Ever dream of receiving a big check in the mail?
After a financially stressful season where a sudden life change drained your bank account, the influx of cash seems like a huge blessing.
Until...
The anxious feelings start in the pit of your stomach then up to your heart racing, sending a shaky feeling down to your fingertips as the question builds up in your mind:
Will this be Enough?
The Stress with Feeling Financial Content
We all want to be financially independent and free of stress around money. We believe managing our own money will make us feel strong and in control. Then fear over takes our happiness, wondering if what we have will be enough. Even after reaching a sales or income goal, stress immediately overtakes us when we see another person has reached a higher revenue achievement or drove up in the new car. The dream vacation you finally were on was suddenly a disappointment after seeing the newer hotel next door. Whether we have a little money or a lot in our hands, feelings of being content with what we have in the moment can quickly turn from feeling blessed to feeling stressed.
The Problem with Doing Everything Alone
Being able to stand on my own two feet in case life threw me a curveball was something my father started teaching me as a little girl. However, I will be the first to admit after every life turn and every successful rebuilding, I never felt blessed. The stress of feeling like it was still not enough was constantly defeating my overall wellness.
Ever refused to ask for help or advice? In our quest to stop the stress over money, our independence might also cause us to miss out on important information that could help bless us by managing our money in a better way. As I discovered, handling finances all by ourselves can actually lead to more stress, especially when our income and expenses change. Alone can also make us feel like what we have is never enough because we are living in comparison instead of community. Flipping our financial mindsets from seeking help to investing in mentorship, from receiving tips to absorbing wisdom from others will put safeguards in place to win over past sabotaging behaviors and replenish our money mindset with contentment..
The Shift from Stressed to Blessed
Are you familiar with the the biblical verse, Philippians 4:13?
I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. CSB
As a child, this was my favorite verse to quote because I thought it was giving me permission to be stubbornly independent and strong. I felt empowered thinking I could do ALL things ALL by myself because God made me strong.
At 50 years old, I am humbled in my admitting, I was WRONG. I took this verse completely out of context and made it my own. Yes, I was a child, but I know this was also a lifelong lesson God was teaching me around Finances.
The book of Philippians is a book in the Bible written by Paul that discusses living the Christian life. One of Paul's purposes in writing this letter we find in Chapter 4 was to express gratitude for the love and financial assistance the Saints in Philippi had offered to him during his second missionary journey and his imprisonment in Rome.
If we backup to verse 12, the following verse sheds a whole new perspective on Phil 4:13:
"I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need." CSB
Through looking at each word of Philippians 4:13, let us look at steps Paul leaned into to place his faith in God's provision.
I - Remember who you are in this season, who God created you to be with or without the financial resources.
Can Do - God give us each an ability and a task. The question is if we decide to listen and next take action. What is the ability or the task God has placed before your with the resources provided?
All Things - God has not told us to do ALL the things. He is showing us that we can get through the entire thing He has placed before us no matter how hard the situation may appear if we have faith.
Through Him - We were not meant to handle our finances on our own. Whether a little or a lot, God give us exactly what we need for what He wants us to accomplish. Question is if we are depending on God or still trying to depend on ourselves.
That Strengthen - Operating out of Faith instead of Fear provides us the strength, the perseverance to pursue in strength whether we have been provided a little or a lot of resources.
Me - The situation or decision before you is for a specific purpose God has planned. It is a part of the assignment He gave you at birth. No matter how hard the situation may appear, look for the strength He is provided You through it.
Starting your Journey Expanding to Enough
Being stubborn about handling money on our own can stop us from feeling happy and content. It will never feel like enough. We are consumed by a constant state of stress instead of feeling blessed. Let's lean into this verse written by Paul. Whether he was provided a little or a lot during his travels, imprisonment, Paul endured with contentment because he knew God had provided exactly what he needed every time. Paul expanded his vision, his understanding, his defining of enough.
Today let us release feeling stressed about money and wondering if there's a better way to find contentment, by leaning into our faith that we can do ALL things through Christ that strengthens us.
Today through Faith, Mentors, and Community, this is your reminder you are not alone in your fears of not having enough. By starting your journey to expand to the full definition of the Enough God has planned for you, your Stress will soon turn to feelings of Blessed.
Wondering where to start? Click on the Home page of www.TriciaDaniel.com to grab your guide and workbook to get started today!
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