BY HANNAH STAPLETON, GRACE ATTENDER
When it comes to money, I tend to swing between extremes. I either save every spare penny once the bills have been paid, refusing to spend a single unnecessary dollar. I become fixated on all the things my husband and I want to save for: our first house, an emergency fund, the inevitable new car, unforeseen medical bills, enough to think about having a child.
Or. I spend the remainder of my paycheck at Barnes & Noble and Taco Bell. I tell myself when hard times come, God will provide for us, that I should stop holding on to this financial anxiety and trust my Shepherd.
Technically, neither mindset is wrong. (My anxiety is its own issue and that’s another blog post for another day). God will provide for me and my family when we need it. He promises us that: “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:31-32). But on the other hand, God does want me to save my money. He has given me resources in the present moment (like my paycheck) to help me be more prepared later. Part of how God is providing for me in those hard times is through resources that are arriving now.
I want to find more balance and peace between spending and saving. I want to look for that balance through faith. I can find peace by trusting that God is providing for my future right now and that He will still come through when I need Him. I won’t enter financial ruin by one trip to Taco Bell every pay period, but maybe I should put that money for those five books I want at Barnes and Noble towards a house, yes?
This is what Joseph did in Genesis to prepare for the famine in Egypt (Genesis 41:34-36). For seven years, he instructed the farmers to put a little bit aside, so that they would be ready when the famine arrived. I’m sure that farmers thought he was a little bit crazy; everything was fine right now! But Joseph knew that God was providing now for what was coming in the future. Through faith, he managed his resources with balance, saving what was needed, while still making sure everyone could eat today.
Questions to Consider:
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Are you more of a spender or a saver? Or do you swing between both?
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How can faith bring you balance and contentment in regard to your finances?
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What’s a realistic way you can put some aside to store up for a future need?
Watch sermons and get The Good Life: Contentment resources here.