Wait, what?

I was on cloud nine last week.  I had just received news that I received a job offer to a great position at a well known organization in Dallas.  It was Friday morning and all my excitement fizzled as I received word of the numbers.  You know, those numbers – the important numbers.  The ones that make up your compensation.  Wait, what? 

Total. Let. Down.

“God, why would you provide me this opportunity but not fulfill it the way I was anticipating?”  Somewhere in my greedy mind I figured God would provide a job and then go above and beyond and bless me with a great compensation as well.  Nope.  Didn’t happen.  I began doing math, would this number even work for my current financial budget?  Could we survive on less?

I had to snap out of this feeling.  I knew my God wouldn’t open a door without providing for me and my family.  My faith is too strong, but why did I felt so discouraged?  I don’t know why, other than the fact that the enemy was trying to rain on my parade.  The battle of negativity in one’s mind always stems from the evil one whose job is to steal, kill and destroy.  I reached out to my fellow sisters in Christ and I was no longer battling this discouragement alone.  Back to back words of encouragement, prayers and support filled my inbox.  Instantaneously, I felt God’s presence over me and the ease of his yoke. I was going to be just fine. 

 

So are you going to accept job even though you will be making less?  Well, the answer is yes.  I have to mention that I will be working for a non for profit organization along with the fact that I will be working 35 hours a week versus 40, so I always knew it would be a little less than what I was currently making.  I just didn’t know it would be a bigger difference than expected.  Worry did fill my mind initially, but as mentioned, my God wouldn’t open a door and not provide a way.  You see, last year around this time my husband and I signed up for a challenge.  It was a 90 day challenge that our church encouraged everyone to do.  This 90 day challenge consisted of tithing 10 percent of your income for 3 months.  If you didn’t see God change your life within that time frame the church agreed to reimburse you in full 100%.  Obviously, I didn’t get any of that money back because immediately I began to see God’s goodness in my life.  I use to have this entitlement to my money and it was not easy offering it up every Sunday because I had bills to pay.  Looking at my budget, there was no way we could afford to give away 10% of our combined income.  But, during that series I felt severely convicted and I also felt a need to let go and let God.  I needed Him to be the focal point of my finances.  My husband and I had good jobs, but there was still a battle over money.  The bills added up, the kids always needed something and we weren’t moving up as fast as we’d hoped.  Money was always a worry of mine and when I signed up and obeyed God’s word, well he didn’t fail me.  I can honestly, with a proud heart say that God has blessed my finances in immeasurable ways since I began to bring him the first 10%.  As a family, as a married couple, we have been lifted in such blessings with the tangible and intangible. 

While it has been nice to be able to achieve things like a new car, house remodeling and dine at a nice restaurant, it is the intangible that has been the bigger blessing thus far.  Learning to humble myself before God and make Him in charge of it all has been such a life lesson that I will instill in my children, which will prosper their children and their grandchildren.  No amount of money could ever fill me with the feeling of the greater good I feel as a giver.  To see people find God through my church shows me that the money I give is doing far more and beyond what I would have done with it.  I can also tell you that while I am working with 90% versus 100%, my money lasts longer, it stretches, it adds up and as a family, we have been more successful in all areas of our life than ever before. 

So when you ask me, are you going to accept that job even though you will be making less?  And you wonder if I will be able to survive on less -  all I can say is I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again.  God always provides.  He never fails.  He is a good God.  This opened door is still an answered prayer and even though it’s not exactly everything I’d hoped, I need to lean not on my own understanding but trust Him with all my heart.  He will make my path straight. 

 

Lord, thank you for humbling me and for bringing this testimony out in the open for all to read.  Thank you for all the ways you have blessed my life with the tangible and intangible.  Today I pray for everyone reading this to take hold of your word and know that while you did it for me, you can do it for them too.  Amen.