Over the summer, I especially realized how much I struggle in trusting God with my finances. I’ve caught myself longing to work as much as I can, comparing my work hours to how many hours my friends are working, wanting more things + comparing what I have to how much my friends have. I’m sure we’ve all struggled with this at some point, although some more than others, but today I wanted to share what God’s been teaching me about finances + how I’m learning to trust Him more, plus I’ve created a FREE worksheet.

The biggest financial burden I’m facing is the fact I’m going into debt because of college (#relatable). There is frustration with the fact that I didn’t get any scholarships, that my parents aren’t paying for much of it, that I can’t afford a car + that I don’t have a nice computer–but I’m learning to lay down these desires + frustrations. And you may have similar struggles too. 

This isn’t a ‘how to make more money’ or ‘how to eliminate college debt’ post because quite honestly, God may not call us to those things directly. He may take us through a situation so we can learn to trust Him. God knows the challenges we go through, + sometimes He doesn’t take other people through those struggles. But I don’t think He wants us to eliminate those challenges. Instead He wants us to work through them + rely on Him, not avoiding what He is taking us through.

After wrestling + praying with God, He has shown me a process to help change my perspective on finances + learn to trust Him. I’m so excited to share it with you + hopefully it can help you out!

Start with GRATITUDE

Thank God for what you DO have, for the ways you HAVE seen Him at work + for the struggles you don’t have to face.

For me this means:

  • thanking God that I have a job
  • thanking Him that I do get some money towards school
  • thanking Him that I don’t have to fend for myself
  • thanking Him that I am provided for + fortunate

Remember TRUTH

We can be easily tempted to doubt God, throw a pity party for ourselves + release lies into our hearts that effect our thinking. But the best thing to do in this case is to turn to what we DO know about God, His character + what the Bible says. 

For me this means remembering:

  • God has put me in the family + financial situation I am in for a reason (Genesis 50:20)
  • God knows my situation + doesn’t want me to worry about it because He will take care of it (Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:31-33)
  • God is at work whether I see it or not (Romans 8:28, Proverbs 16:4)
  • God has called me to this college so I can trust that He will take care of all the other details too (Proverbs 16:9, Philippians 1:6)

Take action through TRUST

Trusting God with finances means giving it all to Him, not worrying about what comes into your bank account, but freely, generously giving when you see the opportunity or feel called (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). Because in the end, God doesn’t want us to hold on to our wealth or the things we have. I’m sure most of you are reading this from a phone or computer which shows me that you have more than a lot of people. God wants us to be generous givers, even if we don’t have a lot… even if we don’t think we have a lot, even if there are bills to pay. 

We also have to come to the fact that we already have everything we need in Christ. He alone is enough. It’s easy to say, but are you actually living it out? Nothing else will ever satisfy: not how much money you make, how many things you have or if you have the nicest things. Maybe your struggle with money is a heart issue: greed, jealousy or lust.

Because in Christ, God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Read that again. You have everything you need for this moment! Do you believe that?? And if you feel you don’t have what you need, ask God. We serve a Father that listens to His children (James 4:2-3) + lovingly gives. Everything we have has been graciously given to us by God. And in the end, we will leave this world with nothing. So what are you really holding on to? What has your heart’s desire? Wrestle at it with God.

Here’s the link to a FREE worksheet to help you process these steps + work towards trusting God:

Perhaps I didn’t get any more scholarships so I would struggle + learn to trust God with my finances. I may never know that for sure, but I am thankful for what God has taught me + glad I can share it with others to encourage them. And I’m sure this is just the beginning to a long journey of learning to trust God with my finances as I grow up.

When you are going through a tough time financially, don’t forget to start with gratitude, remember truth + take action through trust. I would love to hear if this post resonated with you at all + if you used the worksheet. Is this an area you struggle with? Did any points stand out to you?

I hope you have a blessed day!

-Ainsley

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