“…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” — Proverbs 30:8b-9
Going through the book of Proverbs in our Get Wisdom series has been a real blessing to me. I was especially encouraged (and challenged) by our recent messages on money (Money Wise and Matter of Honor). If you missed those messages I invite you to watch them this week.
Money and all that it encompasses is such a fascinating topic to me. It can simultaneously be such a blessing to us and can also be a great curse. Money can be an amazing tool for influence in this world; it can also be a terrible master over us. The pull it can have on our heart and our allegiances is truly riveting.
There are many different Christians philosophies about handling money. Men and women (smarter than me) have taken the wisdom and truths from the Bible to shape their financial lives. I love that the Bible has Truth for us to live by daily. Through it, the Lord can speak personally to each one of us. I’m convinced that the Biblical principles about money apply to all of us. At the same time, they play out differently for each one of us. We’re all on our own individual journey. God is so cool in this way!
I’d like to share with you a little bit of how God has personally spoken to my heart — to bring peace into my life — when it comes to money. Take it or leave it, as it may or may not apply to you. I pray in someway it would encourage you.
Over a decade ago, I starting budgeting. I wanted to have control over my money rather than have it control me. Around that time, I read Proverbs 30. It has since become a life verse for me. It has influenced just about every decision my wife and I have made since that day. Decisions for our family, children, home, jobs, work, schedules, vehicles, furniture, groceries, vacations, and so much more! They have all been filtered through that verse. I am deeply thankful for the way the Lord has intimately and faithfully met me in this verse. Day in and day out, He has answered my prayers. Even when I didn’t see how He would.
I’ve come to realize that every decision we make has tremendous financial implications for our lives. And those financial decisions also have a huge effect on every aspect of our lives. In so many ways we have been spoon fed the lies of our culture. The ones that tell us what jobs, wealth and amenities we need to feel valuable in our world. I’m not here to tell you what is right or wrong for you or your family; that is for you to bring before the Lord. But I do want to ask, have you ever brought those decisions before the Lord?
Do you seek the Lord’s wisdom to decide what standard of living you are striving for? Do you automatically take the best paying job without thinking about how the demands of that job will affect your marriage or family? Do you pray about how taking a job with a long commute will change how involved you can be in your church family? And do you ever bring these questions or decisions before a trusted, godly friend for their input?
I have personally seen the truth of 1 Timothy 6:9 play out. I’ve seen the deception of chasing after riches and how it has brought pain into people’s lives, causing them to forsake the Lord’s ways and wisdom.
I have also seen the amazing, life-giving freedom and contentment that people find in Hebrews 13:5, and Matthew 6:25-34. May we be people who are wise in all of our decisions, hard workers in our lives and jobs, and content in what the Lord gives us and calls us to. “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” — Matthew 6:31-33.
Pursuing contentment with you,
Caleb
Posted in A Word from the Pastor