How Did I Get Into This Mess?

Jeff Strite

Scripture: Proverbs 22:7

OPEN: Years ago, I had a friend who attended a Bible Study at my home. He shared with our study that when he graduated from High School, he had a life goal. His life goal was to be a million dollars in debt before he reached the age of 30… and THEN he’d declare bankruptcy.

He said he was more than half way there when he became a Christian. As a Christian he realized that he had to responsibility for those debts and he’d just recently paid them all off.

Now, a couple of observations:

1st - Bankruptcy is not a shameful nor ungodly option. Our nation’s bankruptcy laws are loosely based on the Law of Moses.

Throw Open the Door

"Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money in.... And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites.... And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them...this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." (Mark 12:41-44)

Have you ever wanted to get God's attention? You can, you know. There's a certain kind of boldness, a certain kind of faith in giving that will get His attention every time. You can see that in Mark 12.

Read that chapter and just imagine the situation it describes. Jesus was sitting by the treasury watching as people put in their offerings. Don't you know there were some sanctimonious displays going on with Him there watching? There was bound to be plenty of pharisaical robe swishing as those wealthy leaders walked up to put in their gifts that day.