Let me preface this by saying, while I have been in deep debt, I have never been to the point where I couldn’t pay my bills. I have had some people really close to me go through it and I have seen how scary it can be. Just remember that you always have hope in God. He said that He will never leave you or forsake you - ask Him for help.
What does the Bible say about bankruptcy?
God’s laws supercede national and local laws. Just because you can go to Las Vegas and legally get a hooker, doesn’t mean that it is okay with God. The tough truth is that bankruptcy seems to work the same way. Just because it is legal, doesn’t mean that God approves of it.
Psalm 37:21
The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.
Ecclesiastes 5:5
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
The problem with bankruptcy is that it is the Government who is saying that you are off the hook with your bills. In most cases the businesses that you owe money to probably would still like to collect payment. It is actually doing a great disservice to the companies that you owe money to. Essentially, the borrower/buyer made a promise to pay, but is allowed (via bankruptcy) to break the agreement.
I remember a guitar I sold for $800 and agreed to let the buyer pay me in installments. I ended up only receiving $400 from the buyer only to never see him again. Everyone has stories like these and knows that it’s not fun when someone doesn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
When someone files for bankruptcy, this is basically what is happening to each of the businesses that are expecting payment. While I am sure most of them are credit card companies and other lending institutions, it is not an excuse for doing something wrong.
If the businesses themselves forgave the debt, it would be a different story. Realistically, this is rarely the case.
I am drowning in debt and bankruptcy is my only option!
God is great at getting us out of tough situations that we get ourselves into. Ask Him for help and He will not let you down. And be prepared to to fight to get out of debt, because it is going to be a fight. Just because God is helping you doesn’t mean that it is going to be a walk in the park. But you can be assured that if you do it God’s way (even though it may take longer) you will be greatly rewarded! It is worth it.
As far as practical steps I would read articles about getting out of debt, go to the library and read Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. That book has been a tremendous help to many people who thought that bankruptcy was the only way out.
What about bill consolidation companies?
I would suggest trying to avoid them as well. That said, definitely do a bill consolidation rather than filing bankruptcy. But still avoid it if at all possible. The reason is that most of the bill consolidation companies negotiate with your lenders to get your payments lowered which is nice, but there are a few problems here.
- It is only a temporary fix to the problem. If you don’t put that freed up cash to good use, you are going to be worse off then you were before.
- The bill consolidation company has to get paid to. This is just another hand reaching in the pot wanting to get paid.
- You can negotiate with (at least some of) the lenders yourself. Yes, they negotiate with lenders all the time so they are probably better at it than you will be, but it is worth trying. Believe me, lenders want to get paid something rather than nothing. So, if you communicate with them and put forth a good faith effort, most of them are going to work with you. Give it a shot, you have nothing to lose.
I would love to hear your comments about bankruptcy. Am I missing any Bible verses that suggest something different?
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A couple of weeks ago, Cory wrote about the Biblical way to get what you want. Continuing on that theme he wrote this article about Determining God’s will.
Determining God’s Will
When it comes to going after big financial goals, or anything in life, how do you know if God wants what you want? One of my pastors, Virgil Nelson, taught me this very simple test.
The James 3:17 Test
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
1. Is it pure? As you weigh your desires, ask yourself if your motives are pure in wanting it. James says later that if we ask and don’t receive, it is because we ask “with wrong motives.” (James 4:3 NASB)
2. Is it peaceable? My friend and mentor gave me this advice: follow the peace in your spirit. This does not mean that one should take the easy road. In fact, the easy road can produce considerable turmoil in your spirit. Check your heart and pray until you sense God’s peace concerning the thing you want.
3. Is it gentle? Can you do and get what you want without shoving people out of the way? Or will going after the thing you want bring out your worst side? If so, it cannot be God’s will.
4. Is it reasonable? God gave us our minds for a purpose. Although God may ask us to do the unlikely, He still expects us to use our brains. When you think about the thing you want, is it within the bounds of common sense?
5. Is it full of mercy and good fruits? Try to predict the results of getting the thing you want. Will it bear good fruit, or bad? Will it be helpful to others, or hurtful?
6. Is it unwavering? Do you want this thing badly one minute and not at all the next? God wants to grant you what you want, but you can’t say you want something badly if you keep changing your mind about it.
7. Is it without hypocrisy? If you go after what you want, will you have to go against one of your beliefs? Will what you want cause you to defy scripture? If so, your will conflicts with God’s.
