Why do we worry about Money?

We could say that there are a lot of reasons. I would like to focus on one for today. I think the reason we worry about money is because God provides for us in a way contrary to how we want God to provide for us. When was the last time you pulled the string on why you worry about money?
Certainly you know the scriptures that discuss worry and others that discuss God’s promises. If we believed the Bible for what it said would we worry about money? I think we would seek first the Kingdom and expect God to do the rest. I also believe we would be willing to allow God to provide to the level He wants and in the avenue He wants. The problem that missionaries face when they raise support is the very act of humbling themselves to receive the gifts. Why is it ok for them to humble themselves so much when requesting support but not for us when we approach God? Is it because we believe we earn it through our job? Probably.
The deeper heart issue here is the way that God provides and trusting that God will provide. It’s much easier to say God provides when your bank account has a couple of extra digits than the average man. Since we have not witnessed it with our eyes and in our own lives we doubt it. But we are also not surrendered to allow God to provide it the way He desires to provide it.
I believe that giving sacrificially brings us into that realm of feeling the pressure of seeing God provide. When we give sacrificially with joy I believe God is glorified and He promises to provide. It gets sticky when we start looking at the Josephs and Jobs of the Bible. What if God called you to that?
My hope is that when or if He does that we will remember the simple truth that God is working all things together for good and we do not live on bread (or money) alone but by every word that is God’s. My hope is that we will be willing to surrender our own will to His will even in the context of our finances, particularly when they are tight.

Doubt

Boy oh boy, nothing like discussing doubt. Just after I finished posting “Peace of Mind” I went to a sales meeting and heard, “It is our job to open the door just enough to allow a little daylight of doubt” in the listener’s mind. It struck me so hard I wrote it down. Who does that? Who opens the door to allow the daylight of doubt in our minds? The devil does. I almost fell out of my chair. I understand what he was meaning. The only way to get a content customer with a competitor to switch is to tell them what they are missing or how the competitor doesn’t do it as well, essentially instilling that sliver of doubt.
But it makes me think I should be reading The Screwtape Letters instead of the Bible to become the best salesman – to know when to apply the pressure and when to let up and let psychology take over.

I would love comments on this. Do you think it is wrong to put doubt in the minds of people? If so, should we not do it when we are addressing a person that believes something that is not true or in other words when the doubt may lead someone to the truth? Does doubt lead someone to the truth? I think these are interesting questions.
Finally, I want to tie this together. As in Peace of Mind, be on your guard against people sowing doubt. My suspicion is that the more we learn to doubt things in our lives the more accustomed we become to doubt everything and then we end up as cynical pessimists frankly. The devil doesn’t even need to work because we do it for him. I have often felt a talented salesman wields a sharp blade and it can easily cut the mind of the listener either positively or negatively but I would really enjoy hearing your thoughts. As a believer, our first priority is to know God and trust God. When we begin to doubt that the church will use the money we give wisely or are always thinking there is a better way than what God commanded we miss the mark of trusting God and leaving the results to God. I am not advocating a lack of discernment on the believer’s part but I do want us to recognize that we often believe the doubts the devil puts in our minds regarding the effectiveness of obedience, the Spirit of God, and depending on God. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Comfortable – a Heart Issue?

Today I had the opportunity to meet with an estate attorney. He said, “I don’t want to make so much money that I end up leaving an estate to my kids. I just want to make enough so I have some in the bank and am able to provide for as many kids as I have, maybe 4 or 5.” But it was the look he gave me after he said it that said it all. It was that quizzical look wondering if I approve or disprove of his rejection of outright greed. He went on later to say that he just wanted to be “comfortable.”
It’s a question of the heart really. I think of the man that bought a million dollar home. When he found out his acquaintance bought a 2.4 million dollar home he was upset decrying the purchase as excessive and wasteful only for him to purchase a second 1.8 million dollar home after he received an inheritance.
The things we care about most often are the same things we play mind games to prove to ourselves it doesn’t have a stronghold in our lives. Like a man who really enjoys food rationalizing to himself that he can eat exquisite meals so long as he only spends so much judging both the one who spends more for delicacies and the one who cares little for what he consumes. What we think about and what we believe really do define us.
I couldn’t help sharing with the attorney that God may not be calling him to live comfortably and despite his desire to run a low overhead law practice God may actually call him to provide employment to another because he has the means to do so. So often we do not ask God what He would have us do or see the responsibility we have as a steward of God’s gifts. Can you provide someone a job but avoid it because it involves delegation or may bring into question your organization’s image or competence? Perhaps you should allow gleaning in your business as a blessing to those willing to work. What is that one thing that if a friend asked to borrow it you really would be upset if it came back broken? These kinds of questions may help you pinpoint those things that are holding an inordinate strain in your life and reveal what you treasure. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Luke).

