Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting some helpful resources and articles as you consider God's heart for you and your finances. The first article: 31 Radical Liberating Questions to Ask God About Your Giving by Randy Alcorn.
An excerpt:
"Asking specific questions of God is a great tradition in Scripture.
Abraham stood by the oaks of Mamre and asked the Lord, 'Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?'
At a great hinge point in his life (2 Samuel 2:1), David asked the Lord two very specific questions:
'Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?'The Lord said, 'Go up.'
David asked, 'Where shall I go?'
'To Hebron,' the Lord answered.
So David went up.
As God’s children, we should ask Him more than just rhetorical questions. We should ask and seek and knock, expecting some kind of response or provision from our God (see Matthew 7:7). The Lord has no trouble handling our most challenging questions. His answers won’t always be as unmistakable as they were to David, but He invites us to ask Him nonetheless.
When it comes to financial stewardship, God hasn’t handed each of us a standardized checklist with little boxes to mark off one by one. Rather, He has provided us His Word with principles for effective financial stewardship—principles we have to wrestle with. In the process of this struggle, God expects us to seek His face and to pursue the counsel of godly believers who have traveled further than we along Stewardship Road.
God is the owner of all and we are His stewards, His money managers. A responsible steward consults the owner, seeking His direction. Financial stewardship decisions require insight and wisdom beyond our own. Scripture says, 'If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault' (James 1:5).
Do you truly desire God’s wisdom and empowerment in making difficult stewardship decisions (and evaluating your own heart on the subject)? Then ask. He won’t leave you in the dark. He has given you His Word and His Spirit to guide you.
The following thirty-one questions are designed to assist you in your quest..."