Trusting God When There's Not Enough Money

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

You know what I'm going to enjoy most about Heaven...well, being with God, of course, but second most, I'm going to enjoy not having to worry about money.

Seems like every time I turn around something needs repaired - car, truck...today it was the home air conditioning unit.  It would be wonderful if we had a well-stocked savings account when these things happened, but we don't. We're like millions of other people who just barely make it on our paycheck.

We've downsized until there's not much more we can cut out. We live frugally, shop at second-hand stores for most of our clothes and everything else. Shop at the least expensive grocery store in town, don't go out much and haven't been on vacation in 6 years.

Still, life keeps throwing these things at us. We've never really had credit card debt...until now. I hate putting things on a credit card, but what can you do when it's 107 degrees outside and your air conditioner breaks down? It would be nice if wages kept up with the cost of living, but even our employers are struggling.

Do you feel guilty about credit card debt? I do. The Bible talks about not being in debt to anyone and how the borrower is slave to the lender. Our pastor frequently encourages us to get out of debt, to live on less than we make, to save for emergencies, but how do you make that happen when you've already cut back to the bare bones and you're still just barely making it?


So, today the repair bill for the air conditioning unit added $669.00 to the credit card. Sigh...  I am not happy about that, but I can't imagine what it would be like not to have a card to put it on. We're facing 5 more months of triple digit temperatures. That's torture enough without having a place to escape from the heat.

Yep, sure looking forward to Heaven, where we won't have to deal with money, but until then, I will cling to the verse that says my God shall supply all my needs. I will trust Him, I'll keep giving my tithe and I will not let this stress me out. I'll take one day at a time, knowing that He is with me and will be with me through it all.

How about you?  How are you doing? Are money problems stressing you out? Do you find it difficult to trust God with your finances?

Father, we thank you that you have promised to meet our needs. You see that we do not spend frivolously and that we are faithful in giving. We rest in your loving care and trust you to bring in the money to pay down our debt as we apply ourselves to working our jobs and being wise with our spending. Thank you for the peace that settles in our hearts, displacing worry. We trust you. Amen


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I believe, help me overcome my unbelief.

In Mark, chapter 9, a man whose son was demon possessed came to Jesus for help..

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” Mark 9:21-24

Even those of us who fully believe that God hears our cries for help and have the faith to believe that He will answer struggle from time to time with unbelief, especially when we have prayed for something for a long time, but have not yet seen God working in the situation. Notice, however, that Jesus did not rebuke the man for the bit of unbelief. Instead, He brought the answer the man had sought for so long.

Don’t be dismayed if a little bit of doubt or unbelief sneaks it’s way into your prayers from time to time. We are human and God understands that. Just declare as this man did...”Lord, I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Keep praying, keep standing strong on God’s promises, keep reaffirming your trust and faith in the Lord and soon you will see Him move on your behalf.

Prayer...

Lord, help us to stand especially strong when my prayers have not been answered. Help us to not lose heart, but rather, to continue to grow in faith. I believe that you hear and answer prayer, but I need you to help me in those moments of doubt. Help me to recall past answered prayer, to remember your promises and to thank you in advance for the way you will answer the current cries of my heart. Amen

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Trading Anxiety for Peace and Joy

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:5-7

For the past week or so, I've been anxious. You see, November 21st was my last day of work. My job was not working out for several reasons and after prayer and talking with my husband, we decided it would be best to leave that position. I was excited about some new possibilities and eager to be home and explore those possibilities. So, what have I done since being home?  I've been anxious. Not worried, but anxious to get things going to find my direction, my new enterprise and to delve into it wholeheartedly.

The problem is...was...that I had no idea what I wanted to do. I prayed about it - have been praying about it - but have not yet received any direction. That's when I let anxiety creep in.

What if I had made a mistake in quitting my job? What if I didn't find something to bring in some money to help pay the bills? What if my life slipped back into the state it was in before I found that job? I had been anxious, constantly scrambling for ways to make money, to validate myself, to feel like I had a purpose. I didn't - don't - want to go back to that, and yet, I could feel myself slipping right back into it. Until this morning...

