Crossing the “what if” line

Pastor Andy Stanley wrote, “As you move forward in your relationship with God, occasionally He will test your grip on your wallet. It’s a faith thing…every so often, God will prompt you to step out of your generosity comfort zone. And if you really want to keep God in control of your finances, you need to follow. There’s a line you must be willing to cross. You must be willing to go where you can’t rely on your own financial stockpiling, but only on the Lord Himself as your provider. I’m not talking about acting irresponsibly with your money. I’m talking about an attitude in which God’s voice is louder than the soundtrack of ‘what ifs’ in your life. You can think of that line as the ‘what if’ line. You’ll know you’re getting close to it when your desire to follow your generosity is met by thoughts like, What if the interest rates change? or What if inflation picks up?…that line is different for everybody…As frightening as it might feel at times, God gives us financial seed for one purpose: sowing. Unless we open our palms and let the seed fly, we will never know what fruit He might bring from it.” Here’s a biblical principle that you can always be certain of: “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV). When you take that step of faith and cross the “what if” line, God promises, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (v. 11 NIV). Go ahead—start to sow and watch what happens.