“A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” – John 10:10 (The Message)
From the moment that we accepted Christ into our hearts, we stepped into that better life than we ever dreamed of. Salvation was just the beginning, it doesn’t stop there. Gods desire is that we have a full life for the rest of our lives. Have you been living that life that God has specifically for you in every area of your life? Could be with the relationships in your life? Your career? Schooling? Or even your finances? Take a second to think about your life and where you’re at right now. In what areas could you use an improvement?
If you really desire change, then you’re off to a good start. As christians, we should always desire to better our lives. Why? Because that’s Gods desire for us as well. God doesn’t want us to be in the same situation that we were in last year and I can guarantee that God wants next year to be the best year you’ve ever lived. We serve a God that is always progressing…going from glory to glory.
In Christianity, there are two types of people: Followers of Christ and Disciples of Christ. Which one are you? The difference between the two is that a disciple is someone that is committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Does that change your answer to that question? When we are fully committed to what Jesus said…we will begin to experience the well-being (which really means “prosperity”) that God has planned for our lives.
“32% of Christians in America claim that they tithe.” – George Barna
The sad fact about the above statement is that the higher the income bracket, the lower the amount that people gave. We have to start here because our finances say a lot about what we are committed to. The Bible says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21). So let me ask you a question, where is your treasure? We start with the tithe because that belongs to God. What some people don’t realize is that the “rich, wealthy, etc.” is in the tithe. Many wealthy people have learned this principle in their own lives and have lived wealthy lives. One example is Henry Cromwell who gave 70% of his income to the Church. See it starts at 10% but it doesn’t have to end there. Remember, you can never out give God!
When we learn to let God take control, we are allowing him to be our shield. If we take that a little bit farther, we are allowing him to become “El Shaddai” in our lives. That means, “The God who will reward you and provide for you…our source for everything we need in life.” Are you allowing God to be your source? I want to challenge you to really think about that question…don’t be quick to answer it and go about your day. But take some time right now to think about whether you are allowing God to be your true provider or if you might be relying on another source for all your needs.
