My Yoke Is Easy

 

My Yoke Is Easy

    Jesus said in Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". As many truths from God's Word are, they can be applied to many areas of our walk. Today, let's see where these words can lead us to see the truth in our spending and finances.

    Look at the photo above. Those "beasts of burden" are trudging through their workday, straining and forging ahead. Then, on the next day, they will be hitched up and forced to do so again. This will continue repeatedly until they have aged to the point they are not useful to do so.

    I want you to consider the similarities of the illustration and description to a typical worker who gets up early every day, plows forward and works hour after hour and day after day. And in their doing so if they take an account of the debt level, they are digging deeper year by year... benefitting their creditors more than themselves. The verse from Proverbs 22:7 of "the borrower is servant to the lender" fits very well here, as in the photo above we are "plowing that field", nearly in servitude to the lender.

     The logic of many regarding borrowing is this, because the bank said we qualified for a certain mortgage amount, we purchase a home right up to that amount. Because we could have multiple credit cards with a $________ limit, we charge those up to nearly that level. Because the auto dealer arranged for financing to acquire the shiny new model, we sign up for it.

Regarding mortgages, many also refinance several years into their mortgage. 

Please search the Archives section for the December 2020 post titled "The Death Pledge" to learn more on this topic.

    The results of handling finances in this manner are found throughout society. Most households are just a few paychecks away from being evicted from their lifestyle. They do not really own their home, cars and other things purchased with credit. They experience a consistent level of stress because of this, but few take action to reverse the course. This is the scenario if we are sowing to our flesh.

    Our flesh so eagerly wants everything... beyond what we can afford, more than we need, and sooner than we have the funds to pay for it. Galatians 6:8 shows us what comes by following our flesh, "For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction". The flesh does not stop grasping for more until it destroys us - I would label this as the yoke of the flesh.

    Look at what Jesus said prior to His comment about His yoke - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". The words weary and burdened would accurately describe someone under the stresses of debt. But Jesus offers us a different yoke - different from that yoke of the flesh, and states clearly that His burden is light. His yoke points to learning from Him and to the Spirit.

    In Galatians 5, it is written "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh". The Spirit will always agree with the Word of God, so to strengthen our walking by the Spirit, we need to strengthen our exposure, consumption and absorbing of God's Word. As we take in His Word as a necessity and meditate on it, that Word becomes a sifter to us when choices appear, giving us discernment to know what is right and wrong, and discard the influences of the flesh that is trying to lead towards destruction, thus encouraging us to move forward in what is right.

    What we see in His Word about finances contrasts directly with what our flesh desires. It speaks of owing no man any thing but to love him, to lend and not borrow, spending less money than we have made, being generous towards others, presenting our requests to God, trusting Him by giving to Him and watching Him meet our needs.

    We'll experience His yoke more so as we listen to the Holy Spirit. He is called our Counselor in John 14, and is ever present in you. When a situation comes to buy something substantial or enter into a financial agreement, turn your inner ear to the Holy Spirit, who will bring remembrance of all you have learned. The trademark of knowing it is His Spirit is we will be led forth with peace. Moving forward when you have that peace will also serve as continued confidence down the road with that decision.

    By seeking God's presence regularly - getting alone and quiet before God, our burdens will be lightened. Begin by thanking Him, confessing our shortcomings, meditating on His greatness and power. Taking time to listen to Him will quickly remove you from hearing the noise of your flesh, and bring you the words you need to hear. We're encouraged in James 1:5 to ask of God if we lack any wisdom, and He will give generously to all who ask.

    Simply stated, Jesus declared that His yoke of obedience to His Word in our finances, will prove to be much lighter than adhering to the yoke of our flesh, and it's unreasonable and unquenchable demands.

    In closing, take with you some of these comforting words from Psalm 23, knowing it speaks of the same Lord who promised you that His burden is light:

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

The Fruit

 

The Fruit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22:23)

    Nearly all of us know these verses by heart and as believers in Christ seek to live and walk by the Spirit so we can have and share this fruit. In the Amplified Bible it shares that the fruit of the Spirit is "the work which His presence within accomplishes." Today, let's take a look at how each description of this fruit can intertwine with our finances.

