Devotional: Money and The Holy Spirit

Oftentimes, we relate the Holy Spirit in the "spiritual" aspect of our lives.  Reading our Bible, prayer, church, serving in our church.  And sadly, too often, we forget to invite the Holy Spirit into our every day goings on.

One aspect that I have been pondering lately is the fruit of the Spirit - temperance.  We find this in Galatians 5:22-23.  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  

A simple definition of temperance is simply - 

self-control.

This year, we decided to host a Financial Peace University class by Dave Ramsey at our church.  I am the coordinator so I have been doing some extra research and homework on the subject of Biblically handling your money.  

Wouldn't the fruit - temperance - be a great fruit to have in our financial life?  The self-control of sticking to a budget, cutting up a credit card, paying off accumulated debt and so on.

I had to ask myself...Have I invited the Holy Spirit into my financial life?  I may think I have self-control in my life...then I look at my debt numbers.  You see, I am one of those overly confident women.  One that can keep it all together.  One that doesn't need a buddy to be able to fulfill a goal.  I like doing things my way and on my own.  In two words, pretty cocky.  

Managing our finances is one thing I feel I do well.  

Stop, Rebekah.  

I need to remember I can't do ANYTHING well on my own.  

I need the Holy Spirit in everything I do.  

Even the things I can handle.

For if I only invite the Holy Spirit in the things that I can't handle, He has just become the crutch in my life when something is broken.  

Don't wait until something "breaks" in your life before you ask the Holy Spirit in.  

So, tonight, I will ask the Holy Spirit to come into my financial life.  He will be right there with me as I complete the budget, follow the debt snowball plan, give my tithes, and pay my bills.  

What may be in your life that you can handle but shouldn't?  

What area do you need to invite the Holy Spirit into today?