I did my taxes the other night. I had previously done them, but couldn't get the feeling that I'd done them wrong out of my head so I redid them. And I was right. I had done them wrong the first time. The large refund I thought I was getting isn't going to be large at all. And having grown up in Texas, where there are no state income taxes, I was quite annoyed to find out I owe the state of North Carolina money. Not cool.

But what struck me was after finding out I wasn't getting back as much as I thought, I wondered how much that would change if I claimed my charitable donations!?! Ahhh! The very same thing I recently said I didn't feel right about I was now considering. Okay, maybe not actually considering, but I at least thought about how claiming those donations would affect my return.

I'm not a money hungry person, but I do enjoy getting money back every year. And I definitely prefer to get money rather than pay the government. If it's between getting or paying, I can understand why someone might claim their donations. It's not about the money, which is what I would have said, but in truth, it is. When faced with maybe having to pay or claiming donations and getting some money back, anyone would rather get money back.

But I'm still at a loss as to how this affects me as a Christian. What does God feel about this? Is there Scripture that supports or condemns this practice? I'm gonna continue to search my heart and pray on this...