I am learning that there is a substantial difference between knowing something and actually understanding it. Too often we allow our pride to control us to the point that we ignore good advice offered by a friend by saying “I know, I know.” If we know what is right, then why don’t we act like it? Understanding something means that it impacts the way you think and act. It’s not just being aware of what is right and wrong, it is knowing what is right and acting upon it. When you understand something, it affects you in a deep enough way to change you. Knowing the truth yet choosing to disregard it is ignorance; “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Fear of the Lord teaches a person to be wise; humility precedes honor,” Proverbs 15:32-33 (NLT).
I honestly believe that too many Christians limit themselves by allowing money to control their lives. While they may grasp the idea that God is bigger than money (or the lack of money), faithful to us, and will always provide for us according to our needs, I honestly don’t know if they really understand it. That is a pretty cliché thing to say, I know, but I can’t help but notice this. How can we know that we allow money to run our lives? It’s a matter of faith. Having faith doesn’t mean just believing, it is completely trusting in God. This means that worrying about money says that we haven’t fully surrendered our finances to God. Instead, we choose to worship our money by allowing it to run our lives to the point that it actually controls our emotions (i.e. stress, joy, depression, jealousy). When you worry about anything, you are saying, (whether you realize it or not) “I don’t think God can handle this situation.” If you actually understood that all things are possible for those who believe (Mark 9:23), than it would impact you in a way that you know that God doesn’t have a handicap, and nothing is outside of his potential.
Think about it like this: Jesus teaches us that “No can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money,” (Matthew 6:24), and Paul writes “…you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness…” (Romans 6:16). Do we allow money to control our lives, or God? Do you obey your finances? If so, would that not make you a slave to it? Everyone struggles with obeying or worshipping with something outside of God. We break our slavery to sin and the world when we choose to worship and serve God instead; there is healing in worship.
The Bible is powerful enough that when we actually understand what it is teaching us, it will radically change us; not confirm the way we are living. We can never fully understand God (Ephesians 3:14-21), which means that we will never stop learning and growing as Christians. My hope is that we won’t allow pride to hinder our spiritual growth.