God, in his awesome faithfulness opened my eyes this morning to realize that every minute I spend in anxiety is a waste of the day that He has given me NOW. This is the day that the Lord has made and I should rejoice and be glad in it, not be anxious in it. Anxiety steals your joy and God wants me to live a joyous life. I dug further into my Bible, then read a few pages in one of my journals where I had recorded some powerful truths about praying in faith and through that portion of time I spent with God this morning, He lifted the anxiety.

Today, I will be joyful, I am trusting God to lead me in the direction He wants me to go in this next stage of my life and I am trusting Him to provide for our needs in whatever way He chooses. I'm open to His will and I'm refusing to be anxious. And, yes, I feel His peace. Just as He promised. When we lay anxiety aside, we receive His peace.

Prayer: Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your peace that passes all understanding. My circumstances haven't changed, but my heart and mind have. You have taken away the anxiety and replaced it with peace and joy. What a wonder you are!

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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

How Soon We Forget!

photo courtesy  ba1969, rgbstock.com

I was reading Psalm 106 this morning. It tells the story of how God delivered the children of Israel from slavery and led them out of Egypt. He allowed them to escape the pursuing army by parting the Red Sea, enabling them to cross on dry land. What a time of rejoicing that must have been!  They were finally free and headed toward the Promised Land. God had performed many miracles to bring them to this place, and yet, the Psalm goes on to say…

“But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.” Psalm 106:13

When I read this, I just want to shake my head. After all God did for these people, it says they soon forgot what he had done and instead of waiting for his plans for them to unfold, they started making plans of their own. When God didn’t seem to be working fast enough for them or in the way they thought he should, they began trying to figure things out on their own – with a bunch of mumbling and complaining thrown in, I might add.  Isn’t that just crazy?

Uh…isn’t that just what we do?

I’m raising my hand…guilty as charged. I hate to admit that, but it’s true.

Just recently my husband had to have complete knee replacement surgery. The cost to us was going to be over $4000. (and that’s with insurance!)

I don’t know about you, but we don’t have that kind of money laying around. We had no idea where we would get it, but God had it all under control. We received checks that we did not expect, friends started giving us money, co-workers took up an offering, we auctioned off a few things and they brought in more money than we dreamed they would.

By the time his surgery came around, we had it all paid for – and that was God’s miracle to us. But, what happened next?

Our income changed and we were bringing in $400 a month less than we had been.  What did I do? Did I remember the financial miracle God had just performed? Did I relax and wait for his plans to unfold for us?

Nope!  I started wracking my brains for ways to earn extra money, spent scads of time on the computer researching different small business possibilities, and began to let worry and anxiety creep in. Until this morning, that is. Until God led me to this passage of scripture and showed me that I was behaving exactly like the children of Israel did. Those people that I was so quick to judge.

So, now I’m back on track, but wondering…

Does this kind of stuff ever happen to you?

If so, let me encourage (read strongly urge) you to go read Psalm 106. I can pretty much guarantee that once you’ve read it, you won’t want to travel the same road the children of Israel did. Remember how long it took them???

 -------------------------------------------------------Previously published as a guest post on Encourage 365

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Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

To Pout or Not to Pout...

that is the question.

How do you behave when things go "wrong" in your life? Do you take it in stride, knowing that life throws curve balls at everyone, or do you sink into what my Mama used to call the mullygrubs?

photo courtesy  mokra, rgbstock

mullygrubs: a despondent, sullen, or ill-tempered mood

What happens to your relationship with God when problems arise? Do you act as if you are being punished for something you aren't aware of? Do you cut off communication with Him? Or whine all the time about the problem?

I'm only asking because...ummm....well...er, this is how I act - sometimes. That's an awful thing to have to admit, but I'll admit it, because after reading this verse...

"People, trust God all the time. Tell him all your problems, because God is our protection. Selah" Psalm 62:8 (NCV),

I'm rather ashamed of my own behavior. God is good all the time. We should trust Him all the times. When problems hit (as they always do), we should tell Him our problems - not blame Him for them.

If we're really honest (and heck...let's be really honest here) most of our problems are of our own making. Not all - sometimes we're blindsided by troubles, but if we trace the crisis back to it's roots, it's often a consequence of a bad choice we made somewhere along the road. And then we blame God for letting it into our lives.

