Season of Peace

Finding hope from fear, depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

Finances

The Love of God: It’s Giving

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The Love of God - It's Giving“You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35b).

God is such a giving God. He loves to give and give and give. He never takes away–he only gives. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).

I think about Matthew 6 where Jesus encourages us not to worry:

“I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:25-32).

Your heavenly Father knows what you need–mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. And, not only that, he wants to give you what you need. He loves to give you what you need. The key, however, is the next verse:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

When you put God first in your pursuits–whatever they may be–then he’ll give you what you need. Why? Because he loves you so much. So much so, that Jesus said we didn’t even have to worry about that stuff.

And, amazingly, it doesn’t stop with earthly things. God has so much in store for us regarding heavenly things.

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

Did you catch that? It’s God’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. Take a moment and let that sink n.  Because we are his children, we have inherited something great! As a child of the King, we have been given the Kingdom of God!

What are you lacking in your life–peace, hope, finances, provision, relationships? Take a few moments to reread those verses above. They are truth. They are God’s promises to us.God has promised to give us what we need to live at peace.

Prayer: “Father, help me understand all that you have given me in Christ.”

Financial Anxiety

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Financial Stress and anxiety and fearFinancial Anxiety

When you think of money or finances, is your stomach in knots? Does tax season stress you out? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you constantly fretting layoffs or “restructuring”?

Finances can be a very anxious experience for many, even those who are well off. Managing money can be very stressful. Married couples often cite finances as the leading cause of conflict in marriage. It’s an incredibly serious issue in people’s lives.

Can you find peace in stressful financial situations? Can finances really become a place of peace and rest, or must they always be feared and anxiety-provoking?

When it comes to our financial economy, I’m terribly concerned for our country. Consumer debt is at an all time high. Credit companies have made it so easy to “buy now and pay later”. For one small monthly fee, you can have whatever you want. How many of those “small monthly fees” do you have?

This credit-driven lifestyle has made it too easy to spend more than we make. I recently read a statistic on consumer spending in America. Through most of the 1900’s, people spent on average about 30% less than what they made. That means people were saving money. Today, the average American spends more than they earn. That means nothing is being saved. Nothing is put away for unforeseen circumstances.

I can see why financial anxiety is rampant these days. The loss of a job, an emergency house repair, the car breaks down, again–all can be terribly stressful when it comes finances.

So, is there hope? Can you be free from financial anxiety? I shout a hearty YES. You can be free. But, it may take time and serious discipline. It probably took you years to get where you are now. For many, it’ll take years to dig yourself out of the financial pit. But, here’s the beautiful thing–God is faithful and he cares for you, even your finances.

Today, my wife and I live in financial freedom. And it’s not because we have lots of money. In fact, I’m a freelancer and so our finances ebb and flow depending on projects. Our financial freedom is a result of clear, money management skills and the discipline to live by those skills.

We live on a budget. We no longer use credit cards. We only buy used cars, and at the end of each month, we have money left over. Amazingly, we don’t feel at all constricted by this lifestyle. On the contrary, this lifestyle has given us incredible freedom.

“But you don’t know where we are. We’ve maxed out our credit cards? My husband lost his job. These medical bills keep getting higher and higher. We can barely get by.”

Here’s the most important message I learned about finances: it’s not a matter of how much or how little you make; it’s a matter of your heart. Financial freedom starts in your heart. Listen to what Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be” (Matthew 6:21).

Where is your treasure? A new car, a big house, a pair of jeans? Or, is your treasure in your family, your peace, or God? You see, where you put your money is where your heart is. Your money always follows your heart. So, make sure your heart is right when it comes to finances.

When my wife and I first got married, we were in debt. I was into new cars, new stereo equipment, new things. So when I prayed for financial freedom, I expected God to deposit a big sum of money into my account. What he did, though, was deposit wisdom into my heart. True financial freedom starts in your heart.

If you’re struggling with finances, I want to encourage you that you can be free from financial anxiety. God desires to help you, first with your heart and then with your finances. I have seen God move in amazing ways when it comes to finances, both in my life and in the lives of those we have counseled. There are great resources to help you in this journey towards financial freedom like Dave Ramsey or Crown Financial.

Prayer: Father, I need your help with finances. Financial anxiety is consuming me. I’ve made some bad money decisions in the past, and the financial consequences are overwhelming. First, change my heart. Then, give me a strategy to get my finances under control. Help me start down the road to financial freedom.

Never Forsaken – Learning to trust God in our financial need

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Have you ever heard the scripture that God will never leave you nor forsake you? It’s an often-quoted verse. I quote this verse from the New Testament (Hebrews 13:15), but the writer of Hebrews was most like quoting an Old Testament verse. Here are three possible references from the Old Testament:

In Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses prepared the children of Israel–who were about to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land–by saying: “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.”