Ask For What You Want with Confidence
When the thing you want passes this test, ask God for it. It says in 1 John 5:14-15 (NASB), This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
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Living the healthy life
A few years after I began to get my financial life under control, I started working on another important area - my health. I had no idea what organic meant, nor did I care. Since then I have read a couple books that gave me a Biblical understanding of health. The beauty is that it is pretty simple. 
The one book that I would recommend to anyone to read is called “What the Bible says about Healthy Living” by Rex Russell. Considering all the benefits from being healthy, this book could possibly be the most life-changing book that I have read (other than the Bible - duh 
). Oh and just to prove that I am not alone, check out the 5 star rating on Amazon with 42 reviews.
I had read The Maker’s Diet before reading this one and it wasn’t a bad book, but as a rookie to the whole health thing, it was just a bit overwhelming.
Three principles of healthy living in the Bible
Rex Russell’s book on the other hand was just what I needed: a bottom-line approach to health. He boils the whole thing down into three basic principles:
- Only eat stuff that God made to be eaten. A lot of animals are scavengers and contain all kinds of toxins that may or may not make us sick in the short term, but over decades they lead to various diseases.
- Eat it the way God designed it. Eat unprocessed foods, you know, apples rather than an apple flavored fruit roll-up, whole grain bread rather than white bread, or steak rather than hot dogs. Basically, eat like your grandparents did when they were kids—fresh grown fruits and vegetables without pesticides, water rather than four caffenated beverages each day, and meat is more of a special occasion meal rather than the norm.
- Don’t let any food or drink become your god. Fasting is beneficial for many reasons. One of which is to prove to yourself that no food or drink has quietly turned into an addiction.
Obviously there is a lot more to it than this, but these are the three foundational principles that the book is based off of.
For the skeptics
I was skeptical of the whole “alternative” medicine thing. No offense to any Chiropractors, but I used to think they were all quacks. This was another benefit of this book, because Rex Russell clearly teaches “alternative” principles but he is also a medical doctor, so he keeps a seemingly unbiased approach.
For those who don’t know the difference, my definition would be that “alternative” medicine generally focuses on preventing problems and getting to the root of the issue. Modern medicine is more about fixing the problems after they occur. There is a lot more to it than that, but I don’t know enough to get into it.
Oh, and by the way, I now have a few friends who are Chiropractors and they are quacks Just kidding. I have learned and chiropractors are cool in my book.
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I got an interesting question from a reader (Jenny) the other day that I think is worth discussing.
Here is a quick run-down of her story…
“I’m in my mid 20’s and married with no kids. I have a college degree and a career in that field. I just started in a new position with my current company, and they’ve asked if I would be willing to work full-time in another city, instead of the 50% travel I was originally told the job would require. They’re asking me to fly out on Sunday nights and return home on Friday afternoons. Every. Single. Week.
I struggled with the answer, because I can’t find a biblical basis for refusing their request. I’ve always valued work/life balance, but I wonder if by refusing their request, I’m not being open to the idea that perhaps this is a season in my life in which I’m supposed to spend a lot of time at work. What’s your take? … I’d love to get your input from a Biblical perspective.”
Hmm… I know you are probably already doing this, but you need to pray for direction. When we don’t have specific scriptures instructing us one way or another on an issue, it needs to be a Spirit-led decision. I think it is great that you didn’t just say no because you didn’t want to - you are looking to do the right thing, even though it may not look very appealing to you. That is awesome.
Work/Life balance and the Bible
A scripture that has helped me out a lot recently has been:
Psalm 127:2
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”
My tendency that I have to fight against is working too much. And what I was getting out of this verse was that being a work-a-holic is a waste of time. I have found in my own life that when I work hard to complete a normal days work that I actually accomplish more than if I get obsessed and work around the clock. God knew the importance of rest and how it actually improves efficiency.
So, I am not sure if that applies to your situation or not, but my suggestions would be:
- Keep praying and ask God to make it clear to you
- Talk to your Pastor and others you trust who know your situation and get their input as well. Proverbs says that there is safety in the multitude of counselors.
- Don’t be afraid to say no or yes. Be open to both possibilities. If you are not getting direction from God, I would default to wisdom (from #2).
Have you ever had this happen to you? Do you have any advice for Jenny?
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Before you begin your journey to get out of debt, it is important to know what the Bible says about debt. You can then use these truths to build your faith since faith comes by hearing the word. Once you have a solid understanding of what God has to say about the issue, then you can boldly pray about your debt in faith.
What does the Bible say about Debt?
