Money Fears

Money Fears
Money is an emotional issue with many people. Money fears are real and may get in the way of our financial success. The source of such fears vary from person to person. We often hear the statement,”follow the money”. It would be better to follow our feelings about money so that we may discover the deep roots that lie underneath our money fears. Often these fears emerge from beliefs we developed as children. If you look deeply into your past, you may identify the source of your beliefs and patterned behavior surrounding money. The money beliefs of the people who shaped our lives have left their mark on us. If we were raised to think of a world of abundance we are more inclined to see abundance, if ours is one of scarcity, we may feel that we do not have enough.
The reason we are fearful about money is this, we want security in life and we seek that security in the things than money can buy. There is often the feeling that we would loose some personal security if we do not have enough money.
Many of our fears about money arise from our lack of confidence about our ability to manage money and our distrust of others to manage our money for us. Sometimes we feel that we have already made mistakes that we cannot recover from. Much of our fears about money may stem from a concern that we will do things wrong. It is hard to trust ourselves with our own money when we made financial mistakes in the past.
Often we are not aware of our money fears, however, these fears work silently in the background influencing the ways we handle the money God gives us. Here are some common money fears: (1) We fear that we may not have enough money. (2) We fear that after a life time of hard work, we would have nothing to show for it. (3) We fear that we would never be debt free (4) We fear we would loose what we have accumulated. (5) We fear loosing our source of income. These fears tend to keep us where we are. We may stay in a job or in circumstances that are not good for us, we may refuse to be generous, and we may even deny ourselves some of the better things of life.
If money fears are not addressed, they would lead to other fears. It is not uncommon to be in denial about our money fears and even suppress our anxieties about money. Fear thrives in the darkness of denial and secrecy. It is important to master your fears about money. Here are are a few suggestions:
(1)Find your voice and speak about money in general and your money concerns in particular. A Chinese proverb says, “When you name a thing, you tame it.” Share your fears with a trusted friend, preferably a prayer partner who can help you pray about your finances. You can break the power of money fears by bringing them into the open.
(2)Begin to take some small steps in a new direction. Without some change in your financial behavior you may never catch up or move ahead. You may not get to a better financial place unless you take bold steps forward. The challenge here is to make modest steps that would help you overcome your fears.
(3)Reassure yourself that the Lord has blessed you and that you already have enough money.
(4)Remind yourself each day that the Lord would provide. Your fears are simply your feelings. You do not know what the future holds, you may have more than you would ever need. Trust God.
In our stewardship campaign we are saying: Be the difference: Give generously. However, we would only do that when we get over our money fears. We begin to get over those fears when we let go of our want of security. One aspect of doing that is to trust in God’s promise to provide and care for us. We are people who declare: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. May some other words of the Psalmist reassure us: “I sought the Lord and he answered me and he delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

What is your attitude about money, do you see the glass half full or half empty?

What would make you feel secure?

What concerns you most about your financial future?

How would your life change if you loose a significant amount of your income?