If you’re being honest, how many times a day do you think about how much you make? Maybe how much is in your bank account? Do you avoid thinking about it altogether because you become filled with a sense of dread? No matter where you fall, you are not alone!
Maybe this caught you in a season where the budget is tight or you anticipate a promotion or raise soon, and finances are just top of mind. God is so good in His timing!
I’ve certainly fallen victim to putting my own sense of worth into a number. More specifically, a number (salary or hourly) that would translate to my bank account and that could be used to compare myself to my peers. Yeah, that got ugly really fast. It can become competitive, especially if that is the culture of where you work. It can also become competitive within ourselves, I used to play games in my head “if I get _ performance rating I can expect a raise of at least _ to _ which would mean I could be making _!” Then I would go on and in internally about how that would affect my life in that season. Analyzing things is one of my strengths and can also be a debilitating weakness too. Exhausting, huh!?
Being all consumed by money is not a new concept. In fact, in the Bible Jesus knew would run into this, which is why he has so much to say about money. I’m not getting into the many nuggets of truth the good book could drop on this topic. For now, I’m here to separate us, and how we view ourselves from those dollars in the bank, or retirement account, or loans.
Myth: I have to stay in this job because of the money
Truth: You were not created to be born to work and earn. You were created with a purpose, a purpose deeper than stashing cash. Often times, when we listen to God’s calling for us, not only do we end up more fulfilled, but He finds a way to provide for us, and sometimes that provision is more than we were expecting or could have hoped for! (Jeremiah 29:11 anyone?) Solomon was a great example of someone who could have aspired to have wealth but did not. God let him ask for anything, and what did he have on his wish list? Wisdom. Since he had just become King. While riches would serve him well, (relatable!) he knew that he would be a better ruler if he had wisdom. God was so pleased with Solomon’s heart to ask for wisdom and not riches, that He gave him both. (1 Kings Chapter 3)
Myth: I am only worth what the world says I am (literal “net worth”)
Truth: We are worth far more than we know! If we allow ourselves to be measured by money, then we will never stop chasing it. No amount will ever be enough. Especially if there is always someone else who has more (and there is). If you’ve been blessed in the past, or maybe you’ve invested well, great! May I remind us that you are loved no more or less than the student loan laden graduate, with only minimum wage opportunities. If anything, with blessing comes opportunity, and I would encourage you to ponder, how does God want you to steward what you have? And to the fresh graduate, or already working woman struggling to make ends meet, God will meet you where you are. He loves you unconditionally and wants you to trust in Him that He will provide for you!
Myth: I can’t have a career where I can make enough and also be happy
Truth: God desires His children to be happy, in fact He desires for us to be filled with His JOY! Our joy should not be related to our current environment or situation, but if you are finding yourself in a space and place where your relationship with God is not a priority, or that your work environment is just not conducive to walking with God, it may be time for a change. Bring it to Him in prayer. Jesus came to this earth so that through Him, we would have a full (or some versions say abundant) life (John 10:10) Maybe you will uncover He has a side hustle or hobby that will bring you joy, or a great idea to write a book, or start a business, where you control your environment. May we uncover the truth that God’s purpose for our lives is a small reflection of His love for us, and as we pursue that purpose in our work, I pray that those we come in contact with would see God’s love actively in and around us!
What if we allowed ourselves to be filled with joy and purpose? How would your life change? How would the world around us change?
Go and be blessed… or be a blessing 🙂
Her Office Closet 