One of the most significant challenges people face is with their finances. The economy goes up and down in cycles. Wars, rumors of wars, mergers rumors of mergers are changes that impact jobs, investments, interest rates and payments. The good news for Christians is God is constant and so are His principles, and that is what I am writing about today. ****Warning don't freak out we are going to talk about money today!
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9
Paul is talking about sowing and reaping here. God's economy is about sowing and reaping, giving of your time, talent, and treasure. As you do, you are placing your trust not in your job, the economy, or your wisdom but in the promises of God. Money is not evil, we need money to do the exchange of goods and services. It is when money becomes more important to you than God, it becomes evil.
God always honors our placing our trust in Him when we give our tithes (10 percent of our income) to our church we are saying to the Lord, "I trust that I can live better on 90% of my income with your blessing than 100% without!" However, even with being faithful in giving, there are times where our finances can seem to be under attack, and we need to push through, not grow weary.
In those times it is good to ask a few questions. Am I harboring any unforgiveness that would block me from receiving God’s blessings in my life? Am I walking in holiness before the Lord, or am I allowing any sinful thoughts or actions to have a place in me that would block me from receiving from the Lord? Am I doing what God has told me to do with my life, or am I disregarding His instructions and going my own way instead? Am I faithful to sow my tithes into my church and offerings into my church's outreach and ministries that are feeding me? Have I gotten behind in my giving or forgotten to sow a seed that the Spirit of God told me to sow? Am I under attack because the devil is against my dream or my mission and is, therefore, trying to turn off the valve of blessing, so I become drained of what I need to fulfill the assignment God gave me?
It is easy to respond to the first few questions and correct those difficulties. Sometimes it takes a stretching of our faith to respond to the last question. When Paul mentioned weariness, in this context it means to "not allow evil to overcome you, don't surrender or give in to bad circumstances." Paul is encouraging us when the devil is attacking our finances do not surrender instead to do the opposite, put up your spiritual dukes and prepare to fight. I have learned if I am going through a difficult place and feel unloved, to pour love into others. If I am in need of time, I spend more time helping others and in prayer. If I am in a financial bind, I have learned to give more away. I look for ministries that are sowing good seed themselves, giving my church my tithe then missionaries I know well and other ministries I know I can trust, offerings or alms. Sowing good seed into good soil brings a great harvest and defeats the devil's purpose for your finances every time.
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