If I could figure $ out, how would I need God?

Nov 22, 2010Find joy today, Write!

faith

This last weekend I had the privilege of going to a weekend fall retreat with our church’s high schoolers. What an amazing group of kids. And the leaders and program were such a blessing, making me once again fall in love with my church.

One of the things I brought with me in my luggage was a heavy dose of fear and worry about money. Stupid, I know. I’m supposed to have it all together! (Cue laugh track here). But I’d received some difficult news and carried that news deep inside me.

It wasn’t anything anyone said. Or the fantastic worship. It was simply me being quiet when I heard His whispers. God said something like this to me:

Where is faith if you have it all figured out? And if you plot and plan how you will meet the need, how will I get the glory? Trust means not having the answers to the puzzle of money, but in choosing to believe I’m big enough to accomplish it.

These words spill over into all of my life, particularly my writing. If I incorporate all the right marketing methods and then prevail to sell many books, my tendency might be to point to myself or the methods and praise them. Instead, I am to rest and listen to His leading, do what God says, and leave the results in His hands. If success comes, I applaud God, not my clever ability.

It’s the same with money. Of course I’m to be honest, diligent, hardworking, and wise. Of course I’m supposed to be cautious with how I spend and manage and budget our finances. But beyond that, I shouldn’t scheme and fret. Ultimately, I do what Keith Green sang: “Just keep doing your best. Pray that it’s blessed. And He’ll take care of the rest.” There has to be a letting go, a realization that God owns it all anyway, that I serve a God who sees and hears and knows what is best.

Mind if I pray?

Lord, I again lay our finances and obligations at Your feet. You know. I want to give You the opportunity to shoulder this worry. I want to allow You to provide because ultimately it’s You who feeds us, clothes us, gives us good gifts. Forgive me for scheming and wasting my emotional energy on worrying and stressing out. I lay all that on Your strong shoulders and pray for a trusting, settled, peaceful heart. Amen.

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