Then, in Joshua 1:5, God spoke directly to Joshua as he was about to enter the Promised Land: “No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.”

Finally, right before King David was about to hand over the kingdom to his son, Solomon, David said to him, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you” (1Chronicles 28:20).

Yet, the context of Hebrews 13:5 is not about a Promised Land, about powerful enemies to be defeated or about taking over a kingdom. The context of Hebrews 13:5 is about money and possessions. Let me quote the entire verse for you: “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.'”

I share this scripture and its context with you because I know how stressful, anxiety-provoking and fearful the issue of finances can be. Even today, when debt is at an all time high, I know there are many of you out there struggling financially. Maybe you are jobless. Maybe you’ve taken a pay cut. Maybe there’s a huge influx of overwhelming bills. You lie awake at nights wondering how you will make it through tomorrow.

Listen carefully to what God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” These aren’t just encouraging words–it’s a promise from God, your Father, your Creator, your Provider. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. In Jesus, you are never alone!

“Don’t worry about everyday life–whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies 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 flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34).

I encourage you to read me and my wife’s testimony on finances. I pray you find it encouraging and hopeful. God does really care about us.

Prayer: Father, I feel so forsaken right now. I’m struggling. I’m hurting. I feel so alone. Your promised me that you will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me to know that you are here with me now. Let me feel your presence in my heart and my mind. Let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through me to encourage me and strengthen me through these difficult times. I surrender my life, my finances and my fears to you. Jesus, I give it all to you. Help me, I pray, in your precious name. Amen.

financial anxiety

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When you think of money or finances, is your stomach in knots? Is the upcoming holiday season starting to stress you out? What about the current financial crisis? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you constantly fretting layoffs or “restructuring”?

Finances can be a very anxious experience for many, even those who are well off. Managing money can be very stressful. Many couples that divorce in the US do so because of problems with money. It’s an incredibly serious issue in people’s lives.

Can you find peace in stressful financial situations? Can finances really become a place of peace and rest, or must they always be feared and anxiety-provoking?

When it comes to our financial economy, our country is in serious trouble. Consumer debt is at an all time high. Credit companies have made it so easy to “buy now and pay later”. For one small monthly fee, you can have whatever you want. How many of those “small monthly fees” do you have?

This credit-driven lifestyle has made it too easy to spend more than we make. I recently read a statistic on consumer spending in America. Through most of the 1900’s, people spent on average about 30% less than what they made. That means people were saving money. Today, the average American spends more than they earn. That means nothing is being saved. Nothing is put away for unforeseen circumstances.

I can see why financial anxiety is rampant these days. The loss of a job, an emergency house repair, the car breaks down, again–all can be terribly stressful when it comes finances.

So, is there hope? Can you be free from financial anxiety? I shout a hearty YES. You can be free. But, it may take time and serious discipline. It probably took you years to get where you are now. For many, it’ll take years to dig yourself out of the financial pit. But, here’s the beautiful thing–God is faithful and he cares for you, even your finances.

Today, my wife and I live in financial freedom. And it’s not because we have lots of money. On the contrary, we live very modestly. As a freelance producer, our finances ebb and flow depending on projects. Our financial freedom is a result of solid money management skills and the discipline to live by those skills.

We live on a budget, we no longer use credit cards, we only buy used cars, and at the end of each month, we have money left over. Amazingly, we don’t feel at all constricted by this lifestyle. Quite the opposite. This lifestyle has given us incredible freedom.

“But you don’t know where we are. We’ve maxed out our credit cards? My husband lost his job. These medical bills keep getting higher and higher. We can barely get by.”

Here’s the most important message I learned about finances: it’s not a matter of how much or how little you make; it’s a matter of your heart. Financial freedom starts in your heart. Listen to what Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be” (Matthew 6:21).

Where is your treasure? A new car, a big house, a pair of jeans, your 401K? Or, is your treasure in your family, your peace, or God? You see, where you put your money is where your heart is. Your money always follows your heart. So, make sure your heart is right when it comes to finances.

When my wife and I first got married, we were in debt. I was into new cars, new stereo equipment, new things. So when I prayed for financial freedom, I expected God to deposit a big sum of money into my account. What he did, though, was deposit incredible financial wisdom into my heart. You see, financial freedom starts in your heart.

If you’re struggling with finances, I want to encourage you that you can be free from financial anxiety. God desires to help you, first with your heart and then with your finances. I have seen God move in amazing ways when it comes to finances, both in my life and in the lives of those we have counseled. There are great resources to help you in this journey towards financial freedom. Dave Ramsey and Crown Financial are two great resources to get started.

Prayer: Father, I need your help with finances. Financial anxiety is consuming me. I’ve made some bad money decisions in the past, and the financial consequences are overwhelming. First, change my heart. Then, give me a strategy to get my finances under control. Help me start down the road to financial freedom.