Monday, April 9, 2012

Money.




Money.

I strongly dislike it.

I often sit and daydream about how I would love to go back in time when people would just trade goods and services for life's daily needs. You need some flour? Well I have some, let me trade you for some housework! I am running a little behind today and could use some help!

Ahhh...the good ol' days.

I have realized many things about life in the last 30 years, but if I had to sum all of it up into one sentence it would be...

If you don't consider your life joy in the present time, no matter what circumstances you are in, you will never enjoy it, EVER.

It was my intention to sit down and write this whole big deal on money. But the fact is, God has different plans for everyone. There is not one way to spend or save. God calls people to give differently and save differently and because of that, there is not one answer. But there is ONE answer and here it is folks...

Philippians 4:19
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

This does not say, " And my God shall supply all of your needs according to what your neighbor has and also according to what the world says you should have..." This doesn't mean that a brand new 2012 suv is part of your needs, or stainless steel refrigerators are part of them either.

If you are alive today and struggling financially, read this carefully, God has met all of your needs up until RIGHT NOW. Sometimes when I am in a crisis or there is a huge unforeseen circumstance that seems to suck the life right out of our bank account my first reaction is anger. I get angry that there once was a cushion and now its gone. I get mad that whenever we seem to get ahead, something happens and we are back to square one. But my wonderful friends, this is the devil. Meet him and his madness. He speaks things into my heart and I get caught up in it!

" you will never have money"
"you will always be broke"
" you were meant to just hang on"
" don't worry saving or giving to people in need, you might need it someday"
" don't listen to God when he asks you to give, you will have a problem next month and will need that money"
"go ahead and buy that _______, God will always give you what you need even when you are careless"
"its okay to wake up and feel like you are owed something because of what you have been through"

The list goes on. LIES. all lies.

The key to this scripture is " according to His riches". What does that mean? Well it could mean any number of things to any particular person reading this. All you need to know is that He will meet your needs and it will be according to Him with the details. How much, how often, where, at what age...all things to consider. But God does ask things of us that we need to pray about and be accountable to. He says to:

Be wise
Be a giver not a taker
Constantly trust Him
Don't let the love of money or possessions take over your heart and replace Him
Be humble and grateful for every single penny that He gives us
Consider ourselves less than everyone else
Use our talents and gifts to bring glory and honor to Him

My husband and I have just recently had a HUGE chunk of money go into our home that we turned into a rental property, my dental health, and unforeseen moving expenses. Just like that, bank account drained. It came in so fast and left even faster. And here we are again, or here I am angry and bitter. But I was talking to my husband today about it and I realized some things. If I am constantly basing my mood and value on what my bank account looks like, I will never have the riches God has promised me. Because He has promised me a rich and full life...

Phil 4:11-13 (Phi) ...For I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances may be. I know now how to live when things are difficult and I know how to live when things are prosperous. In general and in particular I have learned the secret of eating well or going hungry--of facing either plenty or poverty. I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives within me.


Just as there are physical dangers within poverty, there are spiritual dangers in prosperity. God will test us in both. In the sense of money, if we had too much, we might lose sight of who our actual provider is. And that to me is quite a danger.

Luke 12:29-34  "You must not set your heart on what you eat or drink, nor must you live in a state of anxiety. The whole heathen world is busy about getting food and drink, and your Father knows well enough that you need such things. No, set your heart on his kingdom, and your food and drink will come as a matter of course... Sell your possessions and give the money away to those in need. Get yourselves purses that never grow old, inexhaustible treasure in Heaven, where no thief can ever reach it, or moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, you may be certain that your heart will be there too!"

God blesses the giver. Not the person who stores up and saves it all for himself. God blesses in different ways. Money is not the only form of blessing. Remember last week and the mega millions lottery??? My husband and I bought 4 dollars in tickets just for fun. We don't play the lotto I don't know why we did...but I had a very special moment with God. About an hour before the drawing I remember dropping to my knees with so much gratitude for my current life. I thanked Him for allowing me to paint and serve Him in that way...I just was so thankful for everything I have that I caught myself telling Him that I didn't even care if I ever had that much money.

 My life wouldn't change. Because I know Him, and He is my life.

My life is not my car or my house, or my husbands rank or the food we eat. My life has value because of my creator. I feel like a millionaire being able to see what He wants out of my life, come to pass. Sure, I wish I had more money so I could give more...but right now, there are other ways I can give. So when I wake up, I will not be angry that my bank account was depleted, but be excited for what the future holds for me! I will be eagerly looking for ways to serve and pray for areas where my husband and I need to learn and grow.

Proverbs 28:20

A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

1 comment:

  1. Good for you! I'm new here- thought I'd say hello instead of being a lurker. :) I adore the feel of your blog so far- off to check out the rest of it! Have a fabulous week, sugar! xo

    ReplyDelete

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