Thing 1

This is the first in a series of posts sharing what God has taught me during the last few months

My credit score is not as important as someone's soul.

Yes, we need to make wise decisions about our spending and be responsible with our money.  Yes, we need to fulfill our obligations to others.  But this is not a post on how to be responsible with our finances.  This is mostly a post about the treasures in our hearts.

I do my best thinking in the shower.  Big heaving sob, bright blotchy skin and runny, snotty nose kind of thinking.  So imagine my surprise when God sat me down for a chat just a few weeks before our move and pretty much told me that I needed a major attitude adjustment.

I had prayed more for our home to sell than I had for the students we would be ministering to after our move. 

"You need to take up your cross and follow me.  What good is it if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?"

Hmmm...that sounds familiar.  Let's look into this a bit further, shall we?

Luke Chapter 9 verses 23-25:

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 

Okay, confession time.  I'm horrible at scripture memory and recall.  So the fact that these words popped into my head the way that they did gave me complete confidence that God was trying to tell me something pretty important.  And here is what he was telling me:

Jackie, your house might not sell, you might not find renters.  What then?  What if you lose the house to foreclosure?

But God, that won't happen!

What if it does?

But it won't.  I asked you for that to not happen.  Remember?

But what if my answer is no?

Hmph.

Will you go anyway?

Yes.  We told you we would.

Then what is the worst that could happen?

We lose the house and I have to wait for my credit score to recover so we can purchase a home again.  My reputation as a credit-worthy consumer will be completely trashed!

Is that the worst thing that could happen?  Ever?  Would you be willing to trade this house and your credit score for one student to hear and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ?  To spend eternity with me?

So, like a trade?  A Soul for a house?

You could say that.

Well, when you put it like that, I feel silly.  Short-sighted and silly.  Because that's a completely fair trade.


There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  Give me your credit score too.

John 15 too?  Wow, you're really swinging for the fences on this one, aren't you?


It is important to me.

So, I laid my hands on the shower wall, said a short prayer and gave my house, my credit score and my reputation back to God. I also asked for the strength to ignore the "wisdom" of the world and determination to store my treasures in heaven.