Overcoming Financial Fear and Anxiety

Many people wrestle with financial fear and anxiety. We hear it every day on the Faith and Finance program and from our community on the FaithFi app. These emotions can plague our lives and completely overcome our thoughts.

Financial anxiety isn't always dependent on how much money is in our bank account or the net worth on our balance sheet. It's really dependent on a much deeper, spiritual level. We need to recognize where that root of anxiety comes from and realize that Jesus is the Great Physician of our souls. We can cast our cares on him. We can trust him and when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find rest and peace for all of our worries and anxieties.

There is an undeniable connection between what we treasure and the source of our anxiety. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 6:19-21:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In verses 22 through 34, Jesus goes on to say that we cannot serve two masters, God and money, and that we should not be anxious about our life, what we’ll eat or drink or wear. Our heavenly Father knows we need these things and He will provide.

Jesus’ words have power to transform us, to help us focus on the eternal and incorruptible treasure that is found in pursuing God's Kingdom. When we do so, we align our hearts with God's will and His righteousness.

Despite the daily worries that come about, often financial in nature, we can rest assured that God knows our needs better than we do and that He will provide for us just like He cares for the birds and the lilies.

Knowing something, however, and taking it to heart— putting it into practice— are two different things. We at FaithFi saw a need to help our listeners and readers overcome financial fear and anxiety.

To achieve this, the team here at FaithFi developed a new resource titled,* __“Look At the Sparrows: A 21-day Devotional On Financial Fear and Anxiety.” __

This devotional has seven sections with three devotions in each and is based on Matthew 6:19-34 from the Sermon on the Mount. Each section starts with a devotion on that portion of the Sermon on the Mount and then is followed by two more devotions that build upon that section's theme. Sections have titles such as “Can't Serve God and Money,” “Don't be anxious about your life,” and “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

We wanted this to be something that you reflect on throughout the day so each devotion includes a Scripture passage, the devotion text itself, questions to encourage you to go deeper into the teaching, a guided prayer, and finally, a verse to memorize. At the end of the 21 days, you’ll have memorized all of Matthew 6:19-34, and that’s a treasure to comfort you whenever you begin to feel financial fear and anxiety. "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" Matthew 6:26 You can also listen to the related podcast on this topic.