Financial Blessings Out of Reach?
When I used to teach the business accounting and tax classes at the SBA’s Small Business Development Center, I would open every class with an exercise. I would ask everyone in the class to get out their wallets and tell them to open them up and show me their money. The looks I got from the students were strange, as you can imagine!
Sadly, there were usually only one or two in the class who had their money in neat and clean order. The majority had the currency all wadded up, or mixed in with receipts and gum wrappers; some even would say, “I left my money in my car” and “I don’t have any money.”
In explaining the exercise, I told the class that the condition of their money was a clear predictor of the financial success of their businesses. If they didn’t know how much money they had at any given time and did not have a system to track their money, they were destined to fail. It was proof that they did not value their money.
Lately, the Lord has been laying on my heart some of the reasons why His kids are not seeing the financial blessings the Word promises. My heart breaks when I see so many good people losing their homes, not able to afford groceries, utilities, insurance and other necessities – let alone some of the niceties of life. I ache when I face the reality that, even though my husband and I are holding our own, we are not walking in the fullness of the financial promises in the bible. Many of these people are tithers and they are generous givers, but they are still embroiled in financial despair. I seek the Lord for answers.
In the wee hours of this morning, He reminded me of that wallet exercise I used to conduct. He showed me that, even though they may be givers, His people do not have their financial houses in order. Spending is unbridled; they can’t differentiate between needs and wants. They operate without budgets. The use of debt is out of control. Living beyond their means is draining them dry – spirit, soul and body. The state of their financial records is disasterous, if they even keep track at all.
The full counsel of God states we are to tithe and we are to give offerings above tithe, but our blessings will be stymied if we are not good stewards of what we already have.
I encourage you to do what Dave and I did. Go to God, repent for your lack of good stewardship and lack of discipline. Get out of the mess you are in. Refuse to live that way any longer. Ask Him to show you how to proceed from this day forward. Go to a professional if needed to come up with an executable plan to live below your means, get out of debt and build savings. Stick to the plan. Say no to yourself more often (yikes!) Is it simple? Yes. Is it easy? Only if you determine to please God above all else. The rewards are worth it!
0 Comments