I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere with the stewarding of finances, I've been living off $200 since the 20 somethingeth of last month, considering it costs $36 for a weekly train fare and $70 a fortnight to fill up my car, I think I'm doing pretty well (that was for a bit of my background, it's not THAT related to good stewardship - thought I'd clear that up hahaha). I've been making bits here and there by selling some car parts I've got lying around. Today we put a big crack in the big rock of 'bad spending - borderline addiction' that has weighed me down for my whole life. This is something that I've prayed for in the past and have been ramping up as of late. I've got another 2 grand from my CC to go, and a trip to Nippon scheduled for October... I've been in debt now for more than the last 2 years of my life... It's a ravaging cycle, and has never ceased to exist since it showed it's ugly head. It behaves kinda like that monster in the Goosebumps volume 'It came from beneath the sink'. It started off small, petty, then, not noticeable, passable... It got balanced with not much more than a whisper of a thought and disappeared... It came back bit later, slightly larger, but not frightening, but alas, at a command it disappeared again... The next time it came back, it was quite cumbersome, noticeable... But still, got dealt with after a bit of shooeing away... Eventually, this thing grows into a monstrosity that hovers over me and follows me everywhere I go, sometimes I notice it, sometimes I don't, but I'm ALWAYS in it's shadow... ALAS I stand here today with a new hope... Not the kind of hope I had everytime the monster seemed to be ready to dissappear, but a new kind of hope... Fresh, alive and eternal.
My tangible goal is to get out of this CC debt, and save enough to go to Nippon without relying on the CC or a loan. My foundation is Jesus.
So... It's not about saving up money for a holiday, it's far greater than that, it's about changing an unchangeable mindset and unhindering lifestyle to one that lines up with God's original plans and purposes for me. This holiday, the holidays to come, my future cars, houses, my future wife's engagement ring, and all that jazz will be fruit of what this is about.
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
So God created it all so it's all His, everything that I've ever owned, known, or seen all belongs to Him. All the pennies I've ever spent or thrown away, or the purchases I've made, they're all His. So if it's all His, then why do I have it? If it's all His, and I have some, why can't I have ALOT of it?
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Ahhh! Thank you Mr. Jesse Duplantis! It seems that everything we've ever owned, and will ever own has been given to us by God to watch take stewardship over. Hey check the web definition I found for the word steward! Someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else. That sounds pretty good! If God owns EVERYTHING and he's called me to manage His things, that means I have access to HEAPS of things! Alas, why does it seem that I don't have all these things? Check out the parable of Talents.Mark 25:14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Argh! Did you know that a talent is more than a thousand dollars? SO... It looks like this is what is required from me! I long to be fruitful! I long to be abundant! I long to be living according to the design, plan and purpose that God created for me! So anyways, how does that look?Well I think alot of it has to do with my mind and my thinking, the money I earn isn't mine, but it's God entrusting it to me, so I have to be wise, diligent and purposeful in what I do with it. Sure this may seem logical enough, and one can argue that the principles (of wisdom, diligence and purpose) can be samely applied in my past circumstances before this revelation and would have resulted in the same outcome. I think the difference lies in the understanding that finance belongs to God and is ENTRUSTED to us to steward. So instead of wanting to be wise, diligent and purposeful with our finance for a secure future (or whatever else), we are wanting to be wise, diligent and purposeful with our finance to please God who created all things and who is generous and able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams (shivers up the spine). Also, disrespecting another person's property is not very nice, so I must respect what I have been entrusted with.
Oh I still haven't mentioned how this all looks yet... Well I'm now committed to a set offering for every connect group and youth night which goes above my tithes and offerings... I'm in the mindset that these finances are not mine, so will be generous when the time call's for it, yet not reckless with it. I will also continue to honour my parents with my monthly offering to them.
So! I am believeing that these are the steps I have to take in order to see myself released from this monster!
BTW, do you wanna know how that monster from goosebumps was defeated? Hahaha how coincidental... The monster was deafeated by love... The more love you showed it, the more it shrunk and became weak and insignificant... Eventually, with a sigh, it disappeared. Hahaha God is love...
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