“Greed is not a financial issue. It’s a heart issue.” ~ Andy Stanley
“IN GOD WE TRUST” first appeared on the two-cent piece in 1864[1] and has appeared on paper currency since 1957. The question of every person claiming to love God should be this, do I trust God with my money? Open your tax return, and it will reveal who you trust with your money. Your money follows the heart. If your heart is all about YOU and your STUFF, there will be a clear trail that is easy for anyone to follow. Whatever dwells in your heart, you + money = more of that.
A mentor taught me this lesson many years ago, “If you are not right with your money, you are not right with God.” My mother raised me all by herself, with the aid of child care. She was married to two different alcoholics, my dad being the last. She decided to run him off and raise me on her own in the 60s. Being a divorced woman, not once but twice, with no living relatives, little education, and no money, made being a single mom brutal. At one time, we lived in an old quadplex in Nevada, MO, where we shared a bathroom with the lady next door. My mother turned her life over to God as she understood God through her Catholic faith, and she never looked back. She became a GIANT for her friends, family, and most importantly, God; she passed away in 2015. Momma Long learned to trust God with everything, including her money. She was never right with God until she trusted God with her finances.
Unfortunately, I grew up a rebel child and chose to live on the streets. I quit school, and addiction and alcoholism quickly found me. When I came to the end of myself in my early twenties and attempted to live a spiritual life, I discovered how much greed occupied my heart. One of my many idols in life was money, and I did not trust God with my finances. I didn’t have a lot of stuff growing up, so I felt justified and entitled to splurge on myself; I deserved stuff, and self-gratification became the driving force in my life. I was blessed to make a lot of money and squander a lot of money throughout my life. I learned the hard way the many essential lessons regarding the spirituality of money. For example, if you can’t pay for it in cash, you can’t afford it, and just because you can afford the payment doesn’t mean you can afford the stuff.
Adopting the motto “In God We Trust,” especially with my time, talents, and finances, was problematic. I had bit off more than I could chew, so there were periods in life where there were more days in the month than there was money. Robbing Peter and writing a bad check to Paul were frequent temptations. Wishful thinking constantly plagued my mind. Thoughts like “when I get my money straight, I will give to God” and “I will start tithing at church and using all of my resources for the kingdom of God once my money is right.” This sort of thinking is delusional at best, and I found myself stuck in this mindset like a mosquito in a spider web.
How do you break free from this vicious cycle? Whether you don’t have much or have a lot, the dilemma is the same; you trust yourself more than God when it comes to your money. God expects our firstfruits with our time, talent, and finances. Firstfruits means our very best. It means giving your best first and trusting God with the rest, e.g., you receive a check for $1,000.00, take $100.00, give it to God, and learn to live off the $900.00. Most people in America keep 97% of what they make, don’t let that be you any longer. You can’t take any of your money and stuff with you when you die, so why are you hanging on for dear life? Learning to trust God with your money is one of the biggest acts of faith anyone can ever embrace and one of the most rewarding. You may not have everything you want, but you will have everything you need when you make the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST,” the slogan to live by, especially when it comes to your time, talents, and finances.
If your finances are a mess or greed is your master, you are not alone, and help is available. There are many resources out there to help you get your finances in order. If you have never enrolled in Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Make Over” course, then I suggest you give it a shot. It will help liberate you from the financial web you have created, address your greed, and help you get right with God. I am in no way financially compensated or receive and perks from Dave Ramsey. I am just suggesting a program that has helped liberate millions of people of faith, so why not give it a shot? Check it out here: https://www.daveramsey.com/store/product/the-total-money-makeover-book-by-dave-ramsey.
Lord, I want to trust You with everything I possess. Please help me accept the fact that I don’t own anything. What I have in my care, custody, and control all belongs to You. Please give me the courage to handle my time, talent, and finances as a trusted servant, trusting in You and Your principles as the only design for living in Your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. In Your Spirit and Name, I pray these things. May Your will and not mine materialize, always and forever, Amen.
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