God, center my thoughts and heart on the things of eternity. That might seem harsh, perhaps even unrealistic, but it’s interesting to note, Paul is also the man who wrote Philippians, the book on joy.Ĭould it be that contentment paves the way for joy, and in the process, financial freedom?ġ0. For Paul, the apostle who wrote the oft-quoted passage on learning the secret of being content when in plenty or in want, that meant cultivating joy while imprisoned and gratitude for whatever sliver of bread God provided. For us, this meant buying a used car instead of a newer one, and driving it well past its glamorous stage. Praise God, by His grace, we chose the latter, and our journey began with learning to be content. One Christmas, with maxed-out credit cards and a nearly depleted bank account, we were forced to make a choice: apply for more credit or drastically change our habits. Initially, we mirrored the practices of our friends and buried ourselves in debt. When our daughter was young, we lived in the Los Angeles suburbs, and I was surrounded by peers with much more money than we had (or at least, who routinely spent more than we did). I’ve found I need to repeat this prayer often-every time a covetous, discontent thought arises. If we want increased intimacy with God and the peace and clarity He offers, we need to ask Him to replace our idolatrous desires with a heart that beats only for Him. But if we’re allowing our economic status to define or fulfill us, we’ve slipped into idolatry and therefore outside of God’s will that’s a dangerous place to be, financially or otherwise. There’s nothing wrong with traveling or enjoying nice things-if our finances permit and our hearts are in tune with Christ. We work hard why shouldn’t we have that new car, larger home, or luxurious seven-day vacation? Entitlement, and the undercurrent of discontentment that usually follows, can be difficult to fight.
As a result, we’ve grown accustomed to purchasing whatever we want when we want it. We live in a consumerism culture that celebrates instant gratification. Sometimes financial struggles come from unexpected crises, but many times greed, selfishness, and impulsivity are to blame. Lord, change my heart toward money and spending.
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