One Couple’s True Story
We have always been extremely disciplined with our money. We avoided luxury items. We didn’t spend frivolously. We carefully saved 20% of our income every month. We had a financial safety net. Security. We believed that if we did this, we would eliminate the number one source of stress in most marriages. Money.
The funny thing is, we were stressed about money all the time. With all of our discipline and saving, our life ended up revolving around our finances.
We thought we were being responsible. Careful. Prioritizing our marriage. But we demoted God.
Are you investing in a perishable future or an eternal future?
You see, to save like we were, God became a luxury item. We couldn’t tithe. We couldn’t give charitable gifts. And we weren’t really doing any of it FOR him. Our motives may have been honorable, but they weren’t holy. We were investing in a perishable future instead of an eternal one.
God began to guide us through scripture together and He made it abundantly clear, if God is not first in your life and marriage, the devil will reap havoc and stress in your marriage any way that he can. Financial security wasn’t enough. We needed eternal security.
My wife and I started praying together regularly and we placed our faith in our Lord. We decided to live for God instead of with Him. Many verses guided us through this journey, Proverbs 22:9 being one of them.
As a result, we began tithing/giving first. We knew going in that our savings would be smaller, but we just placed our faith in the Lord.
God is faithful to provide
Our marriage became stronger with less stress! Where God guides, God provides and it’s amazing how God works. Since that day, my wife and I both found new jobs, in which we both have seen an increase in our salaries. Living for God has changed both our personal and professional lives for the better.
If I could lend any advice, it would be to dig into scripture and to remain steadfast. I feel like our culture/society (myself included) has used God as a luxury item for selfish purposes. My prayers have since changed from give me to use me.
I know, I’ll never regret giving to God first. He keeps proving, over and over, He can provide. He does provide. I can trust Him with my money, with my life, and with my eternity.
I’m thankful my finances finally reflect that belief.
