“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.” 1 Corinthians 6:7-8
If you want to hear modern day fairy tales, go into a tax office during tax season. The first year I worked in a tax office, I prepared returns for the mail as my manager interviewed clients and did their tax returns.
When tax season arrived it was easy to say most clients were honest. However, there were those who were clearly lying. They showed no shame in fudging on their taxes—claiming deductions with no receipts, failure to pay child support, ignoring the numbers on their 1099. It wasn’t uncommon to hear intentional lies with no remorse.
I never want to know how many of them claimed they were Christians. The percentage would have made me cry. God expects us to be honest—and He expects us to pay our obligations, not cling to earthly wealth.
There are few who actually like paying taxes. And yes, some of that money is probably wasted. But some of the money goes to federal programs to feed the hungry, help the unemployed, and care for the elderly. Agreeing with the programs isn’t important. The point is, God expects certain things out of us.
If someone cheats you, try to offer them not only what they took, but love and compassion as well. If someone owes you money and can’t pay you back, forgive the debt. If you owe money, pay the debt. Every day is a chance to be the person that God wants us to be—so set the standard and strive toward it.
Listen to the whispers of Christ and allow him to lead your daily finances. When the fairy tale is over, you’ll be reading a “happily ever after” story.
Prayer: Father, help us to accept the situations we are given and forgive those who may cheat us.
Jennifer Landsberger was an Engineering Laboratory Technician (nuclear chemist) in the U.S. Navy. She’s a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers . She has completed one book and is working on her second. Jennifer enjoys writing devotionals, articles, and short stories.