Remaining Faithful in Financial Struggle

via GIPHY

Financial struggles are something that have plagued my entire life but it has never been something that has caused my faith to waiver. In fact, if anything, financial struggles should strengthen your faith. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, first let’s define faith.
According to Hebrews 11:1, 
Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen in other words is putting complete trust in the promises and will of God even without proof.

I have heard many people say that they have lost faith in God or that they are struggling to remain faithful in times of financial struggle. I find this to be weird because if your faith was grounded in the gospel and truth of God then no financial struggle should change that. ​

Your faith shouldn’t be based on what God can give you, but rather what God has given you

- which is the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus. In times of trial, instead of looking at how horrible the situation is, turn your eyes on God for he is bigger than any situation

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​This is the time to take to know God and to better find out who he is from a new perspective. If you used to read your bible once a day, start reading twice. If you only prayed when you hungry and are about to eat, start praying every morning and night. Spend time in God’s presence and get to know him in order to build your relationship with him.

Most of the time when we talk about faith, we look at Abraham as the pinnacle of faith. However, since I’m a little younger and in the context a little more relatable let’s look at my story. I am in no way rich. In fact, I grew up living in a one bedroom house with my mom for the first 13 years of my life. Growing up like this never once caused me to shift in faith because I think I understood something what many people seem not to.

That is the difference between wants and needs. A lot of people who struggle financially do so based on wants rather than need. 

When we don’t see those needs being met we lose faith. The problem here resides not in God but rather in that we have weak faith and superficial wants. This may not be the case for all, but if you’re reading this post, you most likely have a device and access to the internet. This itself is privilege not a necessity.
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God met my needs so that I never died of hunger. I had a roof over my head and clothes to wear. That being said I also wanted a room for myself (because sharing a room and bed with my mom was driving me insane). After years of hard work and prayer, my mom was able to buy land and build a beautiful house for us. This was possible because we were faithful, worked hard and aligned what we wanted with what God had in store for us.

Many times, we see God as this genie who is here to grant our every wish. 

via GIPHY

If you want to go to college, or buy a new car, or get a better job, or house and so on then we pray for all this. When we don’t see our genie granting our wish, our ‘faith’ starts to waver. We need to remember that when we gave our lives to Christ we were no longer slaves to the world but rather servants of God.
He is the one in authority and power - not our will but his be done. I believe where so many of us go wrong is that we make our life plans without God and then we expect for him to grant our will. What we need to do is align our plans and wishes with those of our Father’s so his will shall be done. ​

Jeremiah 29:11 says, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope’.

​He has plans for us. They might not be what we wanted but the God we serve, who does all and know all, says there are plans to give you a future and hope. It may not be in your time or what you wanted but if it comes from God it will be exactly what you need.

Here’s a song which really drives this point for me. Listen with an open mind and heart.

If you don’t remember anything else from this epistle I have constructed, remember this:
When you are struggling: pray, worship, and cry out to God. Ask not only for him to take you of the situation, but for him to use it as an opportunity to help you grow in him. It is so easy to say God is good when things are going well. However, when all hell breaks open and you sit up at night crying your eyes out because of the overwhelming agony that is your life, you should still be able to say that God is good. That is when you will grow the most.

​Keep on reading to learn more to help you be more like a jewel on God´s crown
¨ The LORD their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.¨ Zechariah 9:16 NIV

Author

Dejra Henry