Three Tips To Remember When The Bills Get Bad
We face challenges on a daily basis, whether the challenges are at work, at home, or in between. Some challenges are easy enough to work through, while others cause us to beg God for relief.
In the midst of those struggles, we sometimes forget that God is with us. We feel like we’re alone, yet He promised never to leave us or forsake us.
When someone wrongs us, we are so quick to want to retaliate. But God has told us that revenge is His. We are instructed to love our enemies and to pray for them.
How difficult can that be when we are hit daily with negativity? How hard is that when there never appears to be any relief?
God sees
But God sees what we’re going through. He knows how we feel. When bank fees hit for any and every reason, He takes note. When the mortgage company refuses to work out a payment plan with us, He sees that, as well. When the credit card companies increase their interest rates or double the minimum payment, God notices.
God doesn’t want us to be enslaved. Jesus came to free us. Yet, we find ourselves chasing after the things of this world. We allow ourselves to be held in bondage in exchange for these temporary pleasures.
It’s time to let go
In those times, patience is crucial. We have to learn to let go and let God. He promises in the first part of Genesis 15:14 that He “will punish the nation they serve as slaves.” (NIV) Everyone we “serve” is in danger.
We remember that the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert. They refused to “let God.” Their disobedience brought years of heartache and disappointment. In fact, it carried over from one generation to another. Children were impacted by their parents’ disobedience.
How long are we going to wander in our desert? How long will we allow this bondage to last?
The second part of Genesis 15:14 gives us a glimpse of what happens AFTER God comes in. It says, “they will come out with great possessions.” (NIV)
That means that God is just waiting to pour blessings down on us. He can do so much more for us than we can do for ourselves. But God has thrown a condition in there. The great possessions don’t come until AFTER God has come in on our behalf.
God can see more
It’s hard to sit back and let God fight our battles. We want so badly to feel that we can take care of things ourselves. But more often than not, when we take matters into our own hands, we make the situation worse.
As parents, we try to guide our children to help them avoid some consequences that we know are likely to result from certain actions they are considering. At the same time, our heavenly Father can see the consequences of some of our potential actions. He wants to guide us toward blessings, not curses.
We just have to make a choice. Who will we serve? Those who control our temporary pleasures in this world or He who controls our eternal happiness away from this world? There is no way to serve both.
Can we make an effort to allow God to guide us in our decision-making, rather than taking matters into our own hands?
Ozeme J. Bonnette is a financial coach, speaker, and author of Get What Belongs to You: A Christian Guide to Managing Your Finances. After working for a top financial services company, she shifted her focus to speaking to groups hoping to increase financial literacy. She earned 3 Bachelor’s degrees at Fresno State, and her MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School. Her blog is http://www.povertynorriches.com.