“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Jesus (from Luke 6:37-38)
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:24
Stipend: “a fixed regular sum paid as a salary or allowance” New Oxford American Dictionary
I am convinced, the only way we can be sure of keeping something is to give it away, and the surest way to devalue what we have is to hold onto it. I don’t necessarily mean that if you have a car you love, you should give it away as a strategy to retain it. I mean, give it away in your heart. If we aren’t generous with what God has blessed us with, He has other uses for it. I’ve lived in a lot of economic situations in life. As a kid, my family was poor monetarily and economically. Now, while I’m not rich, my needs are fully met with a lot of luxuries added on to boot. But my economic value has never affected my happiness or my satisfaction with life. In fact, and you may have noticed this too, many times in life, the more I’ve had the more I felt I needed. Nothing has ever made me feel poorer than having a ton of stuff. I know it’s sad, but I bet you’ve experienced the same phenomena. However, as I’ve learned to trust God for my well being and learned to appreciate Him for absolutely everything I have, I could not be more satisfied. I can honestly say, God makes me feel rich beyond description. Viewing our possessions as gifts from our creator makes everything we have seem truly invaluable, and inspires a desire to share what we have with others.
Daily Journaling Questions:
1. How did I help someone in kindness today?
2. What did I learn today?
3. What am I thankful for?
4. Who did I love today?
5. What am I dreaming for?
6. What about today do I want to remember forever?
7. What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thank you so much for reading.
Jake