    Love - Jesus said in Matthew 22 that the most important command is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". We can apply this deep love to work as to the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23), to give to the Lord in tithes and offerings first, in the giving of our time or money to others in need. We also love the Lord by regarding Him above our temptation to overspend. To see a deeper dive into this, go to the Archives section for the February 2019 post titled "Love the Lord".

    Joy - the root word is tied to cheerfulness, calm delight and gladness. I would choose to take away from this how we can be content with our present circumstances and belongings. This will help us from having straying eyes and hearts towards trying to acquire expensive "things" that we talk ourselves into believing will bring us joy - especially those things which would require borrowing.

    Peace - this can be tied in closely to what was just mentioned about contentment and relates to quietness and rest. When temptations come to move swiftly and without regard to your desired path financially, pull in the reins and take the time to seek God's peace on the matter. It is is written in Psalm 46 to "be still and know that I am God", this requires submission along with a move towards quietness.

    Patience - this is connected to endurance and continuance. We live this out when we wait until God has provided us with the funds required to make a purchase rather than signing up for monthly payments or putting it on our card knowing we cannot pay it off soon. This applies to small, everyday impulses too - in saying no when we're aware that we are stretched this month and just as easily can do without that purchase.

    Kindness - we can experience this by being merciful towards others financially, forgoing being demanding or acting stringent about every last cent towards them. And when we give to others in need with love and in the name of Jesus, that kindness communicates to that person beyond meeting a temporary need... that there is a God above who loves them.

    Goodness - this sticks closely to kindness. One of the related words is beneficence, which means the quality or state of doing or producing good and/or being beneficent. For encouragement to yield in this area, recall the words of Paul in Acts 20:35 quoting Jesus having said "it is more blessed to give than to receive".

    Faithfulness - I personally was invigorated when viewing the some of the words connected to the root word "emunah", like firmness, truly, and especially security... security in what? Security in knowing that when our steps may feel uncomfortable (think of tithing, giving to others or not giving into our flesh to spend), those steps are genuinely secure because He who called us to those steps is the one who is Faithful and True. The recently deceased pastor Charles Stanley frequently said to "obey God and leave all the consequences to Him".

    Gentleness - some of the root meaning may surprise you here, including relating to excellence in character or demeanor and usefulness in addition to the fruits of goodness and kindness. The King James Version has the word as meekness, which is connected to humility. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 that "I am meek, and humble of heart". I feel that humility is one of the key catalysts to paying off debts. If we are willing to humble ourselves, we will make some spending choices that may reduce our pride (not a bad thing), but the ongoing result of becoming free of debts one-by-one will be something substantial, growing and lasting.

    Self-Control - in the King James the word temperance is used. Definitions include abstinence, restraint and moderation. You know what these words mean in relation to spending and finances, but I want to challenge you to an undertaking so you can uncover where you really need to apply self-control. That is done by tracking your spending, all of your spending and knowing precisely where and what it is being spent on. Take one month or two to track all of your spending - lay it out in front of you and then you can see where those dollars have gone versus your perception or guesses of where you think. This will enable you to identify where you can focus on restraint or moderation and then see the success from it.

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Give

 

Give

    "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"

    This cornerstone verse is not only one that believers have memorized, they also know exactly where it is found, in John 3:16. Because the Bible mentions giving over 2,100 times means we should seek to fully understand what it means and how deep it penetrates towards furthering the Kingdom of God. Today we focus on how this looks with our finances, and a little bit beyond.

    Let's rewind the tape to when you can recall being saved. There was likely someone involved who was giving - praying for your salvation, perhaps they invited you to church and spoke of God's goodness. If you accepted Jesus in a church, there was a Pastor who gave of himself towards that monumental moment... in prayer, study, leaning on God, listening to Him and being faithful in what God called him to do. There was also a house full of believers who had given faithfully in tithes and offerings, prayers for souls, and giving of their time supporting the work of the ministry.

    Jesus tells us that the parable of sowing and reaping is the very principle by which all of the other principles of the kingdom work. Simply said, there is very little that happens in the Kingdom of God until there is giving. 

    Moving to our finances, the first way is we give is not in the form of tithes and offerings. It is in giving of ourselves to work unto the Lord in our occupation. If we apply the points of Ephesians 6 to "be obedient to those who are our physical masters, having respect for them and eager concern to please them, in singleness of motive and with all our heart, as service to Christ Himself", including to "do the will of God heartily and with our whole soul... as to the Lord and not to men", we'll be a beacon to others and it will return to bless us.

