Once I was teaching the principles of giving in a church, and we were seeing a tremendous move of God’s Spirit among the people. People were responding and giving to the church and to one another as the Lord lead them.
One night, a couple who were seemingly broken before the Lord came up to me. They were weeping almost uncontrollably. They said that the Lord spoken to them about giving away every penny they had. I learned that they had written a check for all the money they had in the world. Now they were bringing me the check, saying, “We are supposed to give this to you. Do whatever you feel you’re supposed to do with it.”
Immediately, I knew what the Lord wanted me to do. When they handed me the check, I asked them, “Are you saying this is mine now, and I can do anything I want with it?” Through their tears they nodded and answered yes. So, I said, “Well, I know exactly what the Lord would have me to do with this check.” Then I tore it up in front of them. Immediately, they fell to the floor and began to weep uncontrollably.
God did a wondrous work in their hearts that night – one that changed them for the rest of their lives. They were never the same. They had passed a major test of obedience.
To this day, I don’t know how much money it was, nor do I care. I do know it was enormous in their eyes and precious in the eyes of God. I also know that no amount of money in the world could purchase what God did in that couple’s lives that night.
That incident reminds me of a spiritual principle that my wife and I have come to call the I.O. Principle. I.O. stands for Instant Obedience. We have come to understand the importance of responding instantly when we hear God’s voice.
With that couple, I could have waited to see how much the check was for. I could have pocketed it, prayed about it further and torn it up later. But that would’ve been dangerous.
Sometimes in giving, if you wait, Satan is given time to come up with all kinds of good reasons not to do what God has told you to do. The longer you wait, the more time there is for your mind and emotions to cloud the message.
If God speaks it, do it. Trust and obey. And do it now! Don’t give Satan an opportunity to help you rationalize another course of action. Follow the I.O. Principle.
And remember that the three elements I have outlined here [in The Blessed Life]: (1) getting out of debt, (2) avoiding manipulation of others and (3) giving as God leads you to give, represent the foundation of the blessed life. I’m convinced of it.
Lay that foundation and watch miracles begin to happen in your finances.
Robert Morris joins James and Betty all week to talk about “The Blessed Life.” Excerpted from The Blessed Life by Robert Morris. Used by permission.
