Living in Faith
The Tallest Order
Stephen Lau
The Tallest Order
Stephen Lau
Survive On Faith
by
Stephen Lau
by
Stephen Lau
In the United States, consumer debt is escalating at a stunning pace to the tune of nearly 2.5 trillion dollars. From Wall Street to Washington, many are counting on consumers to use their credit cards to jumpstart the sputtering global economic engine all over again. However, the United States is facing an economy in which 70 percent of its economic output depends on consumer spending. Now that the consumers are over their heads with massive debt, any sustainable economic recovery in the near future is but a wishful thinking.
So, be prepared for a long and deep recession, if not a depression. There will be more difficult times ahead. No matter what, believers have to live and survive on faith.
To survive on faith in this economic crisis, a believer needs faith that has little to do with being poor or rich.
According to Solomon, neither is prosperity a sign of being blessed, nor is poverty an indicator of being spiritual. Solomon asked that he not be left in poverty or riches:
"Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." (Proverbs 30:7-9)
Poverty may make a person bitter, while prosperity may turn a person away from God.
In addition, Jesus said that prosperity being more of a stumbling block than a stepping stone to salvation: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)
However, living in faith will make all things possible, whether in poverty or prosperity. Jesus said: "With people, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
But faith alone, without works, is not enough.
"You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (James 2:24)
Therefore, to survive on faith, you need not only to have the right concept of money, but also to put it into practical application in your daily life. Your relationship with money in terms of practical material matters is a reflection of your ultimate relationship with God.
To survive on faith in tough economic times is the tallest order requiring the observation and application of three Biblical principles:
| ˇ | The Biblical principle of gratitude: Be grateful for what you have, and stop complaining of your lack. God may have given you less than others, but everything is relative. Presently, you may be struggling from paycheck to paycheck; you may be working hard, but still can hardly keep your head above water. "You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes." (Haggai 1:6) |
| ˇ | The Biblical principle of sharing with others: The more you give away, the more you will receive. It is not the other way around: receiving more before giving away more. "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows . . ." (Malachi 3:10) Tithing is a reflection of your relationship with God. |
| ˇ | The Biblical principle of God owns it all: God, who owns everything, does not need your money. Jesus taught that followers of God must put Him first. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26) God should be your first priority, not your concern of poverty or prosperity. With faith, God will take care of all your needs. |
CopyrightŠ by Stephen Lau
The content of this site cannot be copied or reproduced in any form without the author's permission.
The content of this site cannot be copied or reproduced in any form without the author's permission.
Because God owns it all, your money is not yours, and you are only a steward of God's money. Living in faith helps you stay focused on these Biblical principles related to everyday practical money matters. Accordingly, managing your money becomes your responsibility. Good money management leads to financial freedom even in difficult economic times.
Living in faith means believing that God can do anything that He chooses to do, including providing material things, such as better jobs and more money. However, there is one uncontested truth: No one has ever created wealth without learning how to handle money wisely, nor without applying what they have learned.
To create financial freedom or wealth, you need to do the following:
Living in faith means believing that God can do anything that He chooses to do, including providing material things, such as better jobs and more money. However, there is one uncontested truth: No one has ever created wealth without learning how to handle money wisely, nor without applying what they have learned.
To create financial freedom or wealth, you need to do the following:
| ˇ | Spend less than you earn. Do not fall into the trap of buy-now-and-pay-later, which may be forever. |
| ˇ | Do not spend money on the things you don't need with the money you don't have. Turn your debt-servicing dollars into you-servicing dollars, that is, use your money to serve yourself, not the credit card companies. |
| ˇ | Start saving early. Do not procrastinate. The perils of procrastination contribute to the vicious cycle of debt and expenditure. Remember, expenditures rise to meet income: the less you have, the less you will spend. |
| ˇ | Save regularly. The simple solution to saving regularly is always paying yourself first, instead of others. To put it into application, set aside a sum of money automatically every month before you pay others. |
Living in faith is the tallest order, requiring you to trust in the Word of God to prepare not just for the difficult times but also for the future.
"Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest." (Proverbs 6:6-8)
It is easy to see that the spiritual application teaches about preparing for eternal life, but the practical interpretation is a clear message about the importance of handling material things today in anticipation of the needs of tomorrow. Survival on faith is certainly is a tool to survive in any economic downturn.
Jesus' parable about the unjust steward handling the investment that was entrusted to him is another testament to the importance of handling money diligently and wisely. (Matthew 25:14-30)
Again, Paul taught this: Be "Not slothful in business." (Romans 12:11)
Maintaining balance between practical handling of material things and living in faith is the tallest order.
"Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest." (Proverbs 6:6-8)
It is easy to see that the spiritual application teaches about preparing for eternal life, but the practical interpretation is a clear message about the importance of handling material things today in anticipation of the needs of tomorrow. Survival on faith is certainly is a tool to survive in any economic downturn.
Jesus' parable about the unjust steward handling the investment that was entrusted to him is another testament to the importance of handling money diligently and wisely. (Matthew 25:14-30)
Again, Paul taught this: Be "Not slothful in business." (Romans 12:11)
Maintaining balance between practical handling of material things and living in faith is the tallest order.
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