April 28, 2022
Keys to Financial Freedom
My child are you aware there are ten commandments of financial blessing that align with the ten commandments? I share yesterday number one and today I want to share two and three:
1. Put God first. (Exodus 20:3)
2. Don’t worship material things! (Exodus 20:4)
This goes along with the second commandment “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. (Exodus 20:4-6)
A carved image is an idol, and an idol is something you put before God. I want you to think about it and ask yourself, ‘have you ever put a material thing before God?’ Have you ever bought something you regretted buying? I am talking about good stewardship which means you pray about everything before you buy it. Do you spend money without asking the owner if you can spend it? This is how a material thing becomes an idol. I heard someone say one time they don’t pray before buying something because God might say no. What he was really saying is this has become an idol to me.
3. Don’t use God’s name selfishly. (Exodus 20:7)
(Exodus 20:7) says, “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. This is in alignment with the third commandment. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. I believe you should never use God’s name as a curse word, obviously. What do you think about when you think about a vain person? A vain person is prideful and selfish, focused on themselves. How many times do we use God’s name selfishly? We have neighbors who desperately need God, while we are praying for a new car, a new house, a new sofa, etc. And we say in Jesus’ name so loosely.
Have you ever bought a new car or truck and the payment was so big you struggled to pay for it? I know people who have $500, $600, $700, $800 vehicle payments a month and pray Jesus help me to be able to pay my bills. And on top of that, they are upside down in the vehicle. Hello! What is wrong with that picture. You need to sell that vehicle and get something you can afford to drive. That’s wisdom! Don’t buy anything that is going to put you in a bind. And for goodness’ sake, don’t go into debt and use it as an excuse not to tithe! Pray before you buy and get permission from God to buy! Remember:
1. Spend wisely
2. Save diligently
3. Give generously
These are keys to financial freedom if you apply them to your life!
