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Have you ever been too busy? I have been busy to the point that personal things begin to lapse – even taking care of myself. As I began to mature in my relationship with God I began to realize that things were out of priority. However, God was teaching me one of those life lessons through a leftover meal of all things.

One day I was talking to God about the leftovers. Now, before you think wrong…I am not saying God cares if you eat leftovers. I think He is happy for you to eat whatever you like. The word says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (Malachi 3:10)

Looking deeply at the verse it is apparent that one can have “so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” So if you can have blessing you can also lack blessing. Being “blessed” means having supernatural power working for you. (Presence of God’s blessing) Being “cursed” means having supernatural power working against you. (absence of God’s blessing). Blessing permeates every aspect of a person’s life – health, relationship, work, family, emotions, and thoughts.

What does leftovers have to do with this?

If I am busy all the time and never rest or take care of the body God has given to me, then eventually all God gets, is my leftovers.

I am never fresh when serving Him. He gets my leftover time, my leftover talent and leftover abilities. However, if I give God the first of my time, the first of my talents and the first of my abilities, then I am bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse.

This does not mean that I have no time for anything else. On the contrary, when I give God the first fruits -freshness of my day- the other 90% of my day is just as blessed as that first 10%. I am on track and overflowing with blessing that cannot be contained. In Isaiah, the Lord tells us to seek Him while He may be found and to call on Him while He is near. Be encouraged. We have busy lives and it just makes sense to give God His first so that our days ahead may be blessed.

Yvette Perrin is a columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.