The borrower is slave to the lender. When you are in debt to another, you enter into a slave/master relationship with your creditor. (Proverbs 22:7)
God wants us to lend to others. Obviously, this is difficult if you don’t have anything to lend. (Deuteronomy 15:6, 28:12, Matthew 5:24)
We are required to pay back what we borrowed. It is easy to take this lightly, but if we borrowed it, we should pay it back. (Psalm 37:21, Ecclesiastes 5:4).
What the Bible does NOT say about debt
That it is a sin to be in debt. Like mentioned above, it is not God’s best for us, but the Bible does not say that it is a sin.
There are no instances in the Bible where God provides through a loan. He provided for His people in many ways but loans were not one of them. That is something to think about next time you get tempted to reach for the credit card. (added later: see the comments below regarding this. A reader pointed out an instance where God did encourage borrowing)
Here are some more Bible verses about debt.
What are the Biblical promises about debt
The way I look at it, Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of sin. We were slaves to sin, until He set us free. If He wanted to set us free in one area, why would He want us to be slaves in another?
I also love Deuteronomy 28:12:
“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”
This verse is one of the promises that I stand on when praying about my debt. The pre-requisite listed in Deuteronomy 28:1 is that we “diligently obey the Lord your God.”
God can NOT keep us out of debt
I believe God would love to see His children living debt-free lives. But, as stewards of the money that He has entrusted to us we have a free will to do what we wish with it. We can choose to give it, save it, spend it, or even spend more than we have.
I also believe that God will work on our behalf to help get us out of debt, but we have a big part to play - to stop spending more than we have! It doesn’t matter how much God provides - as long as we are spending more money than we have, we will always be in debt.
It’s bigger than us
As Christians we have the opportunity to use our finances to build God’s Kingdom. Every decision we make with our money may be much larger than we realize.
Speaking for myself, I know it is easy to get caught up in trying to store up treasures on earth, when I know I should be storing them up in heaven. Every time I do, I get a gentle nudge back on to the narrow path that I am so thankful for. Storing up treasures in heaven is the way to live!
this post was included in the carnival of debt reduction
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It is kind of like becoming a tree
I was staring at a tree the other day just day-dreaming and kind of worrying about how long it was taking to get answers to prayer for a few issues in my life. I was reminded of…
Psalm 1:1-3
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
In my case I have been diligently trying not to “walk in the counsel of the wicked,” and it seems to be making my answers to prayer take even longer. I have been earnestly trying to do things the right way, knowing full well that by cutting a few corners or compromising my values I could make the answers appear faster. The major difference being that I can get mediocre answers doing it my way or the fruit God promises by doing it His way.
The pre-requisite for our fruit bearing from Psalm 1 is that we:
- Do things God’s way
- Stay in the Word
If we do these two things we have the promise that whatever we do will prosper and that we WILL bear fruit IN OUR SEASON.
Trees grow slowly
As I was staring at this tree I began to realize that trees grow slowly. You plant a seed for a tree and it takes a while to sprout and takes a while to grow to a decent size.
Grass and even plants, on the other hand, grow a lot faster. They sprout up quickly and sometimes you can even notice growth one day to the next. I have been enjoying watching this rapid growth with all of the plants in my vegetable garden.
Grass grows fast
Then it kind of hit me that God wants to make me “like a tree.” He isn’t interested in seeing rapid growth that will not make it to the next season and is ultimately unsustainable. A tree, though it grows slowly, becomes a lot more sturdy and is able to withstand challenges that grass and plants can’t.
I am reminded of a storm we recently had that snapped my tomato plant right in half. The plant had grown to about 2.5 feet in a matter of months and was not strong enough to survive when the winds came. God wants to make us strong and sturdy to withstand the storms in our lives.
Psalm 92:7
“That when the wicked sprouted up like grass and all who did iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.”
Psalm 92:12
“The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
Trees yield more fruit
I am excited about the tomatoes that my plants will produce this summer, but even the best tomato plant would be lucky to produce 40 lbs of tomatoes in a season. But older mature trees can produce over 1000 lbs in a season.
The downside, of course, is that trees don’t bear fruit 3 months after you plant them like many vegetable plants will. Some trees will take a few years or even longer to bear fruit. I remember the frustration I had with this when I wanted apples from a new tree and learned that I may have to wait a while.
Patience seems to be a rare virtue in our society these days, but it is one that we ought to develop. God seems to like taking the long road with a lot of things and as I begin to see the reason behind it, it causes me to say, “huh, God really is smarter than I am.”
Trying to be a tree
It’s tough watching the grass sprout up all around you and seeing others bearing fruit when you have been faithfully doing what is right, but we must not be short-sighted. We need to try to look at these things the way God sees them.
