When Money's Tight
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I sat in shocked disbelief, trying to process the harsh truth behind the much gentler words my boss had just delivered. I'd been laid off.
With the downturn in the economy, I'd seen both friends and family members lose their jobs. And each time I'd prayed—for them, of course, but also for myself. "Please, God, don't let that happen to me." Suddenly my fear had become reality, and at what was undoubtedly the toughest financial time our family had faced in years. Our son was in college, and in another year our daughter would be as well. How could we afford one tuition payment on my husband's teacher salary, let alone two?
In the days and months that followed, as my attempts to secure another position failed, I experienced feelings of panic and insecurity. What if I couldn't find another job? How would we pay the bills? Keep our kids in school? I pored over my Bible, struggling to find stability and comfort in verses such as Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
But my faith wobbled. My problem wasn't that I didn't believe God was causing "everything to work together." It was that I feared God's master plan might take me through painful and difficult places before I reached that "good." Places I really didn't want to go.
The Next 24 Hours
Then one morning God took a familiar verse and hit me right between the eyes. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5, emphasis added). I realized if ever anyone was leaning on her own understanding, it was me: my understanding of what is best for me and for my family. From my point of view, that meant a comfortable, secure life.
As much as I like to think I'm the ultimate authority on who I am, however, God knows me better. Psalm 139:16 says, "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." As a Christian I know that I need to give Christ complete control over my life if I'm to have any hope of becoming more like him. But I sometimes forget that placing God in charge has practical, as well as spiritual, benefits. God knows every single thing that's going to happen to me—the good and the bad—throughout all my days on this earth. It's as if he has the complete, detailed map (or these days, a really good GPS) to my final destination. By not trusting in him, by worrying about what each day will bring and "leaning on my own understanding," I'm basically refusing guidance from the One who has my route all planned out, stubbornly stumbling around in the dark instead.
As I've worked to trust God through this time of financial uncertainty, I've found a comfort in a few ways. First, I have stopped looking ahead. When you're living from paycheck to paycheck, it's easy to become overwhelmed by what the future may hold. There will always be another tuition bill, car payment, or appliance needing to be replaced, but I no longer anticipate them. I'm not talking about abandoning a budget or financial plan—those are great tools. But as I practice my renewed determination to trust God, I've adopted a one-day-at-a-time approach to my faith. Somehow relying on him completely for the next 24 hours—rather than the next 24 weeks, months, or years—feels a lot more doable. Matthew 6:34 says it best: "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Amen!
Related Topics:
faithfulness, God's, financial problems, Trust, Trusting God
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Laura
Dear Dawn, Thank you so much!!! My husband lost his job 3 months ago, which was such a surprise to our family. We continue to look to the Lord for our "Daily Bread" and meeting the deadlines for our needs (bills). Thank you for your encouragement, direction, and sharing your personal story. We're "waiting in hope for the Lord" to direct our paths to a new job. Thanks again and God bless you and your family. Keep writing....you are a blessing! Laura
Donna Savage(Registered User)
Great article, Dawn! I loved the transparent account of your journey to gratitude and trust. I plan to share your article with friends who are walking the same road right now. (Unemployment in my city is 14.5%.) I can't wait to hear the rest of the story--what the Lord teaches you, how He provides for your family, and how He uses your writing for His glory in delightfully unexpected ways.
carla sorensen
I appreciated the article so much and of course it came at a time I needed some encouragement in this area. Just this morning I was looking at our account balance and thinking we don't have too much in the account. What are we going to do? I knew we still needed to give and that God loves a cheerful giver. Then I subtracted the amount of our weekly giving for the rest of the month and the balance got a lot smaller! Yet, somehow I know God will meet our needs this month. I am doing my part in trying to be frugal, yet I realized I don't really spend a lot of time praying about all of this. I felt convicted and really want to trust Him more each day, like you said! Thanks so much. God bless you. Carla
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