“When he finally came to his senses… I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”
– Luke 15:17-19
Money answers all things. It is the currency by which this world operates. We cannot live on this earth without earning money and spending it on what we need. Both steps are required to function properly in this world. My concern is for those big spenders who go over and above what they need or can afford. To some it may seem fine, but deep inside we know it will lead to disaster. But there is hope for the big spender, and the Word of may offers more help than we realize.
Too Much, Too Soon
In the familiar story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), we can see similarities between people living today and people living during Bible times. At the beginning of this story, the younger son of the wealthy man appears as the eager beaver who can’t wait to get his hands on his father’s money.
Are we eager to have money? Are we always looking for ways to get more and then spend it? Christians often fail in their walk with God because they are focused more on material things or money than on relating to their heavenly Father and becoming more like Christ. Most seek the blessing rather than the One who blesses. No doubt we serve a heavenly Father who is willing to bless us with all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1: 3-4). Unfortunately, far too often we cry to Him, “Father, give me this and give me that. Lord, I need a financial blessing,” rather than seeking to know Him and making Him known.
In all fairness, this young man asked for what was rightfully his, but his request was premature. Rather than focusing on spending time with his father, his emphasis was on getting his inheritance and deciding what he would do with it. He couldn’t wait for his father to die; he wanted his money now. Like this young man, Christians get impatient waiting and press God for their financial blessings. In His permissive will, God allows us to receive a blessing, just like this young man’s father, knowing fully well that the child is incapable of managing the responsibility financial blessing entails.
Can you identify with this? Have you ever asked God to bless your finances or give you something you thought you really needed, only to realize after receiving it that you were unprepared to handle it? That is what I call ‘asking prematurely.’ Instead, when you ask for a blessing, you should also ask God to prepare you to handle it when it comes. You should be certain your heart motive is right and that God can trust you with the blessing He gives to you.
One thing is certain—God wants to bless us. However, we do not glorify God if He blesses us and, due to a lack of character, integrity, or money skills, we quickly lose the blessing. For example, why should God promote us to a higher position in an organization, only to be fired shortly afterwards because we couldn’t effectively communicate with our colleagues? What glory is there to God if we should come into an inheritance or be given a substantial financial blessing and lose it all within weeks with no way to give account for it?
Have you ever looked back and said to yourself, Oh, I sure wish I had done that differently? Maybe as you look back now, you wish you hadn’t spent your money so wildly, especially those large amounts. Maybe you wish you hadn’t sold that property so quickly. Maybe you wish you could go back a few years earlier and start afresh. You would love to erase those bad financial decisions you made along the way. Whatever it is, you realize it was too much too soon, and you failed to consult God about what to do. However, there is hope.
Come to Your Senses
What do you spend your money on? Do you spend your money on more clothes, shoes, electronic gadgets, dinners out with friends, another family event, or anything you see on sale? Are you spending your money on what doesn’t satisfy (Isa. 55:2)? Are you happy when you have spent all or sometimes more than what you have earned? You should take care that after all the extravagant living you don’t end up like this young man.
After he wasted his inheritance, hard times came, and the economy fell. Sound familiar, doesn’t it? Maybe you can identify with this guy. Excessive spending and high consumer debt, along with world financial market turmoil, have left many in want. Without houses, cars, jobs, and savings, many face great uncertainty about the future. His reckless living resulted in his being worse off than the servants in his father’s house. While those servants had a roof over their heads, a bed to sleep in, and good food to eat, he lived with pigs and ate pig food! How low can you get? Perhaps you’ve hit rock bottom and will do anything to survive or make ends meet. For some, that means getting into more debt or another credit card, but that just adds to their problem.
Take a page from this young man’s story and consider how it applies to you. You need to recognize what you have done and be willing to change direction. Being a big spender may have put you in a difficult financial position with too many bills to pay, creditors calling you constantly, and insufficient money to cover your daily living expenses. But hope remains.
This young man recognized that being in his father’s house as a servant was far better than living in his current position. At least he would have shelter and food. He was willing to return, as shameful as it would have felt, to seek his father’s forgiveness. He was willing to go to his father, admit his faults, and ask to be restored.
What about you? Do you realize that being in the Father’s house and eating His bread as His servant is much better than eating pig food? In other words, do you realize that when you live in God’s house and serve Him, eat His word, and align your life to His will, you will no longer struggle through life? You will find that His Word prepares you for every aspect of life, lifts you up, and restores you, including your finances. In His house His Word satisfies; there you will find help to eliminate the habit of overspending. You need to realign your life, including the habit of excessive spending, to His will. Are you ready to acknowledge your sin and return to the Father? If you confess to the Father that you are a spendthrift and have act unwisely and ask for His forgiveness, He will certainly forgive you and also help you to live victoriously above that sin of overspending (1 John 1:9).
Right now, pause and take a moment to go to the Father and ask for His forgiveness (Luke 15:18), just like this young man did. The Father is waiting with open arms for you to return and surrender this area of your life to Him. He will receive you, celebrate with you, and give you the ability to overcome the habit of overspending. Give it all to Jesus; He is able to help you.
Be assured that the Father has forgiven you. The beauty of this story is found in the father’s response to the return of his lost son. He celebrated his return. His return signified the son’s acknowledgment of his faults, his helplessness, and the need for his father’s forgiveness. His father’s response with open arms, the celebration with the killing of the fatted calf, and the giving of the signet ring, robe and sandals, signifies restoration. He wanted his son to know that he was forgiven and accepted as his son once again. This forgiveness symbolizes the love God has for you and me. Whenever you fall, you can come back to the Father. God will completely restore your life, including your finances.
The above is an excerpt from Financial Empowerment: Realign Your Finances to God’s Will by Pamela Carmichael. You can obtain a copy from Amazon.com