3 things I learned by fulfilling a pledge

3 years ago, Letha and I made a financial pledge to our church for a specific project. The amount God directed us to give wasn’t reasonable. It was way more than we could afford. It wouldn’t be responsible to make such a commitment, and it would impossible to fulfill it. And besides, with the horrible economy, it was no time to be obligating ourselves financially.

At least that’s what we thought.

We prayed hard before making the promise. We reminded ourselves of the scripture that says, “Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up.” (Ecclesiastes 5:5 MSG).

And then we did the right thing: We made the pledge.

On Sunday, we completed our pledge. With God’s help we were able to, week by week, fulfill our obligation. You know the old adage that says: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!” Finishing this thing is a huge relief. But more than that, it is a huge lesson. God told us how much to give. We thought it was too much. We were wrong, He was right.

Here are 3 things (among many other things) that I picked up from God through this experience:

-Life is about steps. We like events, but God generally prefers processes. All you have to do is take today’s step.

-Obedience is key. If we trust God enough to actually do what He says, He will take care of the rest.

-God can do cool stuff we can’t do. This one was not possible without God’s help. Some minor miracles happened that enabled us to fulfill our word.

I learned these things on a deeper level than ever, all because of this experience.

What might God want to teach you?