Spiritually Strong by Kristen Feola

Author:Kristen Feola
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2015-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

1. To demonstrate his faithfulness. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the disciples not to worry about anything, such as what they would eat, what they would drink, or what they would wear. He said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt. 6:26). Through the money God sends your way, he is proving his love to you, and at the same time assuring you of his provision in your life.

2. To develop your self-control. God uses money to teach you to say no when tempted to make unnecessary purchases or unwise investments. He helps you grow in self-control, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22 – 23).

3. To direct your steps. Many times, God will lead you in the direction he wants you to go through your finances. Proverbs 20:24 says, “A person’s steps are directed by the LORD.” Sometimes his guidance is in the form of an unexpected monetary gift. Other times, though, the Lord might use a financial setback to put you on a different path, just like he did for Jackie and Kay.

Jackie had a high-paying job with Coca-Cola as one of their top route salesmen. After working with the company for seven years, Jackie lost his route to someone with more seniority, and his salary was cut in half. However, Jackie and his wife, Kay, continued to trust God. They also continued to tithe regularly. Soon they began to realize that his new position was actually a huge blessing! With his old route, Jackie was required to put in twelve to fifteen hours a day. With his new route, he got off early enough to pick up their children from school. Kay says, “The best part, though, was that my husband surrendered to preach. Looking back, it would have been so hard to give up that big salary to go into the ministry. However, when we made the choice to trust God, he blessed our family beyond measure!”

4. To bless you. One way in which God shows favor to his people is by meeting our monetary needs. Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth.” Everything we have comes from God, so our hearts should be filled with gratitude for the Lord’s generous supply. Whether you make $30,000 or $300,000, you should thank God for his provision.

5. To bless others. You and I are conduits of God’s blessings. The gifts we receive from the Lord are not just for our enjoyment. They’re also given to us to benefit others. God wants us to be generous with what we have. In his book The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn states, “God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.”5 We are blessed to be a blessing to the people around us. Besides, “giving gifts is more satisfying than receiving them” (Acts 20:35 GW).

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