The Peace
"And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative),[giving praise to God always]." (Colossians 3:15)
We will come upon many choices daily, many of which are directly spoken to in God's Word, and if we have knowledge of those verses, we can run with it and have confidence. Today, we'll look at what to do when you may feel it not so certain what path to take, specifically in your finances.
Most of us know what is written in Romans 13:8, to "keep out of debt and owe no one anything except to love one another". But at times we will encounter a situation for necessities that making a commitment of payments is the way to address the need at this point in time.
There are two main components we need to heavily lean on when at this junction. The Word of God and taking the time to receive direction from Him. If you do not feel there is a direct scripture speaking to your situation, I recommend opening up Psalms and Proverbs. The words there will help reframe your thinking towards God and away from the shiny distraction of what it is you are considering buying.
There is no substitute for investing the time to hear from Him. First, it shows the Lord that we care more about what He will say to us than what our preconceived position is on the topic. Second, He knows all. That's right, He knows all. In the image above it shows on the right an umpire judging the play and making a safe call on the spot. In today's Major League play, they can even refer to video replay to see many angles to try and get the correct call made. God always makes the right call, because He knows what is invisible, and what is coming in the future. See how strongly this is illuminated in these two verses:
God speaks in Jeremiah in 33:3 stating "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
In Psalms 32:8 it is written, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you".
He loves you dearly and wants to share what is the best path to take, which can involve trusting Him when it may seem contrary to what your thoughts were.
Think back to some past large decisions you made with finances, those where you received His peace and what the result was, and when you moved forward without taking the time. Realize that nothing or no deal is worth rushing into when we could receive direction from God.
To receive additional encouragement on taking the time when making substantial financial decisions, please read the post from March 2017 titled "Wait And Move".
Taking the time to wait and receive peace from God on the topic may involve you being molded by Him - to be content with a different and less expensive item than you first imagined. It could even be that He is working behind the scenes to bring you exactly what you want, but in His timing and not yours. The result of waiting on Him is that when you have that clear direction, you can run with it, possessing the peace on the matter, knowing you have heard from Him. Then you cannot be talked out of it, or deal with wavering on the inside.
And in closing, take with you and meditate on these words bringing confidence from Psalms 4:8:
"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety."
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
