Each and every day, we are called to face our fear. I looked up a list of the top fears of man. It was quite an inclusive and varied list – Fear of Disease, Sickness or Poor Health; Losing Your Job; Dying; Loneliness; Uncertainty About Your Future; Failure; Making Decisions; Conflict; Rejection; Stupidity, Ignorance, Lack of Knowledge; Losing Your Most Important Relationships; Public Speaking; Being Poor; Success; Flying; Heights; the Dark; Intimacy; Spiders; Commitment; Dentists; Snakes; Needles; Being Alone; Water; God; Clowns; Falling; Germs; Doctors; Crowds; Open Spaces; Girls; Thunder; etc.
One I specifically wanted to deal with is fear in relation to finances or money worries. As our economy currently struggles, we and others deal with job loss, loss of home, loss of financial security, and so much more, that money worries become a reality. So how do we Biblically deal with that? First of all, God tells us over 350 times in the Scripture to “Fear Not!” Why? Because He is ultimately in control and holds our future in His hands.
Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Then in 1 Chronicles 28:20, we read “David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.”
Psalms adds in their two cents with “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” (27:1) and “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (56:3-4)
And we conclude with Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
God wants us to realize that even though we deal with very fearful things in our lives that He is there for us to run to, cry out to, seek, and He WILL hear us!
So how do I practically overcome money worries?
1. Read my Bible every day.
2. Maintain a good prayer life.
3. Keep open communication with my spouse (if married); parents (if single); or accountability partner. It is okay to say “I’m afraid of…”. Once you have exposed your fear to the light, it is so much easier to then allow God’s light to begin to work on that fear and cause healing.
4. Find practical ways to alleviate that fear. For fear of spiders, reading about and understanding them can possibly help you. Same thing for finances. Realizing what is happening and understanding it will help you overcome that fear.
5. For financial fear or money worries, always remember to live below your means, have a budget, tithe/give, and save. Those are the top for financial principles to remember! May YHVH’s shalom (peace) be with you!
What do you think of these ideas for dealing with money worries?
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