‘God has not given us a spirit of fear.’ 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
To overcome financial anxiety, you must: (1) Understand where your anxiety comes from.Unless your name is Bill Gates, the chances are that you’ll experience some degree of financial anxiety. But when fear becomes your fixed state of mind, something’s wrong; it’s time to unwrap the package. Fear can be hereditary, passed from generation to generation. And it can trap you in a cycle that’s hard to break. But you can break it! Gideon tore down the altar where his family had worshipped idols for generations—and they were angry with him when he did it (Judges 6:25–30). But Gideon knew that in order to win in life, he must trust in nobody but God. (2) Rise above your past failures.Have you made bad investments and now you’re afraid to take a risk? Are you hoarding as a hedge against future failure? Here’s the problem: nothing ventured, nothing gained! In football, the players who score the most goals are often the ones who miss the most chances. But they keep trying because if they don’t aim for the goal they can’t win. A barn filled with seed doesn’t produce a harvest. Furthermore, when the farmer plants his seed, drought and frost and pests can wipe him out. Yet if he doesn’t plant, failure is guaranteed. Getting the idea?
(3) Anticipate God’s goodness.As you get older you become more risk–averse, more inclined to look for a safe harbour. That’s understandable, but you can’t let fear control your life. David wrote, ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.’ (Psalm 23:6 NKJV) When God’s goodness is what you’re believing for—God’s goodness is what you’ll ‘surely’ get!
SoulFood: Ecc 9-12, Jn 12:1-11, Ps 76, Prov 30:15-17
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2014
