Growth in Giving - Day 32

September 26, 2012

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. "  Proverbs 11:24

At one point and time in your life you will realize that the more you give to God the better your life will be.  I did not experience this until I was nearly 50.  Things were going extremely well in my life and I would give but God was not the priority. I was the one who would pay for dinner, help out with a loan, buy the big gifts, pay for vacations, have the latest gadgets etc., etc.

I thought I had everything I wanted, a great career and a wonderful supporting family.  I could travel to where I wanted, I purchased a building because business was growing and we needed more room, I was remodeling the house because I could.  Then I received a very powerful God Smack!  The person I trusted with my business took me to the cleaners, I had contractors take me for a ride, business started getting soft and during all of this both of my parents passed.  I was not in line with God at that time.  I loved God and know he would take care of me but I was not spiritually in line with God.  I let my career and the stressses of life get in the way of living.  For over a year I could not take a salary and being a business owner I could not draw unemployment.  Collection agencies were calling; I had to sell my car and then came the threat of foreclosure and bankruptcy.  I did something at the urging of my Aunt and got down on my knees in prayer and I stayed there.  I started lining myself up with God.  I came back to church and attended worship services, got involved with a small group and several ministries at St. Stephen, I engulfed myself in God and laid my stress at the cross.

When I first came back to St. Stephen I did not have anything to give, there was not money.  I would cringe every time there was a talk about tithing and the Capital Campaign; it hurt to walk by the offering plate without giving.  But each day I became more in line with God and found my stress was less, my spirit was calmer and I opened my eyes to the many daily blessings from God.  The business got stronger, I avoided foreclosure and bankruptcy and nearly a year later I was able to pay myself again.  The first line item on my new budget was my tithe.  Within weeks we went into our current Capital Campaign and I was able to pledge!  God's blessings are so abundant and life has so much more meaning for me now.  A friend suggested to me that I should cut back on my giving and I would be able to recover much faster.  My response him was how can I not give to God, he has blessed me with what I have.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the abundant blessings you bestow on us daily.  Please open our hearts and our minds to Growth and Giving so together we can better serve as your hands and feet.  Amen.

Author:  Maddie Sutphin