Unhindered By FearExemplo

FEAR OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH

Two years ago, I decided to go back to college to finish the degree I had started in my early 20s. This decision required me to pull back on my hours at work so I could focus on studying. Yet, cutting back on my hours meant I would be extremely limiting my income.

I can remember those first few months of school, stressing so much about paying my bills. It was a constant worry and caused me to isolate myself from my community and use any spare time I had to babysit or work overtime in order to reach my budget for the month. This insane schedule wasn’t sustainable, and I found myself getting burnt out soon after. 

In prayer one day, I felt the Lord lead me to Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV). It’s a verse most Christians know well, and to be honest, I didn’t know what this verse had to do with helping me pay my bills. But I could sense God directing me to the word trust. In order to trust God with my finances, I needed to do something outside of the realm of my understanding. I said I was trusting God, but my actions proved I was completely reliant upon myself. 

I made the decision to quit striving and stressing and started truly trusting God with my finances. If He had called me into that season, I knew He would provide. I committed only to babysit a certain amount of hours and not over-analyze my budget to ensure I would make enough to pay my bills. I determined to take each day as it came and build my faith by focusing on what God had already done, knowing He would provide for my needs.

As each week passed, I remember looking ahead at the due dates of my bills approaching and saying, “Wow, God, can’t wait to see how you pull this off!” Though I was somewhat nervous about how this would pan out, I was ready to see God move mountains. During this time, I was continuously blown away as God showed up time after time, meeting my needs in such beautiful ways. 

In fact, things started getting so crazy! I began to make a list of all the financial miracles that happened in my life in that season. Here are just a few: A $210 check found in my wallet (apparently I lost it six months prior); $50 for winning a turkey gobble contest; $250 from Uber that showed up in my bank account randomly after an error in their system; various donations made to Fearless Co.; $600 check in the mail from IRS (almost threw it away ’cause I thought it was fake!); $400 flight voucher I used to fly home to visit my family; AND THE LIST GOES ON! To this day, I am still adding to this list and praising God for all of the financial miracles that He provides both through job opportunities, ministry, and fun special surprises like the ones I listed. 

I am so thankful I took the step of faith to trust God and not carry the burden of not having enough. It wasn't easy, and sure, it was a bit of a creative season. Some weeks I ate cheese quesadillas for every meal (no shame). At one point, I didn’t go grocery shopping for three months, yet I always had something to eat. Though that was a stretching season, I wouldn’t take it back for the world because it built my faith and taught me how to truly trust God as my Father to take care of me. 

Get the [F]ear out of Your Head

Today’s challenge:

1. Does financial burden stress you out and cause you to strive to make ends meet? Are you living paycheck to paycheck and becoming stingy with your money? Take time to evaluate your spending. Are you generous with your friends, family, and church? 
2. Ask God to guide you in taking steps of faith to surrender your worries and give Him full access to your trust. 
3. Commit to making a change. Whether that be educating yourself about finances, looking for a better job, or doing what I did. Determine what that change is and DO IT!