“… all things have been created through Him and for Him” – Colossians 1:16 (NIV)
I was trusting God for an educational opportunity; alas, it came at a financial cost. When I heard how much I had to pay, my heart became heavy. At that moment, I started thinking of my income and my savings and instinctively knew I had a deficit. Fear flickered because a financial deficit burdens, and there is an emotional toll. Do you react or respond in such a situation?
Reacting means making an emotional decision with you as the source (god). Responding means seeking a plan rested in God’s promise to bless us (Ephesians 3:20).
Reacting to our financial needs often triggers anxiety, doubting, and even depression, given our limited view of the future. Depression often becomes entrenched for people with financial issues because we are emotionally connected to the thing we desire, and we then seek to fix it on our own. It may even remind us of the poor stewardship of our finances, which we compound by considering debt (borrowing from family, friends, or commercial entities) as the easy way out.
On the contrary, responding is shaped by planning, consulting, and praying to our God, Who, by His power working in us, is able to do far beyond anything we can ask or imagine. So, I wrote down the financial amount needed and matched it with my savings and future income. I also consulted with someone I usually bounce financial ideas with – this can be your spouse, family member, or trusted friend. Just by sharing, God released solutions to defer the opportunity by one month, allowing more time to accumulate what I needed. Updating my budget, I first wrote, “God’s favour above all else.”
You see, our immaturity in understanding how God works it out “through Him and for Him” leads us to attempt our own fix. Not consulting others limits our solutions to our own experiences, as we miss cultivating a prayer partner dedicated to our situation. Carrying the burden alone becomes weightier and can damage us beyond repair.
As an intentional response, let us pray when financial decision-making is required:
1. Pray to God who owns it all (Colossians 1:16 – NIV)
“For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
2. Pray, confessing that you are God’s heir (Romans 8:17).
3. Pray, reminding yourself that you are not God or worrier-in-chief (Philippians 4:6-7).
Today, you are released to operate like the wealthy children we are in Christ.
Read: Luke 12:32; Psalm 24:1
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 119:105-112; Titus 1; Jeremiah 52
