The Cost of Living the Life Of A Believer

When my husband Ceaser and I were first married he was the spender and I was the saver. Back then, many arguments were had because he would spend significant amounts of money on items I felt could and should have waited, and he would do it without speaking to me. Having these difficult conversations allowed us both to grow and continue to become one. Soon, his pet name for me in the finance department was “El Cheapo.” If you’ve watched Father of the Bride you will know where that name came from. Now, going on twelve years as one, we have balanced one another out. Ceaser now looks for deals and has earned my absolute trust concerning our finances. He still likes things, but he brings me along for the journey in his decisions. I am still frugal but I have learned to enjoy the money I work hard to earn and to use it as a tool to enjoy the life Ceaser and I are building, among other things. Balance.

While we are on the subject of money, Caleb is now in first grade. Yes, my mind is still failing to cope with this reality. Now that he is no longer in the preschool section of his school he has access to the school tuck shop which means he will need access to some money to be able to make purchases from said tuck shop. See, I am so not ready for all this. “Lord, where did the time go?” Late to the party as I have been quite unprepared for his transition into primary, Ceaser and I have finally agreed on his weekly allowance, what chores he needs to do to earn that money and how we will communicate things like tithing, stealing and saving. Can I stress enough how I am not ready for all this? Please pray for us. I am both excited and nervous to see how our son will navigate this new responsibility he has. What I know for certain is that however, he goes about it, he will soon learn that life is expensive and everything has a cost to it. My prayer is that he will appreciate these facts rather than fight against them. 

You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know Me, believe Me, and remain steadfast to Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. ~ Isaiah 43:10 (ESV)

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ~ John 3:18 (ESV)

I don’t think it is lost on any of us that the life we live in Christ was bought at a very high price. However, I think that because this price was paid in full, it is easy for us to forget the cost. Our participation in the purchase of our redemption is to place our belief in God and Christ. Not just in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, but in all things, at all times, and at every turn. Our failure to participate appropriately has an impact on how we will navigate life and also how well we get to know our Heavenly Father. More than just a hindrance to answered prayer, unbelief creates distance between us and God, and dare I say, between us and the us whom God intends for us to be. Unbelief is expensive. Yet I find that we often fail to realise just how costly a life of unbelief can be. In my daily struggles to believe, the Holy Spirit has highlighted three areas I must pay attention to. These may not be the same for you, but I hope that in sharing mine, you can begin to think more about how you can appreciate the cost of living the life of a believer.

Regulate your thoughts

This seems so rudimentary yet it remains a daily struggle for me. Our imagination is a gift and I have quite a colourful one. Your imagination can either serve as a secret weapon or as your Achilles heel. In my life, depending on the day, it has been both. One way that I have purposed to regulate my thoughts is to bring them before God often. I find myself asking God, “Lord, why am I thinking this way or feeling this way?” Writing down my thoughts has also helped a great deal. Facing what I think head-on and asking questions like, “Is this true?” “What evidence do I have that this is true?” “Could it be possible that I am wrong?” has helped. The backup of the Holy Spirit to help me unpack some of my most tangled thoughts has been crucial to keeping my trust in God steady. Do you struggle with unruly thoughts that mischievously run off to take on a life of their own? Try some of the steps I’ve mentioned and see if they won’t help keep your imagination in check and playing for the right team.

Expand your belief system

If our actions are the fruit then our thoughts are the tree and our beliefs are the roots of that tree. When our belief system is limited, our lives will be limited too. In my own life I have found that where I lack accurate beliefs, I am fearful. I watched a show called Tab Time with my kids and in one of the episodes Miss Tab, the host of the show, was exploring a dark cave. She encountered many friendly characters during her exploration, however, when she first saw them, without any light to aid her vision, they looked like terrifying monsters. Once the light was shed and she could see more clearly, she realised they were friends waiting to be made. I see the same trend in my life. When I lack the correct pieces to form my belief system about a certain area of my life, fear grows. This is an ongoing thing. Pay attention to what you are fearful about. People, places and things. You will find that most of the time your fear in those areas stems from a lack of knowledge and a misinformed belief system. I love reading and listening to podcasts and I have found that the more I broaden my scope of mind by doing these activities more purposefully, the less fearful I am in general. More importantly, we should ensure that the information we ingest lines up with our primary source of wisdom, God’s Word. Pay attention to what you watch on TV and whom you listen to. I know it sounds old-fashioned, and as an adult, you have more liberties in such areas, but trust me, it is not worth the high cost of unbelief that will spring up in your life because of a corrupt belief system. Work through the giants in the dark caves of your mind. Be open to what the Holy Spirit may reveal about your belief system and how He would like to adjust it.

Don’t be led by your mood

I have shared in the past how I have struggled with anxiety since having my daughter. The more I learn about how I can combat this, the more I realise just how physically evident this emotional weight is. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. In my case, it is brought on mostly by things that haven’t happened yet and if I am being honest, may never happen. Fear is an emotion that has a physical response and can alter your mood for more than a mere twenty-four hours. You may have heard the phrase, “Do it afraid.” I have lived by that phrase a lot lately, pushing past the physical responses of anxiety and fear and choosing to do what God is asking regardless. It’s difficult, but each time I do, I have no regrets. If you want to live a life fully appreciative of the cost of living as a believer you have to learn to obey God regardless of your mood, feelings or lack thereof. When we are in step with God, sooner or later, our mood and feelings will follow. As a believer, your life can either be fear-based or faith-based. You get to choose every day which direction you will lean and then live with the cost of whatever you choose. The more I speak to God about my fears the more He reminds me that what I should fear most is the person I become when I am afraid. In fear I make mistakes, I lose my wit and I become annoyingly suspicious as the path to my purpose becomes cluttered by imaginary monsters. Who do you become when you are afraid? Do you like that person? I suspect you don’t.

Decide today to pay attention to the cost of living as you continue to grow as a believer. Recognise that your thoughts and imagination have the power to create your best or worst life. Purpose to expand your belief system by facing your thoughts head-on. Choose to be led by the Spirit of God rather than your mood and remember that if you are not feeling awkward, or uncomfortable then you are probably not walking out on the water and in step with God. This walk isn’t for the faint-hearted and cannot be done without belief. Without belief, you will find yourself paying too high a price for life.