Sacrifice

Wow, what a great Sunday! I love sitting in Sunday School or church and hearing a new message, a small breath of fresh air on my soul. It is so important to be filled again and not to just keep giving and giving, you'll only dry up eventually. God wants so much to pour out His spirit into us so that we can pour it out onto others. Without being filled with that Spirit, our well runs dry.

This morning we talked about sacrifice. In Malachi, God was angry at the priests for accepting lame, blind and crippled animals for sacrifices. He deserves our best, not our leftovers. How do we live our lives? Do others see Him in us or are we all dried up with nothing left to be poured out? Are we resentful of the sacrifices we are making? God doesn't want your sacrifice if you are.

When Wesley and I were first married our one constant, circular argument was about tithing. He believed you tithed before taxes, I believed after taxes. I went so far as to bring it up in Sunday school one day to see what others thought (hoping to get some leverage in my argument). Lots of people agreed with me, but he didn't care. Nothing would change his mind. Every two weeks when I would write that check I was so resentful. I knew I was supposed to tithe, but couldn't we do it after we paid off all of Wesley's school loans in thirty years? My attitude was bitterness. I saw it as our money-not God's.

One day when I was sitting at my kitchen table writing out that check and God said, "You can keep it Marion, I don't want your money." I was angry. Didn't He know how much we needed that money? Didn't He know what a huge sacrifice that was for us? And I realized-yeah He did know, that's why He was so upset with me. I wasn't willing to sacrifice for Him. I wasn't willing to give back to Him what He had given us. I saw our income as just that-Ours. Now I know that every penny we make is God's money. It is up to us to find out how He wants us to spend it. I was also reminded that Wesley was the head of our household. His decision to tithe before taxes was based on scripture, mine was based on opinion. I am so blessed to have a Godly man lead me in my areas of weakness.

My how time has changed my heart! Now tithing is a privilege. I no longer see it as something we have to do, but rather something I want to do. I want to please my King, I want to do what He commands. I am so glad He stopped me that day and showed me how my heart was more important than my money. On the outside no one would know if I was bitter with my sacrifice-but He did. He knows the condition of the heart.

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
~Hebrews 13:15-16

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
~1 Samuel 16:7