Financially Bound

[Novelist]

Recently, I graduated with a BBA, but it is hard to find employment.  At the moment, I am working at the mall, but it is seasonal.  I want to land a permanent job so that I can pay my bills off, but I am far into debt and I am ashamed.  I do not make enough money to promise them to pay next month or after that.  I am disappointed in myself because I want to be financially stable, but everything such as credit cards and student loans caught up with me.  All of this is a result of my irresponsibility.  God knows I want to repay my bills, but I do not have nothing or enough to repay.  So far, my Grandmother helps me, but it can be for lunch, bus fare, helping me get my car fixed, or buy an outfit, but other than that, I am bound.  I am frustrated and feel ashamed that all of this weight is on my shoulders.  To some extent I deserve it for being irresponsible and I learned my lesson.  

Right now, I am being diligent in job hunting because within the next year, I want some of my debt to be paid.  I am 25 and I should be living on my own, not with my Grandmother.  It is my fault for not taking iniative on things, but most of the time I was in school, I worked a part time job before, but I simply did not make enough money to go on my own.  I have the desire to live on my own, but I cannot afford it due to my credit history, my loans, and I feel distraught from all of this.  Is it crazy to be 25 and living with your Grandmother?  If so, I am in trouble and so behind.  I feel as if I did not achieve anything.  Where am I going?  I want more out of life, but it seem to stay in one place.


I have gone on several interviews, I am volunteering and thinking about joining the PeaceCorp.  I want to make a difference and do something positive in life.  I am to do creative things, but no one will allow me to show the talents that I have.  All of this has to do with money because I need to earn a living for myself.  Sometimes, I become angry with myself because I could have gone for the gold a long time ago.  I am single, no children or nothing, there should not be any reason for me to live with my grandmother and not have a steady job.  Right now, I am reflecting on what I am doing wrong and what is preventing me from getting a job.  Wow! I have so much to do and it is stressful.  I need God to intervene.  SOON!  Please pray for me.



Novelist.

[David Dupree]

Novelist,  

I am sure that with a BBA you were taught well and understand many of the financial principles that are embodied in a business oriented degree.  But...beyond those principles, you have to remember your first estate.  As one of the called out, chosen ones, you have to remember that God's principles supercede man's principles.  Not only that, but man's ways are not God ways.  

Who said that you should be on your own at 25 and not living with your grandmother?  Did God say it?  If not then you stay put until God opens the door for you to do something different.  If you open the door you will be in for a peck of trouble.  

Who said that you have to have a steady job in your field right now?  Did God say it?  Did God provide it yet?  If you are delighting yourself in Him then He will give you the desires of your heart.  In the meantime, you must trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all your ways and look for your path to be directed by Him.  The steps of a good/righteous man or woman are ordered by the Lord.

You must have the faith to believe that you are in ordered steps and that where you are is where God wants you to be right now.  Many are the plans in a man/woman's heart, but the purpose of the Lord shall prevail.  

You may not understand why you are where you are, but continue to seek God for understanding.  Continue to do what you are doing in search of a job and also begin to explore how to exercise some of those "creative" things that you are to do.  Surely if you are creative enough, you will find a way to advance one or two of them without making the venture such a monetarily prohibitive event.  Just because man said no to it does not mean that God does not have a way for it to be accomplished.  

Sometimes we need to be STRETCHED by God and that involves thinking out the box, looking out the box, believing out the box, praying out the box, worshipping out the box and not allowing what looks like a limitation to you to limit an unlimited God.  

Let's stop talking about how we can't and then let's start talking about how God can.  

I know you have probably heard plenty of sermons about how God is gonna do it, your miracle is next etc etc.  Sure it is all true but as God releases your miracle in eternity to drop into time and find you, it must find you at the right place at the right time doing the  right thing.  

Set your affections on things above.  Yes you are in a financial box with loans and credit cards, but maybe you need to be in that box right now so that God can continue to instruct you in being a good steward over handling your finances.  

Take charge over what you can control--no further debt and keeping current on your current debt.  Paying it off will come.  Be consistent with what you do now.  Maybe God needs to see a strong level of consistency out of you in order for you to appropriate the overflow.  One thing about being bound to debt...once you are free you never want to be in that bondage again.  

(soapbox)
It is a shame that although we have been delivered from Pharoah and out of Egypt, we continue to be enslaved to this 21st century Pharoah..so much so that we are often in such debt that we have to make bricks (financial foundation in our lives) without straw (sufficient finance or jobs).  God help us be delievered and stay delivered.  (especially me)

dd

[Novelist]

Profoundly,  I appreciate your words of encouragement and wisdom from my notes.  Thus far, God has been good to me and he will work things out.  I have to encourage myself too.  I have already prayed and asked God to fix this situation.  You are right, I should not place limitations on God because he is a resolution to all problems.  Truly, my heart wants to repay my debt and I know this may be the trying of my faith so that I will lean on God's understanding and not my own.  Slowly, I am being stripped from my own dependence, looking to God who is the answer.  Of course God will give me the strength to do what I need to do and there will be times when his power is more sufficient.  Yes, I have struggles in finances right now, but I will come out.  I surely thank you for giving me some great words of encouragement because it has made a wonderful statement to me.  

Living with my grandmother is not bad, I just want my own space.  I believe all of this came from seeing other people live on their own and some were younger than I was so I felt as if I was a failure because here they are living on their own, have a job, a nicer car, and I am stuck with scraps, barely making it.  I know it was covetous and envious and I am wrong for that.  I just want to live a decent life and not have to live from paycheck to paycheck.  I am tired of being empty handed.  As a result, this is why I was so hard on myself  because I believed that at some point in my life, I needed to move to another level.  I know that this is not God's will for my life to be stuck in a rut and being unemployed, so I am trying my best to have faith that he will do it.  

Eventually, things should start shaping up.  I want to enjoy the time I am in and be with God.  I am growing spiritually and there are some things that I know I should be doing right now.  God deserves my attention and commitment.  No matter what.  Money is great, but God is Greater than money and anything else and this is where most of us fall short.  Surely, I am guilty of it.  I will continue to do what I am doing and get a head start on some things, such as my writing and reading time.  Obviously, there is a purpose for this time for me to get with God and allow my writing to start again.

Financially, I want to be free and God will bring it to pass.  Not only in my finances, but maturing me on how to control my finances and being a blessing to others.  I want a meek and humble attitude.  I want to help others and give advice to those who are going through the same financial struggles that I faced.  Maybe you are right, I am where I need to be for right now until God opens the door.  Everything is under God's power and authority and when he speaks, it shall be done.  I believe that I am being STRETCHED.  All of this is happening for a reason and something positive will come out of this because God is in the midst of it all.  Thank you for giving me words of wisdom.


Novelist.