God's Money & You

GOD’S MONEY & YOU

BY JIM OTKEN

August is now upon us. For many of us, August signals the end of a relaxed schedule as school and fall semester activities are plugged into our routine. A few years back, I remember reading something on social media that gave me great pause. “You cannot out-exercise a bad diet.” I thought back over my life and recalled that the times I was exercising the most, I remember that I had an ‘I can eat anything I want’ attitude. All the exercising I was doing was great, but the results could have been better had I eaten a bit healthier. It all made sense, so now I am working on ‘diet’ portion of my life. The same can be said of our walk with Jesus. Scripture calls us to worship, pray, love, serve, and give. We are often not living our best life because we are lacking in one or more of these areas. And if I had to guess which area most of us struggle with, it is giving. The belief that “you cannot out-give God” focuses on Malachi 3:10 which states “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” What is great about today is that you can change things going forward. You can make those changes to strengthen your walk with Christ, to be more obedient to His Word, and to live your best life yet. Be encouraged, trust God in all areas of your life, and ask Him for guidance in your support of Live Oak.