Give it over to God

0:00 Ralph: Have you ever wondered how you can truly surrender your finances to God? How can we trust him with our money and resources? And how can we align our financial decisions with his will. Today, we're going to explore the answers to these questions and discover practical steps. To give it all to God. So let's dive right in.

0:48 welcome back to this show on this spiritual Sunday. I am really excited to dive in today's topic with you. Today, we're diving into the topic that is fundamental in our Christian walk. And that's giving it all to God. It is an absolutely beautiful sunny day here on the farm. And I started the day with an early morning walk. Took our two German shepherds. My wife calls them German. Shedders that's the truth. They do shed, especially this time of year as the temperature starting to go up. And while I was walking, I was able to experience sunrise. And reminded me that each day brings a new opportunity for each of us to glorify God in our daily walk. So my prayer for today is. We all find ways to glorify God today.

1:29 And we're going to discuss steps to give it all to him. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and join our email list. You can do at askralphpodcast.com. You don't want to miss tomorrow's show where we're going to be discussing five ways. To pay off your credit card debt. This is one you don't want to miss folks, I'm going to give you concrete ways to get that credit card debt in check. As Christians. We know that we are called to surrender every area of our lives to God. That includes our finances, but what does that mean, Ralph? What does it mean to surrender our finances? It means acknowledging that God is the ultimate provider. And owner of everything we have.

2:09 It means recognizing that our money and possessions are not ours. But rather a trust. Given to us by God. So let's look at scripture. In Matthew chapter six, verses 19 to 21. Jesus teaches us about the importance of storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. He says this. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. Where moth and vermin destroy. And where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Where moth and vermin do not destroy. And where thieves do not break in and steal. And this is the crucial part. For where your treasure is. There your heart will be also.

2:51 Jesus is giving a sermon on the Mount. Teaching his disciples about various aspects of life, including money and possessions. He emphasizes the temporary nature of our earthly treasures. And encourages his followers to focus only eternal treasures in heaven. This verse reminds us that our true treasure lies in our relationship with God. And not in material possessions. Now that's not a popular thing to say. Because we're surrounded by all this materiality on a daily basis. We're all looking at those things. Every time we get onto social media, we look around and compare ourselves to what others have. But by surrendering our finances to God, we release the hold that money can have on our hearts.

3:34 And it does. I've been there. I felt that hold. We can prioritize giving generously. Supporting ministries and using our resources to bless others. Now let's explore further steps, to surrounding our finances to God, I'm going to give you things that you can actually do. Surrendering, our finance also involves trusting God with our financial decisions. it mean seeking his guidance and wisdom and how we earn. How we save. How we spend and also how we give our money. Trusting God with our finances requires us to let go of our own understanding and rely on his faithfulness. And that is crucial. So let's look at scripture. Proverbs chapter three, verses five through six, provides us with a powerful reminder of the importance of trusting in the Lord.

4:20 It says this. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him. And he will make your path straight. So you got to do it with all of your heart. And lean not on your own understanding. Submit to him and he will make your paths straight. The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings and teachings attributed to king Solomon. These verses specifically highlight the value of trusting God. But more importantly, seeking his guidance in all aspects of life, including our finances. That's the goal of this podcast. That's my mission. That's why I do. What I do.

5:00 When we trust God with our finances, we acknowledge, he knows what's best for us. We can seek his wisdom through prayer and study of his word. And that's the key folks. And apply that wisdom to our financial decisions. This trust allows us to let go of anxiety and fear. And don't, we all have that with when it comes to money. We have that anxiety. We had that fear. But if we can let go of that. We can know that God will guide us on the right path. Now that we understand the importance of surrendering and trusting God with our finances, let's discuss some practical steps you can take to give it all to God. I want to give you action steps. I want to give you concrete things you can do. And if you've listened to me for any time I always go to this.

5:41 Create a budget with God at the center. If you truly want God to be. A, partner with you and to be the center of your life, you got to make him the center of your budget. Start by creating a budget that aligns with your values and reflects your desire to honor God with your money. If you have a budget that doesn't have him at the center, it's not going to honor him. Set aside a portion for giving and prioritize generosity in your financial plan. That is a crucial thing, folks. You got to seek God's guidance in financial decision-making. Before making any major financial decisions seek God's guidance through prayer. Ask him ask for wisdom.

