Get honest with yourself about how money is controlling you, a step towards No Hiding with Money.

No Hiding with your Money

Money makes a great servant but a terrible master. Let's take a look at how we hide from ourselves, spouses, friends, and God with our spending habits and money worries.

Photo by Travis Essinger on Unsplash

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. NET Bible Matthew 6:24

No Hiding: Overcoming Money Lies / Setting Priorities

One main area of our lives we find ourselves hiding in is with our money. It's so easy to spend a little here and there, then turn around realizing we spent our electric bill money at Taco Bell. 

But that's just the symptom, it goes deeper. How often do you pull up everything, all the bills, all the spending, and put it in front of you and say "this is what my spending tells me about my priorities"? 

That kind of openness begins a dialogue with yourself, spouse, people in your life who are confidantes or advisors, and with God. It takes you down a journey that says "I'm committed to No Hiding in my finances". 

That type of journey takes courage. The moment you step into that arena, every decision is subject to a second guess and arm-chair quarterbacking. You're no longer feeling the pangs of hunger or depression that cause you to make that purchase. And in hindsight, you could have done better. It's time to make a plan to be better. 

But no matter how many plans you make, you don't follow them when it comes time. Maybe there's something deeper going on.

What spirit is driving you?

Going even deeper: If our money, paychecks, and bills cause us to stress, worry, fear, get anxious, lose sleep, or the hound is nipping at our heels forcing us to run-run-run-run harder and harder, work that overtime or you'll be broke and die... then the wrong spirit is driving you. 

That is the spirit of Mammon (money). 

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace... Love drives out fear. God may, during your planning session with Him, tell you to work overtime as part of your plan. However, if it's not from a place of peace and joy and trust, it's the wrong spirit driving you. 

The Tithe is a Trust-meter. 

Your tithe is a trust-meter. It is your commitment to God, saying:

"I acknowledge you, your provision, your involvement in my life, you're giving me the very mental resources that allow me to do this job. If new resources or jobs are needed, you will give me those too. If a new business is needed, you'll give me those resources. I acknowledge that everything I have is yours, and I turn this over to you." (see Deut 26:13)

When you tithe, you commit to God's hands your finances. But it shouldn't be from a place of obligation. 

For more about Tithe, see this article (here). 

Trust is a Journey

Recently, I had a season where I stopped tithing. I did it on purpose, saying "God, I refuse to toss money at you like a bill. Until I trust you fully and do so willingly and honestly and authentically, I refuse to tithe". And as Malachi promises, the devourer showed up. I got really behind. 

This past week, I reached a place in my heart where I finally can honestly say, I trust God. I'm not "forced" to tithe because the devourer showed up. I'm not tithing because I feel obligated. In fact, I'm not even worried about the mess. I just reached a place, from pursuing his presence when I didn't feel like it (even though I did it imperfectly and inconsistently), where I finally can honestly and authentically say I trust God and I'm grateful for His acting presence in my life.

As a result, I started tithing this paycheck again. And it felt great. I did not do it out of compulsion or need but out of heartful gratitude for everything he's done for me. I know finances will work out. 

Money is just money. I've made a lot and made a little. 

Ironically, it took not getting the "dream job" I thought I had a few weeks ago to finally get me to this point of trusting Him and Him alone. 

No Hiding Requires Community / No Hiding Doesn't Work in a Vacuum. 

It's time to get real about where I am and where I'm headed, and that involves community.

I have a friend who's agreed to do budget sessions together where we just get honest about where we are. 

We're under no obligation to "force" the other person to comply. Just hear the other person, give them a space to be vulnerable in safe-space.

Just getting honest with another human about where our budget is, where our money goes, and where it should be going will force the kind of environment where lies we've been telling ourselves will be brought to the light so they get handled right. 

It should be a wild ride.

Your turn: Comment on this post

What about you, are you being honest with yourself, God, and another human being about where your money goes and about what's driving you? 

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Shalom: Live Long and Prosper!

Darrell Wolfe (DG Wolfe)

Storyteller | Writer | Thinker | Consultant @ DarrellWolfe.com

Clifton StrengthsFinder: Intellection, Learner, Ideation, Achiever, Input
16Personalities (Myers-Briggs Type): INFJ