I believe that most of us would agree that the economy is tight. Just go to your local gas station and fill your tank and I am sure you will feel the pinch. Higher gas prices mean higher retail prices because products have to get from the manufacturer to the retail outlets. Even though unemployment is relatively low, inflation is eating away at our paychecks. No matter how hard you pinch and scrape, money isn’t going quite as far.
Money is tight and it affects how I operate the DECA Club at school. The cost of taking students on trips has continued to rise, while it’s becoming more difficult to raise the necessary funds to pay for all the things the students want to do. No matter how difficult it may seem, we still press on and somehow we find a way to pay for everything.
I have to stop and tell you right here that I believe in two types of angels. There are those that come to us from heaven to protect us, guide us and speak words of encouragement to us. These are the divine angels.
Then I believe there are angels among us whom we might call our neighbors, friends and supporters. These are people who secretly come to the aid of others. They discover a need and without any fanfare or desire for recognition, they step forward and meet the need.
In my life, I have had the privilege of knowing several of these people. They have the spiritual gift of giving. They see needs others don’t because they have a deep compassion for others and they also have a deep appreciation for what God has done for them. They understand that God’s abundance is not for their own personal pleasure but for kingdom purposes.
They are generous and giving people who have discernment between those with real needs and those who stand around looking for free handouts.
This year has had its financial challenges with the DECA Club. Naturally, we wanted to do more than our finances would allow. We raised some money through good fundraising activities, but we were still a little short on our needs.
Two really cool things happened. First, some of those angels I was telling you about stepped up and met some needs. Second, we were able to do an extra fundraiser, which helped to put us over the top on our bills. God is so good.
That’s the bottom line; God is so good.
I believe people misunderstand God’s ways and his promises sometimes. The Bible teaches us that God will meet all our needs, not our wants. He will take care of us, but he doesn’t promise that it will be easy. God knows us and he knows our needs. We may need a car, but that doesn’t mean God will give us a luxury car when something with four wheels and a good running engine will meet our need.
Does that mean that God never blesses us abundantly?
Absolutely not. God often blesses above and beyond what we need, but often we think he has to meet our wild expectations. I’ve discovered in my life that when God blesses me abundantly, he often challenges me to give to others out of my abundance. God wants to use me to bless others who are less fortunate.
When it comes to God’s provision, I believe that we often struggle with giving to others out of our abundance. I believe that God nudges us to secretly give to others, to be his angels in meeting their needs. He’ll meet our needs over and above what’s necessary to see if we will turn to help those who are struggling.
It takes discernment, but being an angel of God’s love and mercy is really quite a blessing.
I want to encourage you to consider how well God has provided for you in the past. Yes, I admit that things might be rough for some of you right now, but if you will examine God’s track record, you will find that he is faithful. I want to challenge you to rest mentally in God’s provision for your life, but I also want to challenge you to work hard and give your best to what God has given you to do.
Show your faithfulness to your family, your personal devotion life, your church, your employer and to all God shows you; then I believe you will see his faithfulness to meet your need.
Doug Creamer teaches marketing at East Davidson High School. His Web site is www.dougcreamer.com or e-mail dougcreamerbooks@yahoo.com.