Prayer

Whenever a believer asks me what they should do, whether it is how much to save, or where to make an investment I always think to myself, “Why don’t you pray about it?” Often when I help believers and non-believers alike with their finances I frequently experience the Moses dilemma. When the people were following Moses out of Egypt they clearly saw God working and they desperately desired to have Moses go to God on their behalf (Exodus 20). When people bow down at the altar of their money, they want someone else to do the planning and directing for them. They do it because they want to hold the adviser responsible for their money. But, somewhat similarly to God, the market doesn’t always do what the eager worshiper desires. Unlike God, it isn’t always for their best.
For the believer, however, they have an infinitely more powerful way to deal with their financial insecurities. Instead of worrying about their finances and hoping a professional can keep them on the straight and narrow, they can trust God. Instead of growing rich in worldly things, they can grow rich in the things of God. Both of these require the believer to be knowledgeable of what scripture says about how we should treat our money and that the believer ask God what he should be doing. The first part is rather straightforward, and the second part, too, but in a much more faith demanding way.
It takes a lot of faith to hear that still small voice that speaks to us when we ask. It takes a lot of faith to ask and believe He will answer instead of not asking because one is afraid of whether He will answer or not. This is only compounded when we take something our culture puts so much emphasis upon and has an effect that is as palpable as being the oil that keeps our lifestyle functioning. We wonder when we pray if God will tell us to do what we fear the most, as he commanded the rich young ruler to do and give it all away. Of course it is possible that God would call a person to do it but we have to trust the character of God – namely that He desires what is absolutely the best for us and He is by His very nature good.
So while it is difficult to approach the throne of grace confidently when we ask for discernment regarding what we should do with our earthly blessings that is exactly what we should be doing. Sure there is a role for trustworthy advisers in your life but it is most important to ask the one whose stuff it really is before deciding to spend it or even give it.

How Much is Enough?

The human heart is never satisfied. Every time I desire to accomplish something I can always go back and read from Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2 and comfort myself by knowing that its already been done and it doesn’t satisfy. It’s a long lesson I have learned multiple times and we all have. But when it comes to providing for our families and leaving a legacy how much is enough?
Do you ever read financial publications? You can pretty much sum up all that the human heart desires as it relates to money by looking at the advertisements. Answering to themselves whether they have enough is one of the biggest concerns for Americans and you can see all throughout the advertisements.
While most of us wish the Bible had it written in Proverbs 1 the amount above which we have too much money, it specifically does not do that. I firmly believe the reason is because it is different for everybody. This is not an excuse for the compulsive hoarder but more a recognition that God calls people uniquely and that is true regarding their giving and keeping as well.
The United States remains one of the wealthiest countries in the world and many of us live with so much luxury and so little sacrifice that we truly may not be able to identify with the sheep in Matthew 25. Are you feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, welcoming strangers or even being a neighbor to your neighbors? Many of our possessions take up untold amounts of our time and giving them can sometimes be the first step to a larger work God plans to do in our lives.
When we think about the needs of others and recognize the state in which the majority of the world lives in it naturally takes our focus off ourselves and on others. When we meet the needs of others, even at a price to ourselves, we take one more step to fulfilling God’s command to love our neighbor above ourselves. As you reflect on meeting the needs of others and honestly ask God what it means for you to be His steward I am sure He will tell you if you’re holding on to too much.

Financial Independence by Todd Harper

I found this article on Generous Giving written by president Todd Harper on depending on God regarding his finances just as he strives to depend on God in other areas of his life. That is the direction we should all begin to go and I think it leads to a strengthened relationship with Christ.