    Now, that you have earned your wages from working unto the Lord, it is time to give back to Him. It is written in Proverbs 3:9 to "Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income". Your giving is to the Lord, but its flow goes towards reaching the lost in your community, nurturing the church body including our precious youth, and spanning across the country and continents through missions.

    And because giving is so at the heart of God, He in turn promises in Malachi 3 to show Himself greatly on your behalf for faithfully doing so. He states He will "rebuke the devourer and open the windows of heaven" to you.

    Inside and outside of our church body, be sensitive hearing the Holy Spirit to where you can give to others in need. This can be in the form of finances, but also in time and talents you have. Proverbs 19:17 says "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will replay to him". And in Luke 6:38 Jesus said "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over". We do not give to get, but God is restating in these verses how the principle of sowing and reaping is carried out from His point of view above.

    Somewhat in the same manner as the December post titled "What He Said", I want to share verses that Christ Himself spoke in the gospels about giving:

"How much more will your Father Who is in heaven give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!" (Matthew 7:11)

"But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." (Luke 11:31)

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever." (John 14:16)

"For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

    To conclude, let's look at Matthew 25, where Jesus speaks of how it was known every... time... you... gave:

Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.                                                   

For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me. I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to see Me.

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

2024 - Making The Most Of The Time

 

2024 - Making The Most Of The Time

    "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, making the very most of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16)

    In this chapter Paul was providing encouragement to have a spiritual sensitivity to how we spend our time. As we turn the page into 2024, I want to show how we can apply this verse to being wise stewards with our finances.

    Regarding your finances, think of how each segment - each minute or hour of your time generally fits into one of these slots:

Making money

Spending money

Saving money

There are segments where none of the above are occurring, however technically we are always spending money, because of commitments to certain bills like utilities where the "meter is running" every minute.

    In the first time slot of making money, we can make the most of the time as we work unto the Lord. In Colossians 3, Paul wrote "Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily from the soul, as something done for the Lord and not for men." Putting this verse into action will be a witness for others unto God, bring success to your efforts, return to bless you, and will transform how you view your workweek.

    For a deeper look into this topic, click on the Archives section to the September 2021 post titled "For The Lord" or copy and paste the string below to view:

https://broomfieldassemblyfinancialfitness.blogspot.com/2021/09/for-lord.html

    In the second time slot, when we are in the actual act of spending money, this is when it will prove to be fruitful if we take time to listen to the Holy Spirit. As in any area, God's Holy Spirit can provide divine direction for you in a moment. You can lean on Him to ask "should I buy/not buy this?", or "what choice should I make among several options?". 

    The time you are doing this will prove fruitful because it is written "the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit". The flesh desires to move quickly and not consider the consequences. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, He knows exactly what timing is right for you personally along with all of the factors - those seen and unseen. The Word tells us we will be led forth with peace... the Holy Spirit will provide the peace you are making the right decision. If we do not follow the Spirit, we'll be more apt to follow our flesh in the marketplaces.

    And lastly, the time slot of saving money. This is really not when you could be physically giving money to a teller to put into your account. This is making valuable use of your time before you make a purchase.

    Consider how when at your work, you make $______ per hour. If you were to take... in some cases just a minute or two, and identify a way to spend less on a purchase you were going to make anyway, that you've saved that money. One quick example of this math: if you utilized the app/website of gasbuddy.com for one minute (which is all it takes) and located a nearby station that sold gas for 10 cents less and you put 10 gallons in your car, you saved $1.00. That one minute translated to the rate of $60/hour for your time. The beauty of this example is because it is a repeat purchase, the knowledge gained and savings realized continues - you can just check on current conditions every so often.

    We live in the greatest era to be informed consumers and not waste money, as it has never been easier to compare pricing, features and reviews, using your phone or computer.

    How about dining out? As you know it is becoming increasingly expensive. One way to use your time is to sign up for rewards online at your preferred restaurants. They will routinely send you offers to save money, with many including birthday meals and desserts (valid for a few weeks) annually. One more calculated real-life example: I took two minutes and signed up at a local restaurant, received a free birthday entree reward valid for a few weeks around the actual birthday and saved $20. That two minutes translated out to a rate of $600/hour for my time!