And here's another truth that's hard to face - sometimes God allows problems into our lives to shape our character and help us mature into the image of Christ. I mean, how can He teach us patience if we don't experience situations where it is necessary? How can we know He will provide if we're never in need? How can we understand the depth of His forgiveness if we never have to forgive someone who has hurt us?

So, the next time I go through a rough spot in life, instead of getting all pouty...instead of acting like I'm being punished unjustly, I'm going to be intentional about drawing closer to God in the stickiness of life. I'm going to spend lots of time talking (not whining) to Him, because He is my Protector, not my Punisher!

Selah!

(definition of Selah: "pause and think of that" (amplified bible) - in current venacular: word up!)

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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

When Satan Goes In For the Kill

A couple of days ago I wrote a post about Strengthening our Spiritual Core. A friend posted a comment that read...

"My spiritual core gets weak when I don't read the word and stay in communication with the Lord. That's when Satan attacks the most because he knows I am weak then." ~Chelle

As I read her comment, I had to agree...especially with that last part - that it seems Satan attacks hardest when he knows we are weak.  But that made me wonder - how does Satan know when we are weak? What makes him think that we are wounded enough that he can go in for the kill?

I don't believe that he is able to read our thoughts, so how does he sense our vulnerability?

I think we tip him off.

Photo courtesy criscris1
rgbstock.com

How?

With words of discouragement, doubt and frustration.

With slumped shoulders and shuffling feet.

With a defeated attitude and a joyless demeanor.

You can usually read a person's state of being by observing them for just a short amount of time, so maybe that's the same way the enemy knows when we're feeling weak...and he goes in for the kill.

Life can be hard at times. It wears us down and unless we are proactive in building spiritual stamina, we soon begin to exhibit signs of weariness, tipping off the enemy that we may not be able to withstand his attacks at that moment.

I, for one, do not want to be an open book for Satan to read.

My plan?

First, to be diligent in building my spiritual core, knowing that God says...

• I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13
• I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
• Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
• To put on the whole armor of God so that we might take a stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:10-18

.

Second, I am not going to tip off the enemy when I am feeling weak. Instead I will...

Photo courtest mokra, rgbstock.com

• Let the word of Christ dwell richly in me
• Sing, rejoice and give thanks to God (out loud) from a grateful heart
• Stand firm and speak words of faith to let the devil (and those around me) know that I trust God in all circumstances and that even in the hard places of life...He makes me strong

If Satan thinks he can read me like a book, then that book is going to be the Word of God!

How about you?

• Do you have a plan in place to keep yourself strong in the faith and therefore, less susceptible to attacks from the enemy?
• Do you recognize ways that you tip off the enemy, making you an easy target?

Share your thoughts in a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Don't be anxious about anything!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

My friend is a worrier. In fact she is so good at it, she could be called a professional worrier.  When faced with a difficult situation or a potential problem, she can think of every bad scenario that could possibly happen.

She hears about a disagreement between two people and she imagines them fist fighting, breaking up, divorcing, never speaking to one another again.  She hears about someone who is struggling financially and she can picture them losing everything they own, walking the streets in rags and begging for food. She learns about someone with an illness and she imagines that they have contracted a deadly disease and will surely die.

All this imagining makes her a nervous wreck. She loses sleep, cries over it and is anxious on a regular basis.

The funny thing is that my friend is a believer...or maybe it's not so funny, because as believers, we are supposed to trust God to care for us.  We have been promised that when we pray, God hears us and that we can have what we ask.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."  1 John 5:14:-15  (NIV)

My friend would be so much better off if she would just take a minute to pray, with confidence that God would intercede in each situation as it arises, then relax, knowing that He has heard her prayers and that He is at work in the circumstances. Then she would be filled with the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.

That's much better than worrying and imagining and fretting and losing sleep and...and...(I could go on and on.)

Prayer:
Lord, teach us to turn to you with every concern of our heart. Teach us not to be anxious, but to come confidently to you, knowing that you hear us and that as we ask according to your will, we can be assured that we will have the things we ask of you. Help us to know your will and to examine our prayers so that they line up with your will, then, Lord, help us to relax and trust that you will take care of things. Fill us with your peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen

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(Copyright© 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)