Read:
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
~Matthew 6:25-34
One of the biggest struggles I deal with is the struggle between controlling our finances and trusting God. It is such a fine line for me to walk. I want to be responsible with our money, yet that feeling of responsibility can quickly change to worry which then morphs into a scarcity mindset which will quickly hinder me from living the life of generosity to which God calls us.
I have talked to enough people to know that I am not alone in this struggle. We want to believe the truth in God’s word that He will provide for us, but we still feel like we need to do everything we can on our own to make sure we have enough to live for today as well as for the future. Saying we trust God and walking in that trust as it concerns our money are sometimes two very different things.
Jesus tells us, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life…”
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
I want to serve God. I want to be used by Him for His glory, but I must first surrender. I must surrender this need be in charge of our finances and submit to God’s sovereignty in all of my life, including our money. I must quit worrying and trust God.
It’s easy to say “Don’t do this”, but it’s hard to actually follow that advise. I’ve found that instead of focusing on what not to do, I’m more successful in changing my actions if I focus on WHAT to do instead.
And Jesus knows that about us. He actually tells us what to do instead of worrying. ”Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
So what is the Kingdom of God and how do we seek it? The most important thing to understand about the Kingdom of God is the meaning of kingdom as it is used in the New Testament. In this setting, kingdom does not mean a group of people or a place. Rather, kingdom translates as REIGN. When we seek the Kingdom of God, we seek God’s reign over us…His action in our life and his lordship over us.
Which brings us right back to verse 24. “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve both God and money.”
When we acknowledge God’s reign over us, we come to know him as Jehovah Jirah…the God who provides.
So what do we do? We submit daily, hourly, even moment-by-moment to God’s authority over us. We recognize him as our sole provider. We live our life For Him and according to His purpose for us. He promises to provide everything we need.
When we focus on God’s reign in our lives, worry will flee. And when worry flees, Mammon’s control disappears.
Once we’ve surrendered to God’s control of our finances, BIG things start to happen. Our hearts begin to transform to resemble the heart of our Father. His blessings and generosity flow through us and He begins to use us to bless others. Lives are changed. We learn to live fully within the beautiful care and blessing of our loving Father in Heaven. And sister…there is no better place to be…
Today’s post was written by Michele Barnes.
Michele is married to the love of her life, Jeff. She has 3 grown children and 1 very sweet grandson! Most days you can find Michele laughing with good friends, working with numbers, writing, or working with women. In the evenings, she enjoys spending time in a few creative outlets like creative lettering, drawing, and pottery. She loves snuggling with her dog, Tebow, and reading. But one of her favorite passions is playing with her grandson and laughing at his bright smile! You can find her most weekends worshiping at our Real Life Clermont campus.
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