A majority of Americans, especially those of us who are Christians, are living life, but we are just surviving, not thriving. The definition of thrive means to grow vigorously, to gain wealth, prosperity and possession; to reach a goal or a destination in spite of circumstances. Yet we are living pay check to pay check, and are barely making it. We are not really able to pursue our dreams or our kingdom purposes because we do not have the resources to do anything beyond pay our bills to make sure that are personal hierarchy of needs is met. We are locked into a barely making it existence because we need the resources that we generate to survive because of the life style we have created.
Financial stress is completely normal in our culture today. We see people living under the yoke of this responsibility every day. People who are living pay check to pay check, making normal monthly payments, paying off debt, who are trapped by worry, anxiety and fear.
As a result of living beyond our means tension in our relationships and marital discord has also become normal. It is better to live in a home that is paid for with peace in your marriage than to live in a big place, and about to get a divorce because you cannot control the impulse to keep spending on whatever is the next big thing. Our societal norms and what culture has dictated are not working. We need to transition in our thinking; the Israelites’ sojourn into Egypt is a great example of what God wants to do for us. In Psalm 105:37 we are reminded that God brought them out with silver and gold and there was not one feeble among all their tribe. The key is that God brought them out. God is about to bring His people out of financial despair. Gods’ plan for them, and for us, is not to survive but thrive.
His plan was for them to prosper and thrive in Egypt. They were to be examples of His goodness and mercy. However, they, just like many of us, were absorbed into the culture and barely survived. God is ready to deliver us out of spiritual Egypt and take us forward to financial freedom with more money than month, with a bit extra left over.
A working definition of extra is the amount available beyond what is necessary. It’s the difference between what you have and what you need. So financially we could say this, if you earn $3,000.00 in US currency a month and you spend $2,500.00 you have $500.00 beyond what you have spent. If you earn $3000.00 and you spend $3,000.00 you have zero left to create a bit of breathing room.
If you earn $3,000.00 and you spend $3,500 is another whole issue. Financial breathing room is what is available beyond what is necessary. What can this kind of freedom look like financially in our everyday lives? It is having money left over at the end of the month. It may be hard to believe but it is possible and it is a good goal to have.
Extra money at the end of the month means that you will have money available to help somebody in need. It means having money to give without feeling stressed about it. It could be having money available to do something you enjoy; it could be having money available to spend time doing something special with your family. With a bit more financial freedom perhaps you could hire someone to help you in your house or with your lawn.
That kind of freedom gives us the ability to be financially at rest and not be anxious, or worried, living in fear that we are on the verge of losing everything. Most people do not have that kind of security. But God wants us to have financial security. Proverbs 21:20 is a great verse to commit to memory, "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has." In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all that he has. We could say it like this, a foolish person lives pay check to pay check and devours all that he has.
The house of the wealthy is financial freedom. It is not the two income household, or the six figured income that is wise, it is in the house of the wise that there is plenty. God has financial wisdom for us if we would just grab hold of His principles and begin to live our lives in financial liberty. When we begin to walk as God wants us to walk according to Psalm 84:11 there is no good thing He withholds from those who walk uprightly. God is wisdom and when we embrace His wisdom it will radically change our lives.
In 1Timothy 6:6-10 we see these two different kinds of families, one wise and one foolish: "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. Paul is talking about the spirit of contentment. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Paul said if we can just live contentedly in God He can, and will do, powerful things in our lives. God has plans for us that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He is not trying to keep us under His thumb, threatening us if we get off track. The narrow way to God is not about sin, the narrow way is about wisdom.
Luke 6:48 tells us what wisdom looks like, "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock." A wise man hears God, acts upon what he hears and builds his house on a rock. When the storms and winds blow his house will not be moved.
In Matthew 25: 1-10 we see the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
"And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut." A wise virgin has plenty of oil to keep their lamps shining brighter and brighter.
Proverbs 1: 1-7 tells us that wisdom cries out for us, " To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Wisdom is better than rubies, gold or silver. God talks so much about foolishness versus wisdom. A foolish man doesn’t hear or obey God. There is such an emphasis on sin in the church but God spoke more often about obtaining wisdom that He did about sin. There is so much good counsel in the Word of God to avoid foolishness and to seek wisdom. Yet we see people everyday who live foolishly. I Timothy 6:10 describes what happens, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
