How we got into Financial Stress

Haggai 1:5-7 (ESV)

5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.

Proverbs 22:7  (ESV)

7 The rich rules over the poor,
    and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Don't be self absorbed and sacrifice relationships like the younger son did in the story below.  

Luke 15:11-16 (ESV)

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 

12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 

13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 

Bad things like famines always happen when we go outside God's ways.

15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 

16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

How did our Financial Stress happen?

1. We believe the lie that we have to have things that we don't really need.   

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

18 Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.

2. We engage in self-destructive behavior.  

A. We don't practice humility and contentment.  

B. We buy things to keep up with others.  

C. We justify purchases.  

D, We are not disciplined.  

E. We say that we could't help ourselves, or I deserve this, or what harm could it do? 

3. We isolate ourselves from wise people who could help us. 

A. When you have financial problems, you are the last person that you should be listening to.  

B. Don't say that I don't need the advice from financially secure people.  I can do this on my own.

4. We find ourselves in a dark place.  

God wants us to be free from any form of bondage. 

Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Psalm 88:8 Living Bible (TLB)

8 You have made my friends to loathe me, and they have gone away. I am in a trap with no way out.

The writer felt this way.  Read my post. The Way out of Financial Stress.  

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/the-way-out