By Courtney Markley
(3 ½ minute read)
I am always captivated by the start of a new year, the closing chapter of its predecessor,
and the balance we strike between laying to rest things of the past while anticipating
new life that awaits.
Everything about this season breathes rest and new life.
On paper, nothing truly profound happens on January 1 st . You will still wake up in your
same home, with your same family, and your same life. You will still be you. And yet,
deep within your soul a shift is happening. Rest and new life.
For some, the turning of the calendar is an invitation to cultivate fresh rhythms. For
others, it is a time of personal and spiritual reflection. Might we take a few minutes now
for both.
Financial goals top the list as the most common New Year’s resolutions, not surprising
considering that three out of four U.S. adults experience financial stress. Money seems
to be one thing we all need and cannot get enough of.
You may be entering into the new year worrying about money, battling discontentment,
or wondering how God will provide for your family, your ministry, or your business.
If that’s you, I want to offer a friendly word of encouragement.
As a financial counselor, many people come to me seeking financial peace. They want
security and freedom. They want improved relationships and less stress. God created
these desires within us, and it is normal for us to pursue them.
But what we fail to understand is that financial peace is a Person, not a number.
When we are in right relationship with God, our worries about money subside. It is not
because our financial situations magically improve, but because we truly believe we
have everything we need in Him.
I believe most of our financial stress would disappear if we simply pursued money less
and Jesus more. Financial peace is a Person, not a number.
The amazing thing is, we can take steps to become like Christ through our use of
money. It’s a process called financial discipleship.
Instead of allowing our culture to influence our behavior with money, we instead look to
Christ. How did Jesus behave with money? How can I begin to take steps to imitate
him?
It is in this humble line of questioning that we begin to experience the life that is truly
life. We trade in our heavy financial burdens for the easy yoke of Jesus. (Remember
that Jesus never asked you to become a millionaire or reach your highest earning
potential. He simply asked you to follow him. Everything else is in direct conflict with the
easy yoke.)
A follower of Jesus looks to him to say how one should use their money. Regardless of what we think is right, smart, or prudent – we submit to the will of Christ. It’s in our submission to Christ that true financial freedom is found.
Discipleship, not smart financial advice, compelled the widow to give away her last two coins
(Luke 21).
Discipleship compelled Mary to spend a year’s salary to anoint a dying man (John 12).
Discipleship caused the boy to give away his only food to feed the hungry (John 6).
Here’s the thing – God’s plan doesn’t always make sense from a number’s perspective. God
does not make decisions based on math. He is not bound by our human limitations. He is the
source of all life and all creation. Nothing exists that he hasn’t made.
A disciple of Christ learns to make all financial decisions based on obedience and trusts God to own the outcomes.
Jesus doesn’t need your money. He didn’t need the two coins, he could have purchased his
own oils, and he could have fed the crowd without the boy’s help.
He won’t be impressed by the wealth you gain, the career you build, or the status you earn.
He won’t care if you lived in a grand house or a humble apartment. He won’t care if you drove a Honda or a Mercedes.
When you inevitably meet God face to face at the judgement seat of Christ, he will care about
one thing – did he have your heart? Did you live life on your terms or his? Did you spend your
time cultivating a deep insatiable love for him, or did you waste your time on earth chasing after things that don’t matter to God?
Financial discipleship prepares us for eternity with Jesus.
~
Rest.
As the new year beckons us, I want to challenge you to reevaluate your financial goals. Who
ordained the ambitions you have? Are they motivated out of your love for the Lord, or are they motivated by something else?
You will know if your financial goals are formed by discipleship if they feel less like a burden to
keep up and more like an invitation to worship.
You have permission to lay to rest old money habits that only serve as a barrier between you
and Christ.
New life.
How might our financial goals change if we truly believed we have already been given
everything we need through Christ?
How can we use money as a tool to draw closer to Jesus, create more dependency on
God, and experience the joys of the easy yoke?
Our time today may be coming to a close, but a new year awaits you. A stirring is
happening. The body of Christ is awakening to a fuller life, and you are invited to join. In
order to accept God’s call, you may need to look at your use of money and answer:
what do I need to lay to rest? Where is God breathing new life?
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