"Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him"
"I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands"
How does waiting patiently for the Lord align with our finances? When we have a desire to make a sizable purchase, first hit the pause button and ask yourself "do I really need this?" If yes is your answer then consider if you need it at this time or can it wait. Getting quiet and seeking God's face in this matter will help shed light on the truth.
A good guideline is to wait between two days and two weeks before making a substantial purchase. With this time you can test if your desire continues for the item, or if it drifts away. You may also receive from the Lord a peace about it, a direction to go another way, or He may even be working to provide you a blessing of the item... in His timing. But we'll lose that opportunity if we do not wait upon the Lord.
Reflect on some of your past purchases, are there some which ended up collecting dust or proved to be a waste of money? Does this new purchase have some of the same characteristics as those fruitless ones? Proverbs 18:9 says "he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide". God desires for us to learn from our past.
Colossians 3:15 encourages us to "let the peace from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds]" So from being patient and receiving the peace from Christ, we move confidently in that direction and also have no regrets.
Next, let's look at moving. Normally the biggest hurdle in a household's finances is not moving forward with a plan to reduce debt and eventually become debt-free.
Procrastination is our main obstacle, usually as a result from making too much of the challenges in front of us.
Proverbs 26:13 reads "The sluggard says, There is a lion in the way! A lion is in the streets!" We know it (the lion) is simply not true, but the effect is the same on one who does not move forward and we will do likewise and remain in debt if we envision this "lion" in the way.
What is this lion sometimes? It is our thoughts about "I'll look bad if I don't have ______" or "I won't be happy without ______" Other times it is "There's no way I can pay off these bills" so we don't even attempt to make a dent in them. Be encouraged that God's Word is full of examples where people of faith moved forward in what they had to work with.
- The disciples with the five loaves and two fishes
- David taking no armor, just a sling and five stones
- Joshua and his army by marching and blowing their trumpets
- Abraham and Isaac going forth without a sacrifice
If we don't move forward because of our "lions", we will miss out on what God can do on our behalf.
The truth is we all can make changes in our excess spending. Unfortunately, some households experience a loss of income or an onslaught of unforeseen bills, which then forces them into making those same spending changes which instead could have prepared them before the hardship. That is why now is the time to move, and begin a new day in your finances.
Ask yourself, "What will change about tomorrow if I do not move and take any steps today?" God is about bringing positive change to our lives, to conform us into the image of His Son Christ Jesus (Romans 8:29). A debt-free life is one component of that.
Remember to Wait and Move.
Keep these words with you from Isaiah 43:18-19, "Do not [earnestly] remember the former things, behold, I am doing a new thing!... I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
