**At Cross Point, we just started a new series called “Be Rich” and Pete Wilson’s message yesterday, “Who’s Rich”, really struck a chord with me, convicted me on several levels and brought to mind this blog I wrote over 3 months ago when I first started blogging again. So, for all you Cross Pointer’s, this may be especially timely. For everyone else, I’m sure there’s something here for you too.
“I’ve got faith in the bank and money in my heart” (Derek Webb, lyrics from “I Want A Broken Heart”)
This particular season of my life I’m walking through has been full of all kinds of challenges and opportunities to choose to walk by faith, not by what I see. One such opportunity is in the area of finances.
The details aren’t important, but suffice it to say that this has been a real stretching period for me. Recently, I received a couple checks that I was not expecting at that time. It was a huge blessing, to say the least. The money came just in time and I was able to take care of some things that I needed to. I was able to briefly exhale a little bit, and it felt good.
Later that same day, it dawned on me that not only was I feeling pretty good about receiving this money, but I was actually feeling a bit too good about it. In fact, it occurred to me that getting this money had actually affected my heart response to this season I’m walking through. Yes, I was thankful to God for providing what I needed, but I quickly realized that the response in my emotions was not because I knew Christ was the unequivocal anchoring hope for my heart, but it was because of this little bit of money.
In a flash, I had allowed my heart to find strength in a few dollars. I felt so convicted. This ‘idol heart’ thing is no joke.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire beside you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26
I have been working on being very intentional about focusing on Psalm 73:25-26 and reminding myself that God is the strength of my heart, not any amount of money. It is dangerous to lean into anything other than Christ for any degree of hope, security or identity.
I’ve been meditating on God being more than just Jehovah-Jireh my provider, but Jesus the Christ, my provision. He is more than my rent-payer, my grocery-buyer or the solution to any problem that can be solved with a Paypal transaction. He is the ultimate, eternal provision for a debt that no American Express Black card could pay… a life separated from Him by sin. More than I need my electric bill paid, I need a savior, a redeemer for my soul. If He alone does not anchor my heart, I’m in trouble.
My soul finds rest in God alone: my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock…I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1
Anything else that my heart finds hope or strength in is an impostor, a counterfeit god that needs to be evicted. God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Truth is, I can get, earn, save, and invest all I want, but I’ll never squeeze an ounce of peace out of it. (totally swiped that from Pete’s blog)
In his message yesterday, Pete Wilson asked us to consider this question:
“Which of these statements creates the most anxiety for you: There is no God or there is no money in the bank?
Wow. Selah.
Have you caught yourself finding more hope and strength in what God gives rather than who God actually is?
