There it was on the screen $17,561! The amount of money I needed to receive to adventure on the World Race. I began pondering how would I save up this much money? Better yet raise that amount of money?
Well, the enemy surely knew where to begin attacking me. In the first months of fundraising I stopped tithing, giving to missions, even to the thoughts of cancelling my monthly donation to an organization that I had been faithful to for over a year.
That’s pretty crazy right?
Why???
It was simple, spiritual PRIDE took over my perspective of how and when to give. The first and worst cause of errors that abounds in our day and age is spiritual pride. This is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christ.
It is by spiritual pride that the mind defends and justifies itself in other errors and defends itself against light by which it might be corrected and reclaimed. The spiritually proud man thinks he does not need instruction, so he is already to ignore the offer of it.
And there I was choosing pride over humility; one of the first principles that was suggested of defending ourselves against during the stage in preparation for fundraising. Pride was keeping me from doing things God’s way. I learned that my way was getting me through, but God’s way is firm and built for this season and the season approaching.
However, it did not take long for the Holy Spirit to convict me of my actions when one Sunday; my pastor preached on releasing the items that we hold onto so that God can pour more into our lives. I left that service mediating on the sermon all week asking God reveal to me how to sacrifice my pride. He did not hesitate to answer that request, the next Sunday at service; I felt the spirit telling me to tithe twice the amount of my regular tithing and twice the amount of missions.
Did I tense up when I heard God telling me that? No doubt, the flesh was overdriving my body but at the same time God was saying “trust me son.” I took the money from my wallet slowly putting it into the envelope, telling myself that this is God’s money and I want to trust him. As I started the next week of my usual routine, I encountered the spirit once again directing me to give up my money. I had carried on conversations with a coworker who had been battling financially through the week, when I heard God say give her $100. Sure enough I did but this time I felt the spirit taking over as I gave joyfully to my coworker. I walked away from that scene filled with gratitude and not questioning why I just gave up $100.
Now this is how God interrupts the rest of my week.
And there I was spending my spring break in the restaurant flipping tables. Not literally flipping tables but it’s a term that we servers use when working in the restaurant industry. It simple means take an order, serve the food, and get the customers out quick as possible so you can move onto the next customers. Ironically, during the week I had a middle age customer sit in my section for a while, though we enjoyed our conversations about life, she proceeded to ask me about the World Race. I shared a little information of what my next 11 months would consist of starting in August; before I could finish my soap opera the lady handed me a sum of money for the trip. I was startled and speechless at the same time but amazed by God’s power.
Later that day when I clocked out of my shift, I logged onto to my fundraising account to be surprised that I had a $200 donation from a high school friend. All I could do in that moment was praise God again and again.
BUT it didn’t stop there…
Earlier in the week I had met up with a friend to gather some money for T-Shirts that I was selling to help fund my mission trip. She handed me an envelope addressing the money was sealed inside, though a couple of days had passed before I opened it. While sitting on the sofa I took my fingers underneath the sealed unwrapping the envelope; there was a card from my friend and her husband with a sum of money attached to it and their thoughts and prayers over me and my team!
I reclined back into my couch with joyful tears and laughter thanking God for his faithfulness. In that moment of time spent in God’s presence, I began to understand the essence of his nature. God was testing my obedience through the acts of blessing others and denying my pride so that I could comprehend his power. Immediately Matthew 6: 33 darted across my mind “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
What I learned through this trial was the question that brought pride into my walk was the doubt of how powerful is God? Well, it was easy to trust God when I saw his mighty acts, but after a while, in the routine of daily life, his power, may appear to diminish. However, God doesn’t change, but our view of him often does. The monotony of day-by-day living lulls us into forgetting how powerful God can be.
