God is the owner of our lives. That means that He owns everything we have. Every penny we have He gave to us to use wisely. He expects that His children will be good stewards with everything He has given. If you are not, then why would you expect Him to give your more, bigger, or nicer things? It starts with the mindset. Acknowledge that God has ownership over every aspect of your life including your possessions and money.
Thank Him for what He has entrusted you with. You can even put it writing to save with wall your important documents. That way when life happens and you need a reminder, you can go to it like a deed and remember all that God is doing for you. Date it and sign it. Be specific what you are transferring ownership over to God. Pray over it. Then have someone witness it to hold you accountable and remind you when you need it.
When you are done surrendering all your possessions, money, fears, and anxieties over to God, then you are ready to start moving forward. Write out a game plan. Write out all you dept together, so you can figure out how to get rid of it. Include your mortgage. God doesn't want you to owe people money because it makes you a slave to them. You belong to God.
Your plan should consist of financial goals, debt repayment, education goals, and lifestyle goals. Even if you never plan to go to college or return to college, you should never stop learning. Your education goal can be to buy and read one book a month that will improve your mind or thought process. Lifestyle goal can be anything that you and God workout: work-life balance, taking a vacation, or just living within your income. Be specific and thorough to cover every aspect of your life.
Then separately, write out all your goals for the year. Make sure that they align with your financial, education, and life goals. It starts with one small step at a time. In a year, you will see a change. You will see God working in your life.
This is the beginning of being a good steward to God. A steward is a believer that recognizes that everything belongs to God, but that He has entrusted them with their time, talents, and resources. They recognize that what they have is not just for them, but to be used for God's will to glorify Him too.
Deuteronomy 10:14-16, Psalm 24:1-2, 50:7-12, Haggai 2:6-9, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, & Colossians 1:15-20
Very well said!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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