Well, after failing to do last months blog post, I am here to combine both October AND November into this post.
I am currently sitting in a sea of my black Friday indulgences covering my bedroom floor. The ironic thing is that we just finished a seminar on Financial Planning (not my strong suit). I truly did not realize how many times the Bible talks about money and what we should do with it. So now, as I look at all these things I just had to have because “it was on sale”, all I can see is greed and hunger for fulfillment. I hate that this is one of the many things I struggle with but I love to shop and spend money on a whole other level. Ever since I was young I LOVED to buy things. However, it has transformed into something more where I don’t just enjoy shopping but I get a rush from it. There’s just something about clicking that button or swiping that card to buy something you have been wanting that you feel is going to, in some way, improve your life. The problem is I want a lot of things and as much as I hate to admit it, I am a bit of a materialistic person. I am always starting new hobbies or finding new interests and then I need to invest fully in that for the time being. So, I buy the things and then 3 or 5 months go by and I’m on to the next thing.
The purpose of me sharing this is not to vent about my problem but share some nuggets that I found to be of significance from today’s seminar. The first nugget was that we were bought with the blood of Christ and set free, so He does not want to see us become a slave to man/our debt. Debt is a form of slavery and it is bondage. God wants us to be free. Another nugget is that if you don’t have the means to buy or do something, you should ask yourself “are you ready?” This could possibly be God’s way of telling you to wait because you just aren’t ready. Third, our first priority should actually be giving, where some people may say saving is the priority. Giving is an act of worship and love. God calls us to be good stewards of our money because it ultimately was given to us by Him. Lastly, we need to learn to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. Two verses that clearly state this are Philippians 4:11-13 and 1 Timothy 6:6-10. If we have food and clothing, we should be content.
I just wanted to share this because this has been a lifelong struggle and today I heard plentiful evidence from the Bible stating all the various components to being a good steward of our money. Ultimately, our wealth and prosperity is the Lord’s and He shares that with us. So, it only seems right to use our money as He has called us to. I’m not saying this struggle just went away but I feel guided. With His guidance I can act on the things I have learned and, hopefully, work to change the way I use my money for the glorifying of God.
peace + love
ANNA