How Does God Lead Financially?

I am fond of saying, a bit tongue in cheek, that the greatest spiritual indicator in our lives is our checkbook.  While the saying is a little humorous, it reflects the truth that Jesus taught when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34, NAS)

My life has been spent watching God grab hold of people’s hearts by catching their attention with their finances–abundance or lack, challenge or blessing, inheritance or the fruit of hard work–every financial circumstance that God puts in our lives reveals something about our hearts and helps us to learn more about walking in faith before God.

Sometimes, it is hard to gain perspective when a particular challenge arises in our finances. We grow weary of the self discipline that a budget takes; we grow fearful when the market contracts and our portfolio shrinks; we grow anxious when our financial priorities don’t line up with our spouse’s priorities; we grow frustrated when financial decisions seem too complicated to solve.  

Whatever your financial challenge right now, I encourage you to take the time to dwell on God’s use of money as an attention-grabber in your life. God will use money in three ways (as a tool, a test, and a testimony) to lead us. He wants us to have faith in Him and to know Him, far more than He wants any particular financial outcome for us. 

God is ultimately concerned about our hearts. In the parable of the unrighteous steward, in Luke 16, Jesus speaks of the “true riches” that will follow trustworthiness in handling “worldly wealth.”  Each of our financial crossroads can train us in eternal lessons, if we stop and look to Him to ask, “Are You using money as a tool, a test, or a testimony in my life through this situation?”

May God’s peace encourage you as you pursue financial wisdom and depend on His Truth.