“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NLT)
You can be a hero one day and a zero the next day, a millionaire one day and bankrupt the next. No matter how much you make, no matter how much you save, finances are uncertain.
So you worry. But what does the Bible say about worrying over money?
1. It’s unreasonable. Matthew 6:25 says, “Do not to worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (NIV). You’re going to have fears in life, but you don’t need to fear a lack of finances. Even bankruptcy does not have to defeat you. Life is more than just the accumulation of things. Be concerned about what’s truly important.
2. It’s unnatural. Jesus reminded people that there’s no need for God’s creation to worry: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NIV)
3. It’s unnecessary (Matthew 6:30). Financial fears come from a misunderstanding about God and what he’s promised to do for you. He’s assumed responsibility for your needs. Jesus said, “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin . . . If that is how God clothes the grass of the field . . . will he not much more clothe you?” (Matthew 6:28-30 NIV). God is your Father; you are his child; he’s going to care for your needs.
When you worry, you’re trying to play God. You’re assuming responsibility for something that God has said he will take care of. Paul says in Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (NLT).
God knows what’s going on in your life—and in your wallet. He knows all your needs even before you ask. And you can trust him to take care of you.
Talk It Over
Sometimes money can feel like the most important thing in life. But what things in your life are actually more important than your finances?
How do you balance trusting in God and being a good steward of your finances?
What promises from Scripture encourage you when you start to worry about money?
This devotional © 2022 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
