Led By Peace
Isaiah 55:12 begins with "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace". Our God is called the God of peace in several verses, and one of the titles of Jesus is the Prince of Peace. So, in the area of our finances, what is it like to be led forth in peace?
Let's first identify what is the other side... being led forth by something else. Sometimes, we can be led by an advertisement, by seeing our neighbor with something, by viewing an item in the store or online. We can also be led by a declaration the item is on sale or at what we perceive is a low price, or it being in limited supply.
Those ways above can certainly be fine, as long as we are being sensitive in these four areas:
The truth of our need for it
Our ability to pay for it
The Holy Spirit
To wait
What we need to guard against is being impulsive, or what I will call as having a mind of the flesh, during that initial encounter with the item. The mind of the flesh can bring excitement from the advertisement, envy for what our neighbor has, lust for the item when seeing it and haste by the price or availability of the item.
That is when a wise person will begin to sift the situation, relying on the strength and perfection of the Word of God. To reinforce how the Word will help, in Hebrews 4:12 it is written "For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing to the dividing of soul and sprit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart." If our view of something is a little out of focus, the Word will sharpen our lense and allow us to see something clearly for what it really is.
Beginning with the truth of our need for it, we are encouraged in 1 Timothy 6 that "if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content", then in Hebrews 13:5 we're told to "be satisfied with your present (circumstances and with what you have)." After reflecting on verses like these, we can answer the question of our need for the item. Sometimes that answer will be that you already have a ______ , and do not really need a new _______ . If you sense an uneasiness about a purchase, that is the signal to not move forward. Reflect on some of your past purchases, are there some which you did not have peace about at the time? Did those end up collecting dust or proved to be a waste of money? Ask yourself if this new purchase has any of the same characteristics as those ones which proved to be fruitless.
Much weight has to be given to our ability to pay for it. God's direction spans from the old testament - "You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow", to the new testament - "owe nothing to anyone except to love one another". We will encounter necessities for large situations (like houses and cars), and for those and especially discretionary things the wise person will sit down, calculate the cost and evaluate soberly before accepting any debt for them. Only if you have peace should you move forward.
A believer who has The Holy Spirit, and is sensitive to the Spirit, has a Counselor there to accompany them 24/7 that can provide guidance whenever it is needed most. There are many accounts of God's people overcoming famines, making wise choices and prospering when they listened to His voice and obeyed the specific direction given. God's Holy Spirit can provide divine direction for you in a moment's notice in the marketplace, in front of your computer and in meditation before Him. He knows exactly what timing is right for YOU personally, and all of the factors including what cannot be seen. The Holy Spirit will provide the peace that you are making the right decision, and just as importantly will continue to give you peace afterwards, confirming you made the right choice.
And a last powerful tool you can use is this... to wait. When it is a sizeable purchase or decision, if we pause and wait it will show to be a worthy test if your desire for that item continues or fades away. I think a good guideline is to wait between two days and two weeks before making a large purchase. In Psalms 37:7 it is written "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him". As we wait and take that time we allow God to provide direction, or perhaps God may be working behind the scenes towards a better option or to give you a blessing of that item. The bible has plenty of examples where His people were blessed because they waited on Him. If you do not have peace, then you should definitely wait until that peace comes, it may be that God's timing is in the future for a specific reason of His.
Lastly, take with you this cornerstone verse from Isaiah 26:3 about peace:
"Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee"
God Bless you may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
