But how do you decide what to give and where and how much?

Get away, get some time, go on a personal retreat, take an hour in your morning if that's all you have, take a break from your blogging if you're like me and stupidly committed to 30 days of writing! Whatever it takes, take a minute. Think about your commitments, think about your budget, think about your busy, busy life. Now stop thinking about it.

Just stop.

Stop.

Sanford Robinson

Isaiah 30:15 says, In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.

Repent.
Rest.
Quiet.
Trust.

These are the things that strengthen us. Not success. Not money. Not time. Not other people. Nothing else.

There is nothing in your life that you can derive more strength from than you can from a simple, quiet trust in Jesus to meet not only your needs, but other people's needs as well.

With that as your perspective, suddenly all the things on that list of commitments suddenly seem less important. Jesus will meet the needs of your children, your neighbor, your budget, your fears, your husband, your pantry, your emptiness, your future, all of it. And when (this is hard, I know) we take our eyes off of the stuff we fill in the holes because we're afraid Jesus won't, and we just put our eyes on Him, He fills.

He just does. It's His nature to fill. To encompass. To surpass. To provide. He is the ultimate verb in our life, nothing else can do like Him.