Overcoming Financial Anxiety

Financial anxiety is a feeling that many people experience.  Whether someone has a large amount of resources or a small amount, it is common to experience some level of anxiety in one’s lifetime regarding money.  So, how does one avoid experiencing this anxiety?

To begin, we have to look at the heart.  In Proverbs 4:23 Solomon writes, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  (NKJV).  Some versions begin the verse with “Guard” instead of “Keep”.     If we are not constantly guarding our heart, we can quickly fall into the temptations and patterns of this world.  We need to transform our hearts to align with the Bible and God’s desires for our lives.

When we begin to worry, we are focusing the eyes of our heart on something other than God.  I once heard it said that worry is a form of worship whose object of worship is the future.  When we look to the future and begin to worry, we are often imagining the future without including God in the picture.  When this happens, our worry increases and we may become paralyzed with fear.

So, how do we overcome this anxiety?  One important step is to learn to give thanks in every situation.  Whether you are worried about how to make your next mortgage payment or worried about your investment accounts losing value, you can be thankful.  If you’re concerned about making your mortgage payment, give thanks that you have the opportunity to own a home.  If you’re concerned about your investment accounts losing value, give thanks for the abundance that you have and that you have money saved.

In Philippians 4, Paul writes that he has learned to be content in every circumstance.  Notice that Paul writes that he learned to be content.  This wasn’t something that came naturally to him.  He had to learn contentment.  I believe that each of us also needs to learn to be content and it’s not something that comes naturally.

In closing, my challenge to you is to invite God to search your heart and expose the sources of anxiety in your life.  As He brings these areas to light, find something to give thanks for and pray for His peace to fill your heart.

by Curtis Burkholder