  He only cares about your heart being humble and open to Him.  We need to be grateful for what we have and allow the gratitude to drive our giving.  It puts the focus on God instead of what He has blessed you with.  You give from what you have: time, money, or material things.  We have to stop caring about what other people things and only focus on what God thinks.

Genesis 14:17-24