6:21 Ask for discernment. And listen for his leading in your choices. Well, in order to do that, you've got to give generously and cheerfully. practice the biblical principle of tithing. By giving a portion of your income to your local church. And if you don't have a local church, Or a worthwhile charitable organization. But the key to this folks is you got to give with a cheerful heart. Knowing that your giving is an act of worship. And obedience, it's not simply writing a check or doing a cash app or something like that. That act of giving is an act of worship. But more importantly, it's an act of obedience.

7:01 What goes along with this as practicing contentment gratitude. On Sundays. I talk about this a lot. Cultivate an attitude of contentment. And gratitude for what God has provided. Think about all that you have look around you. If you're going through tough times, think about what you do have. You've got to avoid the temptation of comparing yourself to others. Or pursuing excessive material possessions. I've done that. I thought I needed to have so many things. And when I got to the end, I had them and I felt. More hollow than I did before I had them. That's a temptation folks. We look around and we gotta have what that person has.

7:44 We see that. Contentment in their heart, but it's not their folks. Material possessions are never going to lead you to that joy and contentment. The only way to do it is to focus on being grateful for God's blessings in your life. Giving it all to God is not a one-time event also. But it's a continuous journey of growing in faith in stewardship. you can't do it one time. This is a continuous journey. It's a walk in faith. So let's explore some additional steps to help us on this journey. I bring the receipts. So how do we do this Ralph? One of the things you've got to do is regularly assess and align your financial goals.

8:26 Take time to assess your financial goals and ensure that they align with God's purpose. It's easy to stray off the path. Are your goals focused on building his kingdom? Are they focused on helping others? And providing for your family's needs. You've got to regularly review and adjust your goals. As you seek God's guidance. Listen to him, pray to him. Ask him to show you what that alignment looks like. As part of that, you got to practice wise money management. Be diligent in managing your finances wisely. This includes living within your means. And I can't stress this enough. The biggest problem I see with people in their finances is not living within your means.

9:09 God hasrdainedne, you for a position in life. You have a purpose. If you're not living within your means, you will never attain that purpose. Well, how do you do that, Ralph? Avoid unnecessary debt. And instead of getting into debt, save for the future. Live within your means. You seek God's wisdom in your financial decisions and practice good stewardship of the resources he's entrusted to you. And folks he's entrusted them to you. They're not yours. They're not mine. It's a trust. He's given them to you. You need to be a good steward of them. And what goes along with this is cultivating a generous heart.

9:51 Generosity is at the heart of giving it all to God. Search for opportunities to bless others with your resources. Whether it's through financial gifts. It could be through acts of service or simply sharing your time and talents. This doesn't have to cost you real dollars. You can be there for someone else. You can perform acts of service. You can share your time and talents. God's given you talents. Are you using them for his kingdom? I hope that this podcast is a way for me to use my talents, to reach people. But ultimately you've got to trust God's provision as you practice generosity and experience the joy of giving and it will bring you joy folks.

10:32 It will. Now, before we wrap up, I want to remind all of our listeners to visit our podcast page. That's at askralphpodcast.com. There you can leave a review, share your thoughts, or even send us a message with questions for future episodes. While you're there. Make sure you join our email list so that we can let you know about things going on on the show. And also if this program is a blessing to you, do me a favor, pray for it. Pray for me, pray for me to be able to reach people. And share this with others. Let's close this episode in prayer. Heavenly father, we thank you for being our provider. And for entrusting us with the resources we have.

11:13 Help us to surrender our finances to you completely. Don't let us hold back. Anything, knowing that you are the ultimate owner. grant us the wisdom to make wise financial decisions and to trust in your guidance. May we give generously. And more importantly, cheerfully. Reflecting your love and generosity to others. Lord, we pray for your continued guidance and grace, as we navigate the journey of giving it all to you. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, thank you for joining me on this extended episode of the Ask Ralph Podcast, where we try to master your finances with a Christian perspective. That's my mission field.

11:54 We've explored a topic of giving it all to God. Understanding the importance of surrendering. Trusting. And practically applying these principles in our financial lives. Remember. It's not about the amount of money we have. But about our heart posture towards God and his principles. Like I said, if you've enjoyed today's episode, be sure to visit our podcast page. That's at askralphpodcast.com for more valuable insights and resources on mastering your finances. With a Christian perspective, there's over 300 episodes out there. If you need help in an area, just go onto the search button. And search for the topic. And if you find that there isn't an episode there, do me a favor. Go down to that bottom, right.

12:35 Microphone icon, and just click record and tell me what I can do to help you. And as always. Stay financially savvy. Continue seeking God's guidance in your financial journey. And may God bless you abundantly. As you give it all to him.