There are at least two ways to live within our means - our budget - our scope of wealth:
1. Earn more income.
2. Want less stuff.
I'm pretty sure God is more interested in the second method according to Hebrews 13:5 and 1 Timothy 6:6
" Make sure your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' "
and
" But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. " (Both NASB)
We hear about "being positive" - well, there is such a thing as "being negative" to create a balance!
Sometimes we would be far better off if we told ourselves, "NO, I do not NEED this particular item." or "NO, I do not NEED this particular item right now." or "NO, this particular item is not good for me to have." or "I better WAIT for a little while until I have the money saved for this item." God tells us "Yes" but sometimes He tells us "No" and sometimes He tells us "Wait". We would do much better if we learned to tell ourselves these things first, before we even asked God our Father about them!
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I felt a little sadness recently when a dear friend of mine declared, "I really need THIS job!" - as she turned around and saw the bills piling up all around her. She got the job, but now confesses to discontentment. Maybe it would have been better for her to invite her Lord to guide her to the employment He wanted her to have instead of her insisting that this particular job was the one she NEEDED because she believed it impossible to wait any longer, and it appeared TO HER that there were no other "jobs" available.
Maybe we "hinder" God giving us "something better" because our thoughts fall short of His thoughts. Isaiah 55:8,9 - " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.' "
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jfn - 10/19/2011
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