Weak Is the New StrongSample

Have you ever been in a stage of life where you lacked something? How did you respond? 

After receiving a Bachelors  in Business Administration and a Masters in Biblical Studies, I went through a surprisingly long stint of time with no paid job. It was a challenging season trusting Jesus in my finances. During this time, I felt convicted to get out of debt and be serious about tithing. In my fleshly mind, this did not add up. But God’s ways are not my ways. I was inspired by the story Jesus told of the poor widow who gave out of her poverty which was all she had to live on. Have you ever been through a season of financial lacking? Are you in one now? I needed a lesson in God’s economics, where faithful lacking equals kingdom abundance. These words of Jesus inspired me about the widow giving out of her poverty coupled with his words about not worrying where our provisions will come from as he takes care of the birds so he’ll take care of us. So I put God to the test. In my weak financial circumstances I decided to tithe 20% to Kingdom of God expanding ministries instead of the minimum standard of 10% modeled in the Old Testament, as we learn in the New Testament that 100% of all we have belongs to God anyways. He just lets us be the steward of His resources. Within one year of this Biblical makeover of my finances, I became debt free, I had a savings account, I lived in my own apartment and I landed a dream job in my industry that only God could open a door to. Now the widow’s way of giving is a way of life. I deeply understand  Jesus’ words as reality to not worry like birds because God takes care of us.  Let’s meditate on the unmerited favor of God and how He actually has everything and became poor so that us having nothing with Jesus can have everything that really matters.  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).

How has God used someone to encourage you in your weaknesses? Who can you encourage the same way?