DON’T BORROW
FROM
TOMORROW

               The Holy Spirit flashed a Credit Card in front of my eyes this morning with the words: “Don’t Borrow from Tomorrow.”
               He might as well have put up a flashing light to go with it: one that said “Warning! Warning!”  And I heard my grandson’s famous words: “You’d better think about it.”
               I stopped in my tracks, to think about it. Where I had received some extra funds, was I becoming lax now in wisdom to keep dominion over my part of the earth God had given me?
               Rushing through the check-out line at Wal-Mart, my only decision had become, “Will I pay by check or will I use my credit card?” In a hurry, I usually preferred not to “Think About It.”
               Now, since the Lord is my Heavenly Husband and goes everywhere I go; abides in me, have I chosen NOT to ask His opinion?
               Are we too busy to include Him at the check-out line? After all, isn’t the money from Him? Isn’t He the One who supplies all our needs?
               We all know that a credit card can be a trap. I was hardening my heart to that fact. Just too busy about my own plans for the day to include my Lord in every issue of my life.
               The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and in my mind’s eye, I don’t think I’ll ever go through another check-out line without including Him and feeling His presence.
               One fond memory I have of my earthly husband is walking through H.E.B. or Wal-Mart with him. He was always ahead of me, pushing the cart, making all the decisions and choosing the better prices.

               Like a child, I just saw what I liked and put it in the basket. Often he would say, “We don’t need that,” and I would put it back. Or he might say, “Read the labels. This is a better buy.” So I would submit.
               Sometimes, I would slip a few things into the basket without asking him. He was always aware and would usually smile…even if we were at the check-out counter before he became aware of a few items he had not chosen. He didn’t complain.  He just paid the bill.
               What a good example of our Heavenly Husband. Now that my earthly husband is gone, I see how childish that was of me. I learned a lot about shopping from him just by following behind his shopping cart.
               Most of my impulsive buying was because I was in too much of a hurry; trying to do too many things in one day. Thank God, I do keep a shopping list and try to stick by it, or no telling how many extras I would throw in my basket as I tried to see how fast I could get in and get out of the store.
               Like my Heavenly Husband, my earthly husband wasn’t slow, but he never got in a hurry when we were shopping. He got the work done and more deliberately than I did, as I rushed from aisle to aisle…always forgetting where the products were.  I am learning now. Praise God! God knows where everything is and He has a calm assurance that it will still be there when He gets to it.  

               Well, we took a little shopping trip, J but it’s all a part of the same scene. If the Credit Card is flashing while we shop, we need to “Think About It” before we get to the check-out stand.

               In His Gentle Persuasive say, the Holy Spirit is trying to save us from trouble down the road. Eventually we will have to pay for what is in our basket. Our Father has put us in charge of His finances and will teach us how to be good stewards of what He has given us.
               The Bible says: “Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalms 37:4). Don’t we know that God knows the ‘desires of our hearts’ better than we do?
               A greater gift than money is the wisdom and power to take authority over it and the growth we experience when we show self control. I sincerely believe it will be an easy choice to consider what to buy and what not to buy, when we remember that Christ abides in us wherever we go. 
               When we come into agreement with Him about all we do. It’s like consulting with your earthly spouse if you have one. If you love your spouse, one of you will submit to the other as you welcome their input. Please don’t shut them out and exclude them. Just as God does not enjoy being excluded from any part of your life.
               He will pay the bill. But wouldn’t it be better if we saw a smile on His face…and heard Him say: “Well done…good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the JOY of the Lord.” (Matthew 25:21).

               “DON’T BORROW FROM TOMORROW” was the caution the Holy Spirit gave me. I didn’t think He was saying that credit cards couldn’t be used as a form of payment…just as our checks are. But, we should set limits on them.
               We wouldn’t write a check if we knew we didn’t have money in the bank. The limit God was showing me was that we put too much faith in Credit Cards as our source, rather than faith in God and His abundant supply.
               Don’t borrow from an enemy. Give credit where credit it due. The Lord promises to supply all our needs. Is our faith in a credit card or in God? Wait upon the Lord, and in due season, He will provide all we need. We can Trust Him!
               Be content with what you have and God will supply more. He will give you wisdom in abundance. He will satisfy you with the awareness of His LOVE, Provision, and Peace. He will reveal to you how He is working in your life drawing you ever closer to Himself…teaching you His desire to live His life through you. 

OWE NO MAN ANYTHING
BUT
LOVE!

               Do we love our Credit Card more than we love God? Do we look to it as our Source, rather than God? We must ask ourselves: “Would I borrow from a thief? Would I pay interest to them? Are they a blessing or a curse? Are they dangerous? Are they a trap?”

               Our Lord says to “Pray about all things and worry about none.” So before we slide that Credit Card through the scanner next time, will we pray? Or will we be in too much of a hurry to “think about it”? Will we Stop and Pray…hear the leading of the Holy Spirit? He may say “yes” or He may say “no”, but let’s do Him the courtesy of asking Him.

               He supplies all our needs, but not necessarily through a Credit Card.

Remember: Addictions are habits that provide temporary relief. They can get out of control when we don’t take dominion over them and use God’s wisdom to seek advice from the Holy Spirit.  

  HMMMM….I Believe it is worth “Thinking About.”