Merriam-Webster defines wealth as an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources. Someone who is wealthy is described as very affluent or characterized by wealth. We all have different perceptions of what it means to be wealthy. To some it means you drive a nice car or have a big house. To some it means you can buy whatever you want whenever you want without flinching. To others, it means you can give money away whenever a need arises.
So how should we, as believers, perceive financial wealth?
1 Timothy 6:1 describes the love of money as "the root of all kinds of evil". Note that it references the love of money, not the possession of money. What does the love of money look like? Perhaps it means doing unethical things to make big bucks. Perhaps it means becoming a workaholic and neglecting your family to ensure your house is bigger than the Jones's and your car is slightly nicer than that of your co-workers. Perhaps it means spending all your money on yourself and not sharing with the community in need.
Whether we're up for it or not, we have been blessed with an abundance of financial wealth, and with that comes great responsibility. This money is a tool that we are to invest in kingdom work. I see some people practically ignoring their financial situation and or/ refusing to develop a personal financial back up plan, claiming that they are simply "trusting God".
This reminds me of the story of the man who sat on the rooftop during a flood. A rowboat offered him assistance, then a speedboat, then a helicopter, all of whom he refused, saying "The Lord will provide." He then drowned and in heaven asked God why he hadn't been rescued. God replied, "I gave you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"
So when we have an abundance (say, a bonus, a high paying job), what ought we do? Buy new clothes? Go on a trip? Or invest in the future? What would He say to you if you asked Him about your life on Earth? Would He say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" after you invested your gifts wisely? Or would He say, "I kept trying to help you build a storehouse for your times of want, which I knew were coming, but all you did was spend more, no matter how much extra I gave you. What more did you expect?"
(I say this all in a black and white way, suggesting that if you're simply responsible, you'll always have enough. This is not true, and there are many times we do not have enough and must rely on our community to help us. I share this example to encourage you to think long- term and to emphasize the importance of being a good steward by planning ahead.)
I could go on for hours about what money stuff, but I just want to encourage you to think about the big picture of wealth building/ finance management. Think about it, pray about it, and ask God to help you determine how to be a good steward of the gifts He has lavished upon you.
And if you decide to create a budget and need some help, I'd love to support and assist you in that decision. :-)
Lately I've been wondering why we as believers are so quick to be open about things that need to change, things we don't have, ways we wish we were different. Ways we fall short. Things we want to be delivered from. Do we ever experience victory? Do we ever receive deliverance? What was it like before? How did God break through? How is life different now?
I have two reasons why I wish we did this more. First, God deserves way more praise than He gets. Maybe we feel like we're bragging or something, but really, in our false humility, we miss out on a lot of opportunities to celebrate with one another. And we rob God of His glory. Second, we alienate ourselves from each other. We deal with our stuff and then just leave it in the past, we don't admit that we're imperfect. So we are left feeling alone, like we're the only ones struggling with our issues.
So let's be vulnerable! Let's share the dark times so we can rejoice entering into the light! I'll start, and try to keep it in a nutshell (though I could go on for pages about how wonderful God's grace is).
Beginning when I was around fifteen or so, I developed some unhealthy eating habits. It started with categorizing things as bad or good, trying to eat the good ones, and feeling guilty when I ate the bad ones. I obsessed over calorie counting and meal planning. I also picked up a habit of dealing with feelings of guilt, loneliness, and anxiety by eating, eventually becoming a binge eater. A few symptoms I had, as I found online:
- The inability to stop eating or control what you're eating
- Rapidly eating large amounts of food
- Eating even when you're full
- Eating normally around others, but gorging when you're alone
- Feeling stress or tension that is only relieved by eating
- Embarrassment over how much you're eating
- Feeling numb while bingeing- like you're not really there or you're on auto-pilot
- Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat
- Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating
- Desperation to control weight and eating habits
It was scary and I didn't know what it was or why it happened. Eventually I started purging after excessive binges, moving towards bulimia (which is basically like being a binge eater except you throw it all up afterwards. Gross, I know.) I remember some Sundays when I would wake up early, work a shift at Starbucks, go home and eat too much, purge as fast as I could, and then race to the church for worship practice. I'm not sure how many toilets I've cleaned in other people's homes while house sitting so that they wouldn't know. Or how many groceries I replaced because I ate such huge quantities and didn't want them to get suspicious. I'll bet everyone thought I was okay. I mean, I was losing weight, appeared to eat pretty healthy, and smiled a lot, so what could be wrong?
It was only when I completely surrendered my will, my beliefs, my goals, my plans, my wants, my perceived needs, when I traded them in for God's will, biblical truths, and God's provision, that I experienced freedom. I haven't purged in two years, and I've only had one or two occurrences of what I would refer to as binge eating (eating two chocolate chip cookies instead of one doesn't count).
I can't honestly say that I never spend too much time and energy thinking about food. I can't say that I don't occasionally wish I was thinner and think about how to lose weight. But I can say, in full confidence, that these things no longer hold me captive. I am no longer a slave to sin, but a slave to Christ! I will never find the words to fully describe to you what this freedom feels like!
So how about it, then? Are you ready to be vulnerable? To join with your brothers and sisters and really share life? I'd love to hear your stories and how I can pray for you! I'd also encourage you to check out Romans 6 for more encouragement.
