We Cannot Waiver In Being Obedient With Our Finances
It is always interesting to me that, as Christians, we know the difference between right and wrong, but we still find ourselves choosing to do what is wrong in some situations. This is a natural, human response to life, and many of us pray daily for help fighting against this weakness.
In Genesis 17:23, Abraham reminds us of three keys when it comes to being obedient with our money.
1) We cannot procrastinate when God gives us instructions
The first four words of this verse make our role very clear. "On that very day" shows that Abraham didn’t put God instructions to him on hold. He didn’t tell God he would think about it or pray on it. He didn’t go to family or friends to run it by them. God told him to do something, and he did it – on that very day.
Oftentimes, when it comes to our finances, we procrastinate on making decisions. We don’t want to take the time to create a budget. We put off balancing the checkbook. We tell ourselves that we will start tithing when the bills get smaller. We continue to use the credit card because it is more convenient. The list goes on.
Putting things off usually causes us to dig ourselves deeper into the hole we are already in. It makes it harder to climb out, and eventually we begin to lose hope. We have to get away from delaying the inevitable. There is no better time than the present to start working toward a better life.
2) No one is exempt
Abraham took "every male" with him. No one was left out. There are no exceptions to God’s instructions.
We can’t say that someone is exempt from being a good financial steward because they are too young. Youth is the best time to start developing great financial habits.
There is no exemption for being "broke" or "poor." The tithe is a percentage, not a dollar amount. God wants 10% of a dollar just as much as He wants 10% of a $10,000 paycheck. If we are faithful with a little, chances are greater that we will be faithful with more.
3) We need to do things God’s way, not our way
Genesis 17:23 ends with four more very important words: "as God told him." Abraham provides us with another great example of how we should handle life. God will provide direction for us, but we have to seek Him and ask Him.
God has plans for all of our finances, not just the 10% tithe. But, more often than not, we make plans for that paycheck without any guidance from the source of that money.
Could it be that we are afraid to ask God for direction because we are afraid of what that answer might be? Mentally, we may feel that it is easier to mess up because of a lack of knowledge than because of outright disobedience. But, regardless of why we choose to do it, we know that messing up still puts us in a bad spot. It can be hard to recover from some mistakes.
Moving forward, let’s commit to following Abraham’s example. Let’s move away from procrastinating. Let’s stop coming up with excuses for why we are "exempt." Let’s commit to seeking God’s guidance in all of our financial decisions.
