“But you’re a lawyer, you’re making all the big bucks now” yea.. FALSE!!🙅🏾
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard some variation of that statement. It’s almost as though the term lawyer has become synonymous with wealth. To a certain a extent, I can see why. Lawyers are portrayed (for the most part) as being well-dressed, and living a lavish lifestyle, etc. For those who’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of needing a lawyer, they’ve become familiar with the “high” prices lawyers charge. So I guess, one can say that yea.. “I’m making the big bucks 🙄”
What if I told you that at one point in time (not too long ago actually) I was making less than an office assistant (no offense to this line of work–it’s a very important job) Let me put things into perspective. Before law school I worked as an account rep for a credit union (making decent money for a recent college grad). Had I stayed at that job and gave up on my dream (and ultimately my destiny) I would be making more money than I was AFTER getting my law degree. 😳LET THAT SINK IN… LET IT MARINATE.. yea.. exactly.
After all these years of schooling, studying, testing, reading, writing, oral arguments… one would think I’d be going home with “the big bucks💰”. I learned very quickly that perception is not always reality. You see, for a few months after graduating and passing the bar (thank you Jesus..won’t He do it🙌🏿) I was just getting by. Rent was always paid (somehow) food was never a problem (I’m a foodie… touch not my food and do my chocolate🍫 no harm🙅🏾) and well, I was not in want of clothes(flex for the gram📷). My savings account– ha.. that was a joke and a half. SOMEHOW “I got by”
HOW?? No I wasn’t working the corner, & NO I didn’t pick up a part-time job as bartender (like MANY new lawyers often do) or even drive Uber (you have no idea how many times I considered this😩).. so what did I do?
Yup, I just said I was barely making it, had nothing in my savings, but here I was giving. A little backwards isn’t it? You have little, but you’re giving? 😟Yup.. that’s exactly what I was doing. See, I’m a trial by fire kind of a person. I’m the child who touched the hot iron even AFTER I was told not to. I’m the test me and prove me now kind of person, and that’s exactly what I did. At an early age (even before I became a devout Christian) I bought into the idea of seed sowing and tithe giving. It was the one concept of the Christian faith that I grasped quickly (which isn’t too much of a surprise because I enjoy giving gifts). You see, the Bible tells us to give the first 10 percent of our income to God. For some, giving that 10 percent is almost like ripping their child from their arms; it’d be easier to ask them to cut off their big toe. 😓Giving that 10 percent is NOT EASY AT ALL; especially when you do the math. When I thought about the things that 10 percent could do.. man! Like clockwork, by the grace of God (only by His grace, because Lord knows there were days… chiillleeee!!!) “I ripped that child from my arms and gave it away.”
Now here’s the interesting part.. EVERY time I paid my tithe, SOMEHOW I’d end the pay period with enough left over to treat myself🤗. It made NO SENSE. (Let’s be honest, half the time neither does GOD) On Fridays, I would look at what my paycheck was for that week, do A LOT of subtracting and sometimes end up with NEGATIVES (yup..that’s right😔). By the following week, SOMEHOW, I’d still have money left over. EVERY TIME. How? because no one sacrifices for God and goes unrewarded. Because God takes care of those who take care of His Kingdom. Because when he said “prove me now and see that I will open the storehouse of heaven and pour out a blessing so great that you won’t have enough room to take it in” HE WAS NOT JOKING!! There’d be times RANDOMLY money would come to me. Other times, something I thought I had to pay off would suddenly go from whatever the amount was to $0.00. Times when discounts that didn’t exist were created just for me (because “I like your smile”.. honey that’s FAVOR!!!🙌🏿)
Times it was so HARD to give (I mean rent is almost due, Sallie Mae is knocking at my door, that check engine light is whispering sweet nothings to me) I GAVE!! It wasn’t easy oh! Make no mistake. I’d find myself standing in front of church paying tithe or sowing a seed and inside I’m like “you this stubborn girl, you wont go sit down.” 😒 But the Kingdom of God must be taken care of. When you take care of God’s business (paying tithe, helping others in worse conditions that you) He takes care of you!
Not too long ago, God reminded me that if He can take care of the lilies of the field who do not labor, yet are splendidly clothed (Matt 6:28-29), He can also take care of me. God opened a door to a wonderful job opportunity. (Relax, don’t come for my “big bucks” – Sallie Mae is already on it😅) This job brought stability, benefits (any job willing to pay for my yearly bar fees has my heart forever😍) and a consistent reminder that GOD TRULY CARES FOR THOSE WHO CARE FOR HIM.
With that said, if you’re a tithe payer– be consistent with it, do it and do it well! The return may not come like you expect, (money for money) but it may come in the form of: favor with your boss, a miracle with your immigration status, full tuition for your child, or healing for an ailing family member. Hallelujah 🙌🏿🙌🏿 The Word of God is power and it’s active, it WORKS!
If you’re not paying tithe– baby girl/homie – stop robbing yourself of blessings; the money you THINK you’re saving is NOTHING compared to the blessings you’re wasting. I pray God gives you the grace and ability to take this step of faith. I PROMISE you, you will NOT regret it. "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Malachi 3:10 ESV
- from the desk of Esquirho ;)
