A Complete Reversal

Is it safe to say that God is crazy sometimes, i.e. His way of thinking and doing things is completely contrary to what the world says makes sense?

Truly it’s a complete reversal.

In our finite minds, we tend to think and do things that make sense to us, well logically. I know I do.

Things like if you work, what you earn is yours to do whatever you want with.

If you give away 10% of your income, it would be hard to make ends meet with the other 90%.

If someone is rude to you, it’s ok for you to respond back that way.

Oh, but in the Kingdom of God, things are…well, a bit different.

Strange, if you will.

He did call His people peculiar so I guess that makes sense.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…~ 1 Peter 2:9, KJV

That very word peculiar, when translated from the original Greek means “a purchased possession, God’s possession/own”. (Blue Letter Bible Lexicon)

Considering this, as His own, we operate under a different Kingdom, not of this world.

A while back, I shared with you about one of the most crucial labels that many in the body of Christ are still wearing, which is preventing us from being more effective in the Kingdom.

As I was thinking about this further and received so much feedback from others who were feeling empowered to remove this label once and for all, I began thinking about when the Lord really first began dealing with me about this issue.

It was7 years ago and when I think back now, God had me in an uncomfortable position.

The beginning of the following year, I had been introduced to a guy named Dave Ramsey by a classmate of mine.

I was excited about the opportunity to pay off my credit cards (and I had several!)

I bought the Financial Peace University home study kit and was committed to working through it quickly.

And then God started asking me to do some peculiar things.

Things like:

Cutting up all my credit cards, changing my debit card to an ATM card only (and I loathed going to the ATM!), and only paying cash or check for things.

He had me return several items I had just purchased on my New York and Company card as a treat to myself for my birthday.

Wait, what Lord?!

I was not happy about that last one!

That year was truly a year of learning to depend on Him completely, in every area of my life.

It was hard. I am not going to lie to you.

And honestly, I didn’t think I could do it.

I was the queen of shuffling credit card balances from one card to another with 0% interest, all so I could continue to keep living the lifestyle I wanted to live, doing what I wanted to do.

Yet, I was crazy enough to trust God anyway.

Soon after, I began realizing how much the culture of the day regarding poor stewardship of money had been ingrained into the fabric of our lives and society.

I starting noticing how people who didn’t have a credit card were in essence, being punished, and sometimes forced to jump through hoops to get things or do things that others with a credit card were able to do freely.

Things like renting a car or booking a hotel.

I also began to understand what God was really trying to show me:

The Lord says: “My thoughts and My ways are not like yours. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, My thoughts and My ways are higher than yours. ~Isaiah 55:8-9, CEV

And yet somehow, this complete reversal, His way of doing things was truth that worked, regardless of what culture was saying.

I also learned that I truly could live my life without credit cards and I wouldn’t be without, if I learned how to handle what He had given me well, following His principles.

Then a funny thing happened.

On March 22, 2011, I paid off my last credit card and didn’t have or use another credit card for almost 7 years. (more about my recent foolish decision in a future post.)

And guess what?

I didn’t die!

I still had everything I needed, and some of what I wanted too.

And I received a measure of peace as well as a permanent mindset shift re: credit cards and credit scores that have been a blessing to me.

As God would have it, later on that same year, I left my good paying job to pursue graduate school full time and launch a mentoring and coaching program for young girls.

All without having credit cards.

Now granted, I was living off of some of my graduate student loans (which I am now paying for), but because I had been introduced to ROTH IRAs a few years prior, I was able to use that money to support me in the mean time until I went back to work.

What am I saying?

Sometimes, sis, the Lord will ask you to do what may seem very peculiar or crazy, even while you are waiting.

In this season of waiting, and even after you receive what you are waiting for, don’t ignore those things. Trust Him to provide for you with every void you may feel is missing because of what you may be waiting for.

Trust that His ways are truly better than your own, and wiser too.

I mean He has been around since before the world began so He knows a little about what is best for us.

No matter how foolish it may look to others, even if it separates you from the norm and the crowds, (which He is good at doing), believe Him anyway and be obedient.

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