Money Matters: 3 Scriptures to Help You Find Peace in Your Financial Crisis
Earlier this week, I watched an Instagram Reel from a woman who owns a Christian Business. In her reel, she gives a snippet of her podcast episode and talks about how people (secular and Christians alike) are worried and in a state of anxiety about our uncertain financial future here in the United States. She then poses a thought-provoking question: How would Jesus handle the state of the economy?
Whether we’re directly affected or not, I believe that we’re all experiencing some degree of anxiety and uncertainty about where we are financially. Housing, food, and other goods have risen astronomically since 2020 while wages seem to be barely budging. People are being more cautious of how they spend their money or re-adjusting their priorities of where their money is going.
For some, people are in a place where they’re constantly experiencing more “month” than money. This looks like having more bills than what your checking account can cover.
An hour after I’d watched that reel, I went to check my account to budget for the next round of bills for the new month. I was NOT prepared for what I saw. An unexpected bill had come up and I was charged for it. Not only was I charged for the bill but I was also charged for the convenience fee to cover it because I didn’t have enough in my account to pay this unexpected bill which significantly set me back.
In that moment, I felt the anxiety steadily flood my senses. It was as if an alarm had gone off and my mind and heart went into overdrive. The mixed emotions of anger (at myself), frustration, shame, embarrassment, and panic swept over me as I’m trying to reason and figure out what happened like:
How could I be so careless?
What do you mean “you forgot,” Lindsey?
I should’ve budgeted better.
Now what am I going to do?
Then I thought of the question again: How would Jesus handle the state of the economy?
I knew I had to stop this before I felt any worse, so I took a moment to STOP, pray/journal, and speak God’s word over myself. I’ve gotten into the practice of doing this especially during times like this and the Holy Spirit not only calmed my mind but provided clarity and peace in the midst of this financial crisis. In this blog post, I want to share 3 truths and scriptures that helped me find peace when it came to me being anxious about my finances.
God Will Provide All My Needs (Philippians 4:19)
This was the FIRST scripture that I spoke over myself after feeling the initial shock of what was in my checking account.
“And the same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19 NLT)
Though it was a shock to me to see what happened in my checking account, it wasn’t to God. God promises to supply ALL our needs from His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. This means that God doesn’t run out of money even though we might. His economy is NOT unstable like the world’s. God is the God of abundance and the solution to our financial problems. We can rest in His promise to meet and supply every single need we have when it comes to money and beyond.
God Should Be the Treasure of My Heart (Matthew 6:19-21)
Money can buy a myriad of things but it can’t be the invaluable treasure of TRUE PEACE (Matt. 6:20). There are many people who have financial wealth but no matter how much they spend, they’re miserable. Also, the more stuff they have, the more it’s prone to wear, tear, rust, be stolen or destroyed (Matt. 6:19).
The Holy Spirit has to remind through a sobering question: “Who and what do you treasure and hold in high regard in your heart? Anything other than God will quickly fade away.”
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:21 NLT))
I can say so much about this but the main point of this context is that God should ALWAYS be first in our hearts. Many times we take comfort in the tangible things and make God secondary or an add-on to what we’ve been given. In my case, God is the one Who has remained constant in steady whether I had money or didn’t.
My Trust Is In God, NOT Money (1 Timothy 6:17)
This truth and scripture was a BIG one for me. It’s no secret that I need money to survive and live. We all do. However, I quickly had to realize that God is the only Who has the power and authority to shape my life financially, not money. Money is fickle. Just as quickly as it can be made, it can be lost as well. God is the One who gives us what we need for enjoyment.
“Teach those who are rich in this world to not be proud and not trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for enjoyment.”
(1 Timothy 6:17 NLT)
I also was reminded in Matthew 6:24 not to put my trust in riches but in God. As I explained in my last point, what we desire and treasure in our hearts is what we end up serving. If we place our trust in money over Jesus, our hearts are divided and we’ll end up loving one and despising the other. We CANNOT serve both. Money (Mammon) causes us to act out and do things that we would generally never do and that is contrary to God’s character. Mammon is a god who can only do so much while our living God can do anything and everything.
What we desire and treasure in our hearts is what we end up serving.
After praying, I did feel relief and peace even though my financial crisis is still being worked out. There was no immediate solution or change. However, I’ve decided that I’m going to surrender this situation over to God and trust that He’s going to work it out. I will hold onto His peace even in the midst of uncertainty because I know that God's economy is like ours. He will provide, steady my heart, offer solutions, and keep me in peace. And you know what? I believe that’s how Jesus would handle the financial crisis and the state of the economy.
Finances can be a touchy subject for us and bring about anxiety good/bad. If you’re in a financial crises, what scripture and truths resonated with you? How do you plan to implement these truths in your moment on financial crisis? Comment down below. I’d love to read your thoughts.
