Thanksgiving is over and the rush of worldly concerns has begun. We will soon begin advent and a new church year. While we are called to be still and prepare for the coming of the Lord, the world around is will keep pulling us out of that stillness and peace. We will be urged to prepare for all types of celebrations. There will be shopping, decorating, cooking, cards and Christmas lists. There will also be more people asking for our charity.
It is not an easy time to be charitable. Most people are in agreement that the economy is not good and that prices are outrageous. I recently heard that most Americans are currently living paycheck to paycheck. My goal for a while has been to just stop dipping into the overdraft that is attached to my bank account. It is so easy to say, "I just can't afford to give anything right now", not because we don't care, but because we are afraid. Yet, the call remains for Christians to help those who are less fortunate.
A story in the Bible that was read in church reminded me recently of the need to put our trust in God during hard financial times. It was from 1 Kings 17:7-16 about an interaction between Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. A famine was going on in the land and Elijah asked the widow for some food. The widow said that she only had enough flour and oil to make one more meal for her and her son, after which they would go hungry and die. Elijah assured the widow that if she shared some food with him, God would see that her flour and oil would not run out. The widow then made some bread for Elijah, and was able to eat with her son for a full year afterward.
It is easy to feel we are in this alone, and forget the power of God to take care of us. At those times we need to walk by faith, not sight. In the stillness of preparing for His coming in Christmas, it is important to ask, "What do want from me right now?" Perhaps it is not our money that is so much needed, but rather our time or talent. There are many ways to give to others and to be of service to them. We walk by faith, knowing that if we give freely, God will refill the supply.
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