Getting Out of Debt and Going for the Gold

If you’re experiencing heavy debt right now, you know that burden didn’t happen overnight. Likewise, digging out of debt won’t happen overnight, either. But, God has a special grace for those who find themselves in the bondage of debt, and that grace can lead you to financial freedom and true prosperity—all it involves is trusting God in all things.

With the promises of God in your heart and on your lips, declare “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Say to yourself, “My God shall supply all [my needs] according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus” (v 19).

Dedicate the following four practices as a part of your life — declaring them daily in thought, word, and deed. By determining to live by them, His grace will abound your circumstances!

Step 1: Determine to Live within God’s Standard of Blessing

God has a standard of living that we should work to meet. That standard isn’t the same for everyone. We each need to pray for God’s guidance to find the place of abundance that He has for us, and then live humbly — and with gratitude — within that place.

Not everyone is meant to live in a mansion, drive a luxury car, or make multi-million dollar business deals. Some have obligations before God to follow the path upon which He has placed them, with the full assurance that His provision is sufficient for the path.

As God’s children, we should repeat the words of the apostle Paul: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

Remember, God has promised that you will always have sufficient provision—it’s up to you to be realistic about the standard He provides.

Step 2: Determine to Be Thankful

The Bible is clear that if we maintain a thankful heart before God, regardless of our circumstances, we will be strengthened for victory in every trial we face. Look to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 for this expectation:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Are you having problems paying your bills? Give thanks to God that, through Christ, your needs will be met. Have you been laid off from your job? Give thanks to God for having another, better source of income waiting for you. As difficult as your circumstances are, give thanks to God for His unending care for you. Make the intentional determination to look expectantly to God for His answer.

Step 3: Determine Not to Fear

Yes, fear is an all-consuming emotion; and for those who have had financial certainty pulled out from under them, fear can be a devastating blow. But for those who know God, this is a time for trust. God is telling us:

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I
will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right
hand (Isaiah 41:10).

Indeed, you can find strength knowing that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Knowing that He will supply all your needs out of His storehouse of abundance, you can boldly declare, “I will not fear.”

Step 4: Determine to Trust God for Financial Freedom

For you to walk in the level of prosperity that God has promised, you must  trust Him to accomplish His perfect will in all that concerns you.

As you feed daily on God’s Word, meditating on the riches of His glory and mercy, you’ll find that your circumstances will line up with His will at increasing levels. You’ll find yourself declaring, “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8).

Whatever trials that come before you and test your faith, be like Job and declare that God “knows the way that I take, when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

True Abundance: Going for the Gold

Becoming like Christ in every way—being conformed to His image—is the greatest goal we can have in this life.

Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” Every day, as we walk close to God and seek His face, He promises to change us “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18) into the likeness of His son.

Go for the gold — seeking with all your heart to become the person God has created you to be — and you’ll experience nothing less than His best in every aspect of your walk toward financial freedom!

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Excerpt taken from Faith, Family & Finances by Henry Fernandez