Intentional Money

 

Money.

I had a savings account in 3rd grade. I had to open an account because I had all this loose cash laying around. When other kids were spending their quarters as soon as they had them, I was stashing mine away. Any time I received money at Christmas, birthdays, or the occasional earning for doing a job, I stashed it away in a clothes drawer. Eventually it got to be a bit much, so one Saturday morning in 3rd grade my dad took me to the bank and helped me open a savings account. Oh, that felt so good! Just knowing all that money was sitting there waiting on me for… well, I really didn’t have a plan, I just liked knowing it was there.

 

At first glance, this can look like a responsible elementary child making wise decisions about her money. Sure, saving is a responsible thing! But what was my motivation? Was it to because I wanted to be a good steward with the blessings God gave me? Hardly. The motivation was more about control and fear. Because, when that bank account grew, it felt safe. But, along with feeling safe and in control, came the nagging feeling that I could lose it all… and so the worry followed close on its heels. 

 

And that feeling followed me into adulthood.

 

It has it's upside - by the age of 30 my husband and I were debt free. But the downside, the one that isn't seen, is that money, though I felt like we had control over it, still had control over me. 

 

Though we continued to save more and spend little, I still felt it our responsibility to save as much as possible. Again, like my younger self, I didn't have a real reason why, other than it made me feel safe.

 

But, as God was starting to reveal to me: my security was misplaced. Instead of completely relying on Him to provide. I placed trust in my own self.

 

If you find yourself in this similar spot - feeling the need to hoard and hold on to what you have, or having the constant itch to go for more - what is one thing you can start doing today that can help you begin to release the thought that you have to do the providing, instead of trusting God to carry you?

Give it away.

 

It's a scary thought, but the #1 way to release money's hold on you is to give it away to someone else. When we give beyond what feels comfortable we're allowing our heart to say, “God I trust you to provide for me so much, that I am willing to give beyond just my excess, to the point that the only way provision is possible is through You.”

 

At the heart of Intentional Money is generosity. We are not meant to allow the blessing to stop with us. We'll continue to dig into this further, and how it practically looks lived out in our lives. But, for now, I encourage you to click on the GUIDE below and start to think through the idea of giving generously and what that would look like in your life.

 

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