Before You Buy - How

​Love you all, praying for you,

Before you buy something, remember that money is a heart issue, not a money issue.  What you spend reveals your heart.  If you know the truth that God owns all the money, you are just the steward of it.  Before you buy the question is:  Who will decide?  Will you? Or will you let God decide.  Will you make your money decisions, or will you trust Him – to make your money decisions?  Before you buy, the first thing to ask God about is why.  Money tests motive, it reveals the heart.  Ask God, and He will reveal your motive, and His best for you.  See the last two Daily Huddles about before you buy.  The 2nd and 3rd thing to ask God about before you buy is what and when.  Money is a test of your motive, and money is a test of your obedience.  The 4th thing before you buy is how.  How you buy is sometimes as important as what you buy.  Some people buy out of ignorance.  They don’t really know what they have, they just feel they have the money for it, or they even feel that God wants them to buy it.  But they don’t really know, because they don’t give an account, they have no tool by which to do so.  They may know what’s in their checkbook or bank account, but they are unaware of what is due, what is already committed, what has already been spent, and what it left.  So they spend by feeling, that’s how they spend.  Their spouse often has also felt the same thing, so they both spend the same money, that’s already been spent.  There are two ways people spend money – they either spend with what they have, or what they don’t have yet… what they have saved, or what they haven’t saved yet.  Cash or credit, yesterday’s paycheck, or tomorrows paycheck. (Which they assume will be there like it has been before).  They presume upon tomorrow, by spending tomorrow’s money before they actually receive it.  This is what God clearly warns against. God calls debt a curse because it changes relationship dynamics.  It makes equals, unequal.  It makes one the master, and the other the slave.  It brings disaster to a person or a nation.  Those who borrow – become slaves to the lender (Proverbs 22:7) and God said your were bought with a price, do not become slaves of men. (I Corinthians 7:23) He said let no debt remain outstanding, except love (Romans 13:8) That’s the only continuing debt you should have.  But you should not borrow.  Jesus should be your only Master.  That’s why God’s people should lend, not borrow… God said it, clearly.  Praying that how you buy, will be how God directs.  That first you will know where God’s money and then only do what He tells you to do with it.  (If you don’t have a 4C’s Tool, we will build one for you free of charge and help you learn it.  It is simple, and it is life-changing, marriage changing, legacy changing!).  Praying that second, you will fully commit to letting God make your spending decisions, He manages money way better than you, and He can multiply it like the fish and loaves.  If He decides, the pressure is off, your faith grows, and your conversations with Him increase.  You really learn to hear and obey his voice.  He doesn’t need you to manage His money.  He just needs you to obey with it.  He’s after your heart, not your money – it’s His anyway.  And Third, that you will reject debt of any kind, the curse that God warned against.  That you will always be the lender, not the borrower, the head and not the tail.  There is nothing worth the curse.  God said seek me first, and I will give you the rest.  Finally, I pray that you will ask God what to give, and give what He tells you.  Giving is a secret to loving God not money.  Before you buy.  Will you let God decide?  And will you be OK with what He says?  Are you willing to ask Him about the why, the what and when, and will you be content with the how – to do it His way – instead of the way everyone else does?  Before you buy is important – after you buy is too late.  Praying that you will fully surrender your spending decisions to Him.  Money decisions reveal motives and values, and most of all Lordship.  Praying that the KING of Kings and the LORD of lords, will be your King, and Your LORD, that in the area of money that reveals the heart, that your heart will always be His.  That you will love him more than anything money can buy.  That you will spend as He directs, so your heart is always drawn to Him. 
 
Love you all,
dad