Written by: Molly Schutte

“Can you please come play outside with me?”

“I’m sorry, buddy, I have to study for exams and write this paper.”

“On the weekend??”

In one of my favorite conversations with my youngest brother while I was home from college on fall break, he learned that school swallowed up much of my time, even on the weekend (he offered to write my Trinity paper for me so I could play sooner). Despite that fact, I was inspired by a fellow student to set aside my whole Sunday, or at least most of it, as a true Sabbath during my senior year.

Until that year, I believed this was an impossible feat. When I set my mind to it, though, I found that the Lord used this to teach me discipline, time management, and prioritizing. Mother Teresa, who spent the majority of her day serving the poorest of the poor, set aside an hour for prayer every single day, confidently asserting that her work during the rest of the day would be impossible without it. The lesson here, I think, is that dedicating time to God influences us to put the rest of our day to good use. Where can I use my time better?

The same can be said for our money. “One person is lavish yet grows still richer; another is too sparing, yet is the poorer. Whoever confers benefits will be amply enriched, and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:24-25). As a recent graduate working to pay off student loans, I have become intimately familiar with budgeting and with having little to spend on things beyond monthly bills and groceries. A few hundred dollars put towards charity could be used elsewhere, right? Perhaps for the flower garden I’ve been planning for months?

As with my time, though, dedicating this tithe towards God’s Church and His work teaches me to steward the rest of my money. In an age of radical materialism and attachment to comfort, tithing to organizations such as ENLC, who provide women with real alternatives to the evil of abortion, provides a fitting antidote to greed and covetousness. The Lord teaches detachment this way, turning our eyes away from the glittering goods on store shelves and back towards Himself and the mission of leading souls to Him.

If you feel called to contribute your time, talent, or treasure to the life-saving work of ENLC, visit our website or contact your local Development Officer for more information! I pray that God would bless you, teach you radical reliance on Him, and sustain you with His overwhelming peace.