True Identity Ministries Blog

Today we will discuss one final attitude we need to take on to guard our finances before we begin discussing practical tips. If you and I are going to be able to have an attitude of steward and make sure that our treasure is not in worldly wealth, we are going to have to become content right where we are. We want to have an attitude of contentment. You might be gasping right now, thinking you could never be content with the financial state that you are in right at this very moment. My answer to you is if you have debt then you shouldn’t be content. You should be ready to do whatever you need to do to get that debt paid off in a hurry. That is the biblical way. What we are talking about is being content with what we have and with where we are on the way to where we are going. Could you say that you are content with your circumstances? Let’s examine our hearts today and allow God to shine a light upon our world, revealing to us what it means to be content.


Luke 3:14 says, “…John replied, ‘Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.” Let me be clear that this verse isn’t saying we shouldn’t be excited and accepting when God gives us promotion or an increase in pay. I’m only making the point that you shouldn’t allow discontentment to consume you. Don’t become so discontent with your income that it steals your joy and peace. If you and I are always wishing we could have more and more, it can lead our hearts right back to treasures on earth and not heaven. Which as we learned last week, can cause us to fall into temptation and destruction.

All throughout scripture we see it tell us to be content in all things, and that if we have food and clothing we should be content with that. It also warns us to stay free from the love of money and to be content with what we have because God will never leave us nor forsake us. Many of us can probably think back to a time that we have had a critical and judgmental attitude towards someone else simply because we weren’t content with what we had ourselves. This isn’t God’s will for our lives. The reason he tells us over and over in his word to be content is because he knows the danger and destruction of us being discontent. Proverbs 15:16 shows us that it is better to have little as it relates to wealth and possessions but still have the fear of the Lord, than it is to have much and find ourselves in turmoil and without God. 1 Timothy 6:6 shows us that godliness with contentment is great gain. God and God alone is where you and I need to find our satisfaction. When we find our satisfaction in him, we find nothing but gain for our lives.

I want to tell you about a circumstance that I watched someone walk through recently that reminds me of this topic of finding security in our money. A very wealthy man and his wife had one daughter. This daughter was having problems with severe depression and had gotten to the point that she was repeatedly trying to commit suicide. In the past they had always been able to use their money to fix their circumstances. They had used it to buy for this young girl the very best of everything all through her life, yet she still found herself lacking any hope or joy. Now they were using their money to try and buy all of the best medicines, doctors, and treatments to help their daughter. They made a very profound comment in the midst of this traumatic time. They said “We have the nicest homes, many cars, and an abundance of money. None of it is helping us to find joy, hope, or healing for our daughter.” They had looked to their money and cried out to it “save us!” Then when it did not, they finally came to the point that they were able to say “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” I don’t know how their story ended, but I pray that it was with finding Jesus. This is what God’s word is trying to show us. Our culture tries to convince us that the more we have the safer we are from ever losing hope. God’s word tells us quite the opposite. It tells us that true contentment, hope, and satisfaction can only be found in Jesus.

In Philippians 4:10-13 Paul tells us that he learned to be content. He knew what it was to have plenty and he knew what it was to be in need, but either way he could be content. He gives us a clue to the secret of being content in verse 13. He says “I can do everything through him that gives me strength.” Christ is the secret. When you and I stay connected to Christ we are going to have the strength to be content in any circumstance. Apart from Christ we have nothing and will find our hearts searching after the things of this world. It doesn’t matter what your circumstances are, you too can learn to be content through him that gives you strength. As you do it is sure to help you guard your finances through the holidays.
Xoxo

Justeina