Though the tomato plants around us may be popping out some fruit, while we seem to wonder what is taking so long, our day will come. God is doing a work and creating something in us that will be around long after the grass has come and gone.
Galatians 6:9 (AMP)
“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.”
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This famous parable that Jesus used has a lot to teach us about our money if we let it. Below is the parable and a few of my thoughts about it…
Matthew 25:14-30
For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Stewards are required to take risks
It is interesting to me how upset the master got with the steward who took no risks. The other two stewards did take risks and reaped the rewards. I often wonder why the parable didn’t contain a steward who lost some of the investment. But either way, I think we are led to believe that the primary frustration of the master was that the steward was lazy and didn’t even try.
He was called a, “wicked and lazy slave.” My take on this is that he was more frustrated with his laziness than his lack of production. The steward didn’t even put the talents in the bank to gain interest. The passage states that the master gave to each of them according to their ability. So, I think we can assume that the steward with one talent did have some ability, or else he wouldn’t have given him any.
If he did indeed have some ability to manage money, even with the smallest amount of ability he would have known that earning small interest at the bank is better than burying it!
I liken this to having a Vet watch your dog for the weekend and not feed it. Most everyone knows that you should feed a dog at least daily, but especially a vet. It is their profession - the thing they are skilled at doing and are entrusted to do.
So, the extreme amount of laziness this steward had to not at least put the talent in the bank, coupled with the fact that he let fear paralyze him from doing what he was expected to do infuriated the master.
The parable is speaking of money, but this can also be applied to the gifts and skills that God has entrusted us with. If I refuse to step out in a gift or skill that God has given me because I am afraid or lazy, I may be behaving the same way as the steward with one talent.
Luke 12:48
“…From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
Don’t compare yourself to others
The master in the parable didn’t give each steward the same amount. They all started with different amounts, not much different than this game of life that we are all in. Some people start with a lot, some with a little. But we are all judged based on what we did with what we had, rather than what we ended up with.
The great thing about this is that our success is not based on what people may think about us. God knows what He gave us to work with and He will see what we do with it. So, it doesn’t matter whether other people think you are a success or a failure - God’s definition of success is often quite different than man’s.
The master gave them each “according to their ability.” He knew a bit about their faithfulness and how likely they were to increase their talents. Turns out he delegated wisely.
Our money is not our own
We enter into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing.
One of the first lessons that I learned a few years ago that really changed the way I thought about money was that none of it is mine. It is all God’s. I have the privilege and opportunity to be a steward of what He has given me.
Once I began looking at my money this way, it changed my whole financial outlook and helped me to be more focused on pleasing God with the money entrusted to me.
Even if we spent our lives and ignored our responsibility as stewards, we still can’t take any of it with us. We might as well try to better the lives of those around us and store up treasure in heaven rather than down here.
What did you learn from the parable of the talents?
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I recently received an email from a reader asking me about some prosperity verses. I decided to dig in and do a bit more thorough study about it. I noticed a couple things that I hadn’t before about Biblical prosperity.
The prosperity debate
I know this issue seems to be a hot topic for debate among Christians, so I am going to try to just present what I have found in the Word. We all have our opinions and the Bible says that we all only know in part, so none of use have it completely figured out. We never will. But, the Bible is the truth, so I prefer to lean on that rather than my own opinion.
Let me also say that the verses below may or may not be talking about financial prosperity. There are many ways that God can prosper us. If you are on your death-bed suffering from a terrible disease, you probably aren’t too concerned about financial prosperity.
However, there are scriptures to support that God wants to prosper us in all areas of our life. Our walk with Him, our relationships, our health, our finances and every other area of our lives. God doesn’t want to be confined to just a few areas of our lives, He wants to be involved in all of it. Every father wants to see his children prosper and succeed. How much more does our Father in heaven?
Okay, on to the the scriptures, I just shared my opinion like I said I wouldn’t .
Prosperity comes as a result of meditating and obeying on the Word
As I was studying this, this was the first common thread that I noticed.
Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
then again…
Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
and again…
1 Chronicles 22:13
Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.
Prosperity comes from seeking God
2 Chronicles 26:5
He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.
and another…
2 Chronicles 31:21
Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.
- side note, I think it is really interesting that this verse specifically mentions that he also did it with, “all of his heart.” There are quite a few proverbs that talk about the importance and necessity of working hard at everything you do.
And one of my favorite verses about seeking God…
Matthew 6:31-33
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Revelations about Biblical prosperity
These were just a couple of the patterns that I found in the Word about prosperity as I started to dig in. I know there is a lot more revelation to be gotten about the subject that I haven’t gotten yet. Anyone have any they want to share?
