Monday Memo 1146: It's a Gift

Throughout this "Never Too Young for Purpose" series, we have looked at people and principles that will help you be a person of purpose, no matter your age. As you get older, however, you will need to make a living so you can earn money and pay your bills. God knows you need money so you can eat and have the other necessities of life, so He promised through Adam and Eve that He would always provide for us:

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so (Genesis 1:29-30, NIV, emphasis added).

In those verses, we see that God provided their food as a gift; it was not their wages for work done. He expected them to work, but their food wasn't to come because of their work; it was provided by God Himself. He did not give them so much food for a certain amount of work done; He gave them what they needed. Later, Jesus taught the same principle when He said,

“So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things" (Matthew 6:31-33, emphasis added).

God's kingdom is His will for your life, so if you do what the King wants you to do, He then promises to give you all you need to live on. He may use the place where you work to provide for you but He doesn't need that place to provide for your needs. He can give you houses, cars, land, and everything else you need from various sources when you do His will. That means money doesn't have to be your first concern as you grow older, but doing God's will does. Let me give you an example.

I am a writer and I spend most of my days editing and publishing books. I also spend a lot of time on social media sharing what God teaches me with a worldwide audience. Sometimes people pay me to help them produce their books but at times some cannot afford to do so. What's more, the ministry I perform through social media does not provide me with income, yet I know it's God will for me to do it. As I have obeyed Him, God has provided for my family in other ways while I write and edit and teach online. His provision is a gift and not my pay for the work I do.

One of the questions I ask people who come to me for help in finding their purpose is, "What would you do with your life if you already had all the money you needed to live on?" People tell me they would write, paint, travel, work with children, and other worthwhile activities. I then tell them their answer is a good indication of what their purpose is. If they will do that as often as possible, God will provide for them to do it in surprising ways because He wants to give them what they need while they carry out His purpose for their lives.

What would you do with your time if you had all the money you needed to live on? You can not only dream about it but actually do it as you learn to trust God to make good on His promise that He will give you what you need any time you are doing His will. God is the one who pays you and He is always generous and always on time, and He takes good care of those who do His will. Have a blessed week!