How often do you think about money? Weekly, daily, hourly? Is the amount of time you think, worry, or stress about finances robbing you of peace, joy, energy, focus, purpose, and even sleep? Are you experiencing financial rest?
In my journey toward greater rest and life balance, I must confess that I still spend far too much time, energy and effort, and would be embarrassed to disclose how often I log onto my checking, savings, T. Rowe Price 401K, Merrill Lynch, or Robinhood accounts to monitor how they are performing on any given day. Let’s just say the internet certainly knows my login habits, because my news feeds constantly serve up stories that feed into this unhealthy pattern.
There are financial advisors and experts by the thousands, who espouse and want to show us how to amass our fortunes and accumulate wealth. They have their carefully scripted steps and formulas for a fee of course, on how we can achieve financial freedom, financial security, or financial independence. However, rarely if ever, do these financial gurus advocate the move toward “financial rest” which is vastly different than pursuing financial freedom, security or independence.
A pet peeve of mine is when someone uses Scripture out of context to teach something it never says. True or false – “Money is the root of all evil.” Answer – False. Try this one, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Again, the answer is false. Ok, let’s try this one more time, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” True, and that’s what 1st Timothy 6:10 teaches. Money is not evil, it can be used to do evil, just like it can be used to do a lot of good. It is not the root of all evil – that’s a misinterpretation and misrepresentation, it says the love of money is a root not the root of all kinds of evil.
Are you wasting your time chasing money? Worry about finances can cause a lack of rest mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Practicing sound fiscal principles should certainly be pursued, but let’s make sure our motives are pure, and our financial “end game” is profitable for all of life and not just our pocketbooks.
Here are a few thoughts on how you can move toward experiencing financial rest.
- R- Reset E- Establish S- Simplify T- Trust
Reset your thinking. The first thing to recognize is God owns it all and you are to be a steward, a manager of what He has entrusted to you. The biggest shift in your thinking to experience financial rest, is to embrace stewardship not ownership. The second reset in your thinking is to decide which master will you serve God or money? It can’t be both.
Establish a plan that includes sound financial principles. Evaluate your current budget and spending. Scrutinize every expense and if you are spending more than you make, start reducing or eliminating non-essential expenditures. Follow a written budget. Start a savings plan. Set aside something each pay period. Avoid the avalanche of debt. If you have debt, develop a plan to pay it off. Educate yourself and take advantage of retirement plans offered by your employer. If they have a matching plan work toward contributing the maximum amount allowable. If nothing is available through your employer seek advice on establishing a Roth IRA or other retirement investment instruments.
Simplify your life and lifestyle. This is where one of the most important principles for experiencing financial rest comes into play – Contentment. Resist the pull for more. Advertisers have one goal in mind, that you buy what they are selling. They do this by attempting to create a tension that causes you to be dissatisfied with what you have and buy what they are peddling. There is a stark difference between a need and a want. Living with less, wanting less, and being content is the most liberating feeling you’ll ever experience.
Trust. Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Three verses later it says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The matter of experiencing financial rest comes down to deciding which master will you serve.
At the end of the day if you want to experience financial rest, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (What things? What you shall eat, what we shall drink, or what we shall wear) shall be added to you.”
The Rest Stop 
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