How to Lead Your Family through Financial Stress with Faith
Finances
Audio By Carbonatix
6:15 PM on Wednesday, October 8
By Amanda Idleman, Finances
Finances are tight. We are all feeling it, the stress of having more going out than coming in. The paycheck doesn't go nearly as far as it once did when filling the pantry costs more than a mortgage! Owning a house requires becoming a millionaire. Currently, raising kids takes a small fortune.
Since the pandemic, costs have risen, leaving more families struggling to make ends meet. In mid-2022, inflation reached an unprecedented 9%, the largest increase in a generation. We have seen inflation slow down a bit, but prices remain high. On average, prices are approximately 26% higher than they were before the pandemic. This jump far exceeds growth in wages, leaving individuals and families feeling financially stressed out.
Additionally, countless families are living paycheck to paycheck; this group is known as the "Alice" group and represents 29% of those in the US. Half of households lack enough savings or resources to cover basic needs for at least three months. Others are struggling to provide housing and nutrition for their families as housing and food costs have risen sharply.
How can we faithfully lead our family through these financially stressful times?
Model and Embrace Christian Contentment
A pillar of the Christian faith is the idea of contentment. Contentment is "the state of being mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are." While our society is filled with pressure to buy, produce, do, and achieve, Jesus offers us an alternative way to live our lives. Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25).
Jesus did not give this advice because he didn't care about those things, or he didn't realize you need them. He gives this advice because he knows that we so easily get hung up on the endless drive to store up more of life's necessities rather than trusting the Creator of all things to provide for us. In this season, keeping up with our neighbor may not be advantageous, Christmas may have to be simple, and family activities may have to look like a movie night in rather than a dinner out, but as we embrace God's call to be content with less we are teaching our family how to hold onto peace in a world that is driven by anxiety.
We can remind our children that when we have to accept hand-me-downs instead of buying new, expensive items, God provided the clothing on their back in a creative way! We can express that when we have to spend time living with family to save for our own home, God provides a safe place for us to live. When we have to work extra hours to keep the lights on, God made a way for us to earn what we need.
Commit to Modeling a Grateful Heart
Contentment is rooted in a commitment to live with gratitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." It can be challenging to be grateful for unexpected expenses and lost opportunities for building a financial legacy for our children. Still, God commands us to give thanks in all things.
Practice gratitude for whatever you have been given in this season. Even if you've lost much of your physical possessions you can still give thanks for the body you have, for the sleep you are given, the people you love, and a chance to keep writing your story with God's help.
Remember when the tide changes, the debt is finally paid off, a new job comes along, the promotion goes through, the college course is completed, and the savings are stored up to finally buy a house—God did it. Through Him we have all things. Remember his faithfulness and give thanks for the grace he offers us to move from season to season.
God Uses Our Struggles and Stressors
Romans 8:28 adds, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." There is purpose in our struggles and stressors. God does not waste a single day of our lives.
Our family walked through many years of barely making ends meet, and while I did not relish this time frame, I now understant that God taught me so much about trusting him through those years of careful budgeting and creative money making! He showed me how to rely on him for miraculous provision when, on paper, things just did not add up. He offered me the gift of humility when I worked part-time jobs that, as a college-educated person, I could have scoffed at, but needed to make ends meet. He showed me contentment with a small house, fewer things, simple plans, and budget-conscious living. He taught me gratitude when we moved into my parents' house for a season so we could save up to buy a new house. Once we finally moved out, I opened my stored-away boxes and was so grateful for the things we owned. There are lessons to be learned in every season of life.
As you walk through this season of struggle, consider the following: What lessons can you learn in this season of stress? How can you seek God and trust him as you face financial insecurity? What steps is God asking you to take in this season to honor Him? How can you model a heart that trusts first in the Lord for provision?
Seek God for Wisdom and Provision
Whenever we face hardships in our lives, the Christian response is always to humbly seek the Lord through prayer for guidance and provision. Genesis 9:3 says, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything." God gives us everything. There is nothing in creation that he does not know and provide for.
2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds, "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
As God's people we are invited to pray and seek him when we feel stressed, scared, or overwhelmed. Model praying through the troubles for your family. Offer all your needs unto the Lord. Don't be afraid to lay it all at his feet and trust Him to show up. As believers, we can't be scared to expect more from our God. Our problems are not just ours to fix; they are God's to walk us through.
Ask God for wisdom. He promises to offer our humble hearts insight and understanding when we need it. Are their habits we must change? What steps can we take to better manage when we've been given? What mindsets lead to more resilience when money is tight? How can we prioritize financial freedom as a family? Are there other ways we can generate income in our homes?
Asking God these questions about what steps we can take and believing he will open the right doors is all we can do. Our job as believers is to seek God and obey him when he guides us. We don't have to get it all perfect, but we do have to live in a way that honors God first in all things.
Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is encouraging others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for Your Nightly Prayer, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, Your Daily Prayer, and more. She has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com, Biblestudytools.com, and Christianity.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas, alongside her husband’s companion devotional, Shepherd. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.
