Over the last four years, it has been debated whether or not America has gone through a recession. While there is still a lot of debate on this issue, one look at gas prices or a trip to the supermarket will show that there is a lot of uncertainty these days. To deal with this, many of us are giving much more attention to how we spend our time and money. We are weighing our priorities and cutting out the things we see as less important. Where are we placing our priorities?
In 1 Kings 17:8-16, God tells the prophet Elijah to go to Zerephath where he will meet a widow whom God prepared to provide for him. When Elijah meets her, he does as he was told and asks for water and a morsel of bread.
Then, we learn in verse 12 that this is no small request. All she has left is a handful of flour and a little oil. In fact, her situation is so desperate that she tells Elijah, “I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
Elijah understands her apprehension. So, he comforts her with the revelation that God is going to perform a miracle. If she is willing to put her faith in God and serve, she and her son will eat for many days. With great trust, the widow obeyed Elijah, and God kept His promise (v. 13-16).
As Christians, we have a great responsibility to provide for our families. 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” However, we also have responsibilities to the church. In Jesus Christ, we have been given freedom from sin, and God expects us to use our liberty for the church. Paul says in Galatians 5:13, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
While our duty to our families is important, we can’t allow our worries to keep us from making time for the church. In many cases, we will sacrifice service to God for things far less important than food. We worry about our kids’ grades, sporting events, or recitals instead of worship, devotionals, and service projects. Of course there is nothing wrong with extracurriculars, but some of us treat them like our child’s life depends on it.
God has promised each of us to take care of our needs (Matt. 6:25-32). If we want to be useful servants to Him, then we have to trust Him to do so. We need to have faith like the widow from Zerephath who did not withhold anything she had from the Lord. Let’s not allow our earthly worries to keep us from being faithful servants of God.