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If giving is better than receiving, why doesn’t it feel like it?
Jesus himself said that it is, “more blessed to give than to receive.” I don’t know about you, but when I have been strapped for cash and needed to buy someone a birthday gift - it didn’t FEEL like much of a blessing.
I hated the feeling of being torn with what to do with my money. I wanted to be a generous giver, but when the $20 in my wallet was being pulled in 4 different directions, it made it difficult to be exceedingly generous like I wanted to be.
I am not sure where I got the idea from, but we had a very basic budget at the time and decided to create an ING account specifically for gifts and giving. This account was to be the source of all of our birthday and Christmas presents and any other giving we did.
I thought it was a good idea until we started doing it. Then I realized that it was an absolute GREAT idea and wish we had started it earlier. It instantly added so much more fun to the giving process, because the money was just sitting there waiting to be spent on others. It wasn’t getting pulled in numerous directions like it was previously. It’s purpose had been clearly defined.
Christians are called to give
We have the opportunity to give into God’s kingdom. We have the privilege of being able to give to help people. It really is a privilege and an opportunity. God doesn’t need us. He has an endless supply of finances - He can get the money where it needs to be. But He allows us the chance to be used by Him in the process, knowing that WE will benefit from being used.
As we get a better understanding of this truth, it helps us break free from our own selfishness.
God really wants to bless us!! He set the system up that it is kind of counter-intuitive - we give away, and as a result we get more. As we give, it is given back to us in a greater measure. The Bible makes it clear that there will always be seedtime and harvest. To the measure that we sow, we will reap.
Biblical giving
After we started to get an understanding about Biblical giving - we were faced with the same challenges that everyone else has. You want to give, but it is hard to find money to give, because it is all already being spent on other important things.
It was for this reason that we had to start budgeting for our giving. The Bible says that we are to “discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness” and that “we should not make any provision for the flesh.”
It is crucial that we set up NATURAL processes and habits in order to fulfill the SPIRITUAL things that we are called to do.
In this case taking money right off the top of our income to budget for giving were the natural steps that helped fulfill what God wanted us to do. It wasn’t enough that we wanted to give, or even that we asked God to help us give. We had to take natural steps (that were His will) to fulfill what He wanted us to do.
Bottom Line: Budgeting for giving was just a simple step that helped us fulfill what we were called to do.
A few things that budgeting for gifts did for us:
- Assuming we were adding enough to the account, we rarely (if ever) would need to try to find money to purchase gifts.
- It encouraged more generosity because money was sitting in the account just waiting to be spent. We agreed that it would ONLY be used for giving purposes, therefore we might as well spend it because that was what it was there for.
- It is a wonderful feeling to have money available for the sole purpose of blessing others. It makes it really EASY and FUN to give.
- It is great to have cash always available to pay for Birthday gifts, but it is even more exciting as you increase your budgeted amount. When it gets to the point that there is so much money in the account that you have to start looking for people to bless. I want to get to the point where the account is overflowing and we have to work hard to try to give it all away!! I can’t think of anything more fun!!
Before we started budgeting for gifts I never had a thorough understanding of what Jesus meant that it was more blessed to give than to receive. The main reason was that giving created a negative side effect on my finances. Since my groceries and gifts were purchased from money in the same pot, I was always torn between my desire to give and my desire to eat.
Now, instead of thinking about how a gift was going to cause me to get fewer groceries, I now am free to focus on blessing the other person rather than my grocery list.
For more inspiration check out these giving verses
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This is a good thing to say when faced with a financial difficulty. It is very difficult to utter those words sometimes, but it is good for us to do so. This isn’t an excuse to be lackadaisical with our money, but it is an acknowledgement that there is SO MUCH MORE TO LIFE than money.
I am all for being a great steward of the resources and finances that God has provided, but when it comes down to it, He is the one who meets our needs! (Philippians 4:19) And last time I read the verse, there weren’t any prerequisites like being extremely organized, being really disciplined, managing our money like a pro, or even not making mistakes. Even with all our imperfections and “human-ness” the Bible still says that He will provide all our needs according to His riches and glory.
So, as difficult as it may seem, next time a financial difficulty arises, push out those three words, “it’s only money.” Just by saying this, you minimize its importance in your life. Money is not supposed to the primary focus (aka Lord) of our lives.
As I am writing I am thinking back to a few difficult times over the last few years where I needed the help of my wonderful wife to help me make that confession. Whether it is easy to say or not, IT IS TRUE. Money comes and money goes. It is ONLY money. Don’t worry about it, just keep trusting God. He is the one who takes care of you.
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
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