Finances

So at Sandals we're finishing up a series on finances that we do pretty much every year at this time. The title and sermons are different each year but they're basically the same concept of managing your money God's way. Every year it kind of reminds me of what to do and I can evaluate my spending and really see if I'm spending my money wisely. I have been a faithful tither for a few years now, taking 10% of my income and giving it to my church. I have also given money to several of my friends for overseas mission trips, as well as putting money towards my own. I feel like I have been a good steward of my money. This is the one thing that the Bible says we can test God with. If we are good stewards and faithfully give God what his ultimately his anyway, he will bless us. This latest series reminded me of this and I basically asked God if/when I will be blessed for my faithfulness. Then He blessed me. I got several random checks in the mail that I wasn't expecting at all. I ended up depositing about $2,000 worth of checks recieved in a week. By the way, being a college student, that's alot of money, for me anywayz. But God wasn't finished with his blessing yet: One of my jobs is at a shoe store where my hourly wage is $7.50 (not great compared to the $13.50/hour I make subbing). But I also work on commision. It's a little confusing but I'll try to explain. If I work 8 hours in a day, I must sell $600 worth of shoes in order to make commission (which would be 9% of any additional sales made) instead of the hourly wage. But say I only sell $500 worth, I go into the draw which means I only get the $7.50 and the next day/week I must make up that $100 I didn't sell. I have never ever gotten commission before because I used to work at Rockport which is owned by the same company as the store I'm in now but there's alot less business. So I've been a couple thousand dollars in the draw and thouht I'd never get out and I'd be making the hourly wage every week. WRONG!! Last week I got out of the draw! I paid all the stuff back basically and now I'm getting all my commission money!! My last check was three times as big as it usually is. ($300 instead of $100 basically the biggest I've ever gotten from here, since I normally don't work there much) And that week I still paid back some draw money. I'm pretty sure this week's check and next week's will be even double that-MAYBE-cause I have no draw money to make up for. And I thought I'd never get out of it. The point of this post was not to toot my own horn about always tithing and being faithful and being a better Christian than anyone else because that's far from the truth. And it's definitely not about telling everyone how much money I have or have recently recieved. It's about sharing with you that God is faithful and will bless you if you do what he says and ask for a blessing. God was faithful in blessing me because I gave back to Him what was His to begin with and I reminded Him of His promise to bless me for that. Obviously, if God chose not to bless me at this time, I would not begrudge Him for it because He does not have to. He is God. That is actually something that was shared with me by a friend of mine. She and her husband have also been faithful tithers, but they recently closed their business and are trying to sell it because it just didn't do as well as they hoped it would. They have moved into a much smaller house than what they've been living in. And she is expecting their second child. She really wants to stay home and raise her two kids and not have to go back to work after she has the baby, but she doesn't think she's going to be able to right now. She has been wondering recently why her family has not been blessed financially when they also have been doing exactly what they should be doing with their money. Then she was reminded that God knows what he is doing and he doesn't HAVE to bless them. Or maybe the blessing is in the future. "We only see a piece of the puzzle while God sees the whole picture." If anyone is going through this struggle, please be encouraged and know that God is good and he looks out for his sheep. "Then, turning to the disciples, Jesus said, 'That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food to east or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store good in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?'"-Luke 12:22-26 "Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"-Luke 12:27-28