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The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
That is so true! I was having a conversation with my wonderful, Mr. Goodbar the other day. We were talking about money, like I'm sure most couples do quite often! Don't get me wrong, we don't have tons of money to spare or are just "raking it in" but we do okay. We can pay all of our bills, we can buy food, we can enjoy some luxuries that a lot of families can't, especially right now, but we were talking about how people we know can afford luxury cars or huge homes or lavish trips. I asked how can these people afford these things but we just can't seem to be able to find the extra cash to take a small vacation?
Mr. Goodbar had a good answer...it explained everything! He said....honey, if we didn't tithe we would have a lot of free cash? (Now, I'm sure here is where some of you will argue what the Bible actually says about what we are called to give. I believe in the old Testament and that it still applies, but that is not where I think it stops. We can discuss this if you like, send me a message) Then I had the thought that probably most people have had. I thought well, if we didn't tithe so much, we could get that new car or take that cruise. Then I spent a split second (well, to be honest way longer than that) thinking about all the things we could do with that money!!
After those car thoughts, vacation thoughts, shopping sprees, updates to the house that we could accomplish over an extended period of time I realized....it's not like the Bible forces us to tithe! We do it out of obedience, just like we do everything. Mr. Goodbar once told a friend, who recently reminded me of this, "the Bible isn't a list of things you have to do, it's a guide on how to avoid heartache and pain". The Bible doesn't force us to do anything, it lays out ways we are called to be obedient and tithing is one of them!
If we start there and stop tithing, where will it end? Will I then begin to think that all that time we devote to church could be better spent cleaning or shopping? Will I start to believe that certain lifestyles are okay because it's generally accepted and the Bible doesn't force me to believe that way? You see, it's a SLOW FADE!! Something so small as not writing a check or even writing a smaller check can quickly turn into skipping church or deciding to not get involved in church. It's so easy for a thought to quickly make it to your hand, like the song says!
Next time you have the thoughts of disobedience (or if you are in a state of disobedience) think of the slow fade and how easily things can degrade!
