How to Gain Back Control of Your Life
Listen to the full audio version by pressing the play button.
First, here’s a brief review of Part 1: How You View Money May be Ruining Your Life
- The biggest lie about being rich is that you need lots of money to live an abundant life. The truth is that Jesus is the only way to have a rich life.
- We aren’t as rich as we could be because we look to money for blessings instead of God.
- Here’s how to tell if money is ruining your relationship with God. If money asks you for less time with God, what is your typical response? If God asks you to have less money, what is your usual reaction? Only one can truly have your heart.
- We cannot serve two masters – chose God or wealth.
Part 2: How To Gain Back Control Of Your Life
We all desire to be free from the feeling of wanting more money. But it’s easy to fall back into our old habits. It is so hard to live a life of less when the temptation of more is all around us!
The root of the problem is described in 1 Timothy 6:10.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
WHY WE CAN’T ESCAPE MONEY WORSHIP
We LOVE what money can bring us. We tell ourselves that we don’t want to love it, but we do. We enjoy luxury, technology, experiences, pleasure, and fun. We have an appetite for indulgence. The more we get it, the more we want.
Also, money will give us things that God will not. We know that we desire things that God does not wish for us. Money does not judge, cash does not lecture, and wealth will not shame us. Money will give us what we want.
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The problem with money is that money does not care about you. Money does not care if you get hurt. Money does not care if your life falls apart. Money doesn’t care if your family falls apart. Money does not care that you are stressed and burdened and depressed. Money does not love you.
So why love money if money will never love you back?
Did you know you can have your dreams come true in life and still be empty and alone? You can have whatever money will buy, but the Beatles were right – Money can’t buy me love.
Isn’t that what we all want? To be loved? To be cared for? To be desired and wanted? God is the only one who can honestly give us what we crave, unconditional love and acceptance.
As long as you are in love with money, then you will always come back to it. You will always find yourself secretly lusting for things you know you shouldn’t. You must get to the root of the problem – you must fall out of love with money.
THE GREATEST POWER AGAINST DESIRE
Have you ever gone to the grocery store hungry? It seems like you buy a lot more. This typical behavior illustrates a powerful principle in life. If you are satisfied, then you do not crave.
The Bible calls this being CONTENT.
Psalm 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Psalm 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Matthew 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
We all have needs and wants. When a need gets low, we set out to try and fulfill it. The Bible gives us principles to follow to maintain a happy and successful life. When we ignore the Bible and find ourselves feeling unfulfilled, then we end up looking towards other things to fulfill us besides God. At these times, we often begin to look towards money to meet the needs that we refused to let God handle.
We could be content if we would look to God to fulfill our needs and wants.
HOW TO BE HAPPY WITH LESS
The world is going to try and give you reasons every day why you shouldn’t be satisfied with what God has already given you. Not only this, but the world has told us our whole lives that more is better. We are made to feel as if we don’t measure up if we don’t keep up with the things our neighbors and friends have.
To gain back control, you have to realize that you are no longer going to be caught in the trap of needing more money to be rich. You have to get used to the idea of spending less and perhaps even having less. You must also learn to wait on God to fulfill your needs.
Please note that it is not a sin to be wealthy. God gives wealth to some Christians to use for His glory. However, that is certainly not His will for every Christian or even most Christians, according to Scripture.
Money is not evil. The love of money is the root of all evil.
We could try to avoid money altogether, but some things are unavoidable. So, how can you use money without falling in love with it?
Billy Graham was a world-famous evangelist and preacher in the twentieth century. He often traveled great distances to preach the Word of God. This meant he was regularly separated from his wife and family for extended periods. To guard his heart against adultery, he set specific rules for his personal life. He would never be alone with another woman for any reason. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his wife. On the contrary, his love for his wife caused him to take specific measures to ensure that he would not fall into temptation.
We need similar rules for our personal lives to guard our hearts against money worship.
1. Stay focused on Jesus. – Develop daily habits of prayer and Bible reading. Seek God in a personal way throughout your day.
2. Don’t flirt with desire. – You know what your weaknesses are. Do not spend hours looking at and lusting over pricey things that you would like to buy. If God wants you to have it, He will give it to you. Instead, spend your time learning to love God’s Word and live it.
3. Spend time with people who desire the same things as you. – People who do not follow God will try to pull you away from Him. On the other hand, people who love God will encourage you and help you to follow His will. They will not try to tempt you with things that cause you to stumble in your faith.
Make a decision today to ditch money and trust Jesus. Repent of your sins and give your life to Christ. Have you ever trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord? Give your heart to Him now. Then, find a good, Bible-believing church and get involved in serving the Lord and learning more about Him.
Find out more about how to be saved and go to heaven here (click).
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