When money is tight
With everything going on in the world right now, this message has been strongly on my heart to share. I want to share a message of encouragement for couples who are struggling financially during this pandemic.
Here is the Facebook Live video that goes along with this message:
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
Matthew 6:26-34
And Jesus said “Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass-- grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have!
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Proverbs 10:22
“The blessing of the Lord brings wealth and makes one rich, it is without painful toil and He adds no sorrow with it.”
Luke 12:32
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely and graciously give us all things?
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my mighty rock where I am safe, my firm support, my fortress. My protector, my shield; the one whom I will trust. He is my defender, deliverer and my helper.
- Your finances or economic status can never define you or separate you from God's love, life or your destiny. Jesus Christ defines your life!
Yes we may work and use our hands, gifts, skills and talents to make money, but that is not our identity. That doesn’t determine our “usefulness” and worth in this world. When we find our identity in our finances, material possessions and what we can do (or what someone can do for us) we are setting ourselves up for mental anguish, disappointment and unnecessary frustrations. God can take care of you and manifest through you no matter what your bank account says or what challenges you are facing today!
-Your partner is not your savior.
God is The Savior. Oftentimes we put so much pressure on our spouse or significant other to be for us what only God can. No one can carry these heavy weights because as humans we are not meant to. When your partner becomes your savior, we are no longer walking in healthy dynamic relationship and the balance becomes off.
-Your partner is not your enemy, you are a team. Put your weapons down.
When you no longer see your spouse or significant other as your PARTNER, you are not living in the fullness of your relationship. This is when division comes and we begin to blame the other and look outside of God and the relationship for fulfillment. Remember that you both are on the same team and you are in this together. Lay down your weapons and defenses and open up your heart. God will empower you and show you how to do all of these things that we are discussing in this blog post.
-Stay focused and don't push your feelings or fears down. Bring everything to God and speak out the lies instead of putting on a front.
Stay focused on the tasks at hand and take it one day at a time. Remember that you cannot play charades with your emotions or heart. The heart always knows deep down when something is bothering you. Your partner oftentimes knows when something is bothering you, but they cannot read your mind. You have to tell them and speak out what you are feeling. Put everything on the table and bring it to God. Instead of pushing lies down, speak them out so that you can receive the truth and continue in your power and strength.
-Be patient with each other
Not only during these trying times, but all the time we can show our partner the kind of patience that God freely and graciously gives unto us. Remember that this is a sensitive time, and you cannot rush through the process. When you feel yourself getting snappy or feeling irritated look at the bigger picture and remember how far God has brought you. Take a deep breath. Remember the goodness and resurrection life of Jesus that continues to light up your path and carry you both through each day.
-Remind each other of the truth.
When either of you feels weak remember who or Who’s you are. Remember and share with one another God’s promises that were written long before you were born. This doesn’t mean that we are oblivious to the world’s sufferings and pain- we feel it too- but this means that we live from an eternal resurrected perspective. Death, evil, negativity, pain, sickness and hurt have an expiration date. They cannot last for forever! But the life we have in God is so much that it manifests and will always win in the end! Remind each other of these things- it will keep your heart strong and focused.
-Encourage one another.
Our words are so powerful! Through Jesus Christ we have the gift of being able to encourage and uplift one another. Call out the best in your partner, and correct them lovingly and with tenderness. Let each other know how proud you are of one another and all the good you see in them. Use your beautiful words to say what God says about them and yourself. Allow them to speak life over you as well.
-Meditate and pray together
Meditation and prayer are more powerful presents and gifts that we have received in God. They are very intimate and precious grace-filled practices that a couple can indulge in. At any moment of any day you and your partner have the ability to spend even a few moments meditating (pondering) on the goodness of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit and thinking about what it means to be One with God and receive eternal life through Christ Jesus. Oftentimes I will pick one verse that has been singing in my heart and just chew and breathe in that as often as I want throughout the day! And prayer is always available- God prays with us and meditates with us. When we pray we are never begging God or demanding God, we are sharing what’s on our hearts and remembering that we are beloved sons and daughters and no longer slaves or servants. That we have a loving Father who never withholds any good thing from us and is always working out things in our favor no matter what it currently looks like or what we see on the horizon. God never fails!
Lastly, if you lean into Jesus, your intimacy and relationship can actually grow strong and even healthier during this time and thrive when the dust settles! This is a powerful and essential time to receive healing and freedom- the kind that can never be taken from you and will never get stale or grow old!
I am praying for you and your partner, and thanking God in advance for protecting you both and bringing you out of this healthier and more vibrant than ever before!