For His Glory - Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - Doing the Right Thing, Because It's the Right Thing to Do

Our church has started a new series entitled "Bankrupt." It is the heart's desire of our Pastor that we, as the body, learn to do what's right as it pertains to all things financial. We are privileged to lead a neighborhood small group and our Bible study and discussions center around the Pastor's current message. This week, our message and our study are about having the right attitude as it deals with God's provision, "stuff" and our management of God's affairs. One of the questions we were compelled to answer is what can we, as believers, do differently than the world does to show that we understand that we are merely stewards of all that is "loaned" to us by the Almighty God?
In the first Chapter of Job, Job has just lost all of his earthly goods and all of his sons and daughters. He was DISTRAUGHT!! But Job, being the righteous man he was said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. (Job 1:21-22). Do we have the courage to say that? Do we really trust God enough to do what is right because it is the right thing to do? I have had a hard time with wanting "stuff" or believing that "stuff" (in my case NEW SHOES) can make me feel better about my circumstances but, my dear friends, it doesn't. And when we go into debt to have stuff - what happens when the stuff is gone? What's left? My sweet husband, with discernment and wisdom simply said it best: "When it comes to handling God's money, we have to do what is right, because it is the right thing to do." My friends, it is the desire of our hearts to be "righteous" not because we have a righteous bone in our bodies but because we are called to be Holy and we are told that as Children of the Living God we are righteous - that we are set apart. Brendan and I are committed to making the changes that need to be made in our lives so that in every area of our lives, God is glorified. It is my earnest prayer that each of us, in these difficult economic times, would examine our attitudes, "check ourselves before we wreck ourselves" and if we come up wanting, ordain, as it pertains to the stewardship of what God has entrusted to us, to do what is right, because it is the right, righteous and holy thing to do. Loving you and committing to you to lead by example - For His Glory, For OUR Good. Happy Tuesday! Andrea