God doesn’t intend for us to struggle financially our entire lives. There are seasons of struggle, however, that we all go through. Whether we’re just young and naïve, or we’re a bit older and perhaps undisciplined with our finances, it’s not uncommon for people to find themselves in financial distress.
God’s plan is for us to manage our resources though, not the other way around. It is possible to get out of the prison of debt and live lives of financial freedom!
Dave and I have been through seasons of want and of plenty. I’d like to share with you some of the things we learned as a way of offering you encouragement.
We are stewards, not owners.
That’s the first and overriding principle we have to recognize. Everything we have is a gift from God. We have a tendency to act like we “earned” things, but that’s not the truth. Without the time, talents and providence of God, we wouldn’t have anything!
Everything belongs to God. He simply allows us the great privilege of caring for it. And one of the best ways we can do that is to not be wasteful.
In John 6:12, after Jesus fed the multitude, He told the people, “Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces left over) so that nothing may be lost or wasted.” Jesus could have simply done another miracle to provide for the cleanup after his miraculous meal, but instead he taught people about the importance of making the most out of what God has provided.
Jesus also taught in Matthew 25 that God will put us through “tests” to see if we can handle greater blessings.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.’” (Matthew 25:21 NIV)
God isn’t going to release new blessings into our lives until we first learn to manage the ones He’s already provided. If you’re waiting for your financial breakthrough, it could be that God isn’t yet finished preparing you yet.
As you learn to be a better steward with what you have, God will, little by little, give you more. When you start using the resources you have to bless others and bring glory and honor to Him, he’ll bless you with more so that His glory can multiply!
What Do You Love More than Money?
There are more than 2,000 verses in the Bible that talk about money, including the famous one from I Timothy that says “the love of money is the root of all evils.” Notice is says “the love of money,” not just money.
Money can be something that draws us away from God and can destroy relationships. It can also be used to bless many people, relieve suffering and share the Gospel. It just depends on what our relationship is to money.
There’s a reason why Jesus talked about how difficult it was for the rich to enter into the Kingdom (Matthew 19:24). We can fall under the illusion that money is the solution to our problems, and not God. We can quickly forget the principle stated at the beginning, that God is the source of our prosperity.
That’s why it’s so important to keep God first. If we don’t do that, we won’t be getting very much enjoyment out of our financial blessings, and it’s very likely that they won’t keep coming very much longer either.
We can also put money in front of other people if we’re not careful. People who are wealthy sometimes face the temptation to use that status to make themselves seem important, and that grieves God! Instead, we ought to be using our financial blessings to serve others. (I Timothy 6:17-18)
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