Elevated Friday, August 21st, 2020

Happy Elevated Friday! Today we highlight a story of truly good news about our nation as a whole. A recent survey by Lending Tree has found that not only has charitable giving remained a major part of most people’s lives during the pandemic, it has actually increased in some cases. With nearly unprecedented unemployment and economic pain, most would think that charitable giving would have dried up considerably. However, that was not the case. Even more incredibly, giving increased particularly to groups and people to whom the giver could not write off their donation on their taxes, such as local relief funds and direct payments to family/friends who needed help. It is truly amazing that despite the nation seeming so divided and angry, in reality, it has never been more generous towards each other.

We can all get lost in the political issues of the day, especially with a presidential election coming up soon. But there is real power in the Biblical concept of spending our time thinking on what brings us together, is good, and praiseworthy instead of the things that separate us. Philippians says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Today, commit to focusing your mind on what brings us all together instead of what divides us.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." — Philippians 4:8 NIV

Original Article:

https://bit.ly/2CIJn9o