Michael Blue

C.T. Studd was a missionary to China, India, and Africa at the turn of the 20th century. Before going on the mission field, he was a wealthy world-famous athlete. Forsaking his wealth and fame, he left it all to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in faraway places.

> __*“WE CAN TRUST HIM TOO LITTLE, BUT WE CANNOT TRUST GOD TOO MUCH.”*__
> – C.T. Studd​​

Before leaving for China, he gave away everything he owned. Intentionally becoming poor to create an absolute dependence on God. After returning from his first two missionary stints, Studd felt called to go to Africa. He was in poor health and was told that the journey and conditions in Africa would kill him. His church, friends, doctors, and family tried to convince him not to go. Yet, he felt God calling him to Africa and so he went.

### Can you feel the tension?

Though many tried to dissuade him along the way, he put God’s glory ahead of everything. He was daring and risky. Some probably even say he was foolish. But what we cannot say is that he didn’t trust God.

### Pinpointing the Origin of Trust

Working in a ministry that helps people learn to manage their money wisely, my greatest fear is that I will point people toward placing their hope and trust in money instead of God. This becomes especially challenging when helping people think through the question of how they should provide for their family. The problem is that we tend to think that providing well for our families means giving them more things and more safety nets. What if provision for our families means something entirely different? What if it means providing them with a trust in God as their provider? What if it means putting them in situations where they are utterly dependent on God?

Is this foolishness? Is it foolish to trust God? Are we being reckless if we take our families to Syria to reach the lost? How do we balance our desire to protect with our desire to trust God? I believe more and more each day that blindly accepting my comfortable, safe, suburban mindset is utter foolishness. Why would I want my kids growing up without the need to trust God? This is not the financial legacy I want to leave my family.

### Ways to Trust Him

Selling all I have or moving to a dangerous country are not the only ways I can learn trust God. I can learn to trust God by faithfully witnessing to my neighbors and helping those in need. I can learn to trust God by boldly living a life of radical generosity. I can learn to trust God by walking into the darkness of the world to shine His light. What I cannot do is be content with my comfortable lifestyle and never venture beyond my doors to demonstrate God’s love for others.

I don’t know what God is calling you to do, but I do know He wants you to learn to trust Him. That may require you doing dangerous and difficult things. It may