    Another approach is to use your time to explore pre-owned options for certain items. eBay, Poshmark, Etsy and Facebook Marketplace are among the many sites worth checking out to see if what you're considering buying is available at a much lower price. I can tell you that from my full-time employment working directly with eBay, they utilize their years of experience and take careful measures to make sure the buyer receives exactly what they were expecting, and will remedy any situation that arises to see that you are satisfied. Locally, Craiglist is another viable platform for certain types of items.

    One often neglected area of locating savings is with insurance. Take about one hour to do two things. Look at your deductibles and consider raising them to save on your bill. Insurance is best used to protect against the large and overwhelming event, not for every small occurrence, which makes it expensive. Then contact different providers and see what they can offer for savings while maintaining the coverage you feel is needed. If this one hour nets you a savings of even $100 it will have been very worthwhile and you will see the savings continue year after year. 

    As many ways and places there are today to spend money, there are as many ways available to us to save money on those purchases if we only take the time.

    So bring into 2024 these ways to use our time - working unto the Lord, listening to the Holy Spirit and gaining knowledge for wise purchases. And take with you this encouraging verse also from the fifth chapter of Ephesians:

For once you were darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

What He Said

 

What He Said

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Life"

    Of all the words which Jesus spoke that were recorded, these ten put together most succinctly and clearly expressed the perfection of our Lord, and why we are to follow Him. As we collectively focus on the birth of our Savior this month, let's take a look at what He said (as you know, the words in red if you have that version of the Bible) regarding finances and what we can do walk in The Life which He mentioned.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). In the preceding verses, Jesus acknowledges we have needs such as clothing and food. What He is trying to capture here is our trust, as He knows and promises to us that as we first place our trust in God, He will show Himself faithful. Because He used the word "given", it states that God is taking the responsibility to supernaturally supply your needs of this promise. 

"Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17). Jesus masterfully answered those that tried to trap Him, by expanding their sight beyond taxes to reckon with who God is and all He is worthy to receive. In our finances this can bring instruction to us in by placing Him "first in line" to give tithes and offerings before other things.

"For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28) Jesus was talking of the cost to be His disciple, using a reference grounded in wisdom, which He obviously wants us to follow. Before we accept the next commitment financially - a large purchase with payments, a sizeable purchase without payments, or a monthly subscription, we need to sit down and take the time to review our standing and make sure we can absorb it, ensuring it does not put us into spending more than we make.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21). This short verse, if we meditate on it... is certainly "sharper than any two-edged sword". Jesus was lovingly calling us to look back on what our spending and possessions have been towards... because it will speak to us in a way that no person in front of us could. Jesus went on to say we cannot serve two masters - God and money.

"Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities" (Luke 19:17) This principle is shown in several other scriptures as well. In your finances, show God you are trustworthy with whatever amount you have. In the areas of tithes and offerings and being generous, seeking to spend less than you made, even making small payments to reduce debt. God is always viewing our hearts, and in the area of paying off debts if we make even a modest effort towards retiring them I believe God will respond on your behalf... I have seen it happen in our household and many others.

"Gather up now the fragments, so that nothing may be lost and wasted." (John 6:12) Likely the intent of Jesus was to show how much more of the loaves now existed than before feeding the 5,000... however we know that God has a purpose for everything created, and that nothing should be lost or wasted. We can apply this in being prudent with our perishable food purchases, mindful to consume them before they expire. We can regard this concept by ending subscriptions or memberships we are not receiving the value for. If you have items not being used, sell them on craigslist or ebay, or donate them.

"But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:20). Jesus warned about gathering treasures on earth in the preceding verse to this one. Here, He is bringing the glorious vision to us of what He knows to be the truth we will one day see - that what we have given on earth in tithes, offerings and giving to others will be lasting eternally. 

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Forget Not

 

Forget Not

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:2)

    This simple verse of praise and remembrance - coming from a chapter speaking of the enormous, eternal and great ways of the Lord towards us, can also lay a meaningful foundation for us in how we regard our financial condition and giving to others.

    As we are approaching the Thanksgiving season... regardless of your current state of finances, consider these sobering statistics that reflect as an American how you compare to the rest of the those in the world:

-If your household has the U.S. median income of $71,000, it places your family in the top 4% of the richest in the world

-If your household has over $93,000 in wealth (all assets), it is in the top 85% of global wealth

-If you have sufficient food, decent clothes, live in a house or apartment, and have a reasonable reliable means of transportation, you are among the top 15% of the world's wealthy

-In the U.S., the bottom 10% of household income at $15,660 is over 5.5 times the average global income

    Beyond finances, we can be thankful to have access to reasonably good drinking water and basic sanitation, something that 26% and 46% of the world's population is lacking respectively.

    And returning back to our opening verse to "Bless the Lord", according to the U.S. State Department, 74% of the world's population lives in countries with serious restrictions on religious freedom.

    We have very much to be thankful for

    Why parade these statistics out? It is not to make you feel bad, but to understand how much you are blessed. I'll frankly share my three intentions, along with some encouraging verses related to them:

1) To increase your gratefulness to the Lord for His many blessings towards you, including being born in this country

At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father (Ephesians 5:20)

2) To realize that your condition is not likely as poor as you think, and to increase your willingness to humble yourself and make spending changes that will allow you to pay off debts

God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace to the lowly (James 4:6)

3) To have increased compassion towards others in need - especially around the world, and to give to help meet their needs

O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples! (Psalm 105:1)

That last verse encourages us to proclaim what the Lord has done. But also consider how we can "make Him known among the peoples" through our giving, which can reach beyond our physical presence all around the globe.

    To increase your awareness of how your giving is personally regarded by the Lord, read this verse and then the next one...

In Psalms 116:12 it is written "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? (How can I repay Him for all His bountiful dealings?)". According to the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, here is one way:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me...truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me".

Your giving becomes thanksgiving in the hearts of those needy others that receive from your giving

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

The X-Ray

 

The X-Ray

    There is a section of verses found in Haggai 1 that spoke to the people who had put themselves and their own houses above the Lord's. As you read, think about how these same words can also relate to our spending and our awareness of it:

    

"Now there thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you. 

You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it. 

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared."

    Do you feel like despite earning what may be a reasonable wage for some time that you are not moving forward.. that there is little to show for all of your work? Does it seem like there is always more month left than there is money?

    I'm going to share what is the #1 tool you can use immediately that will quickly bring "the truth" to your eyes and help you get to where you want to be.

    Track and define every expense you make

    You probably think, "I know how much I spend on things". I challenge you squarely that you do not. Most people can probably rattle off their car payment, mortgage bill and a few other fixed amount bills - but to speak for the rest of their spending would be a series of assumptions and guesses.

    The first step is to track, this means logging every expense, no matter the size, as you make it. You can keep a notebook, index card or "write" it into your phone - it does not matter how, only that it is faithfully and accurately done. As you begin doing so, you will discover there were many more smaller purchases made than you first believed.

    As you are tracking your expenses, you will need to break them down into some groups and define them. Just knowing you spent $57 at Walmart is not sufficient, it is in knowing what items you bought that is equally important. This segmenting and defining is going to assist you into making judgments on those purchases.

  While you define your categories and slot those expenses into them, you will begin to see which ones you would call a necessity and which others were not... which ones were proper and which ones were extravagant.

    Once you embrace this concept and put it into action for one month you will see what was meant about not knowing exactly how much you spend on things. It will be illuminated perfectly like the picture above of the X-Ray. On the left side, you can see the skin, the form and some wrinkles - that is your current perception of your spending. On the right, you now see everything hidden and underneath the surface - that is after being armed with the knowledge of having tracked and defined your actual spending.

    Once you have the advantage of knowing exactly where your money is going, along with your defining of what is a necessity, it becomes much clearer what spending is not aligning with your real intentions in life. With this information you can make some changes to not only balance your spending, but to pay down debts and move towards freedom from them altogether.

    Years ago, I was frustrated at how little money I was ending up with. I began writing down my expenses on sticky notes. It was the most important step I took, because like an X-Ray it showed what was going on underneath my daily conscience and how much of a bite certain categories were taking. It was only then that I could make some choices to get where I really wanted to be... and you can too.

    Lastly, in encouragement to be diligent about recording every small purchase and to be good stewards of the resources God has provided to you, dwell on these verses from Luke 16 and Matthew 25:

"He who is faithful in a very little (thing) is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little (thing) is dishonest and unjust also in much". 

"His master said to him, Well done, you upright and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy which your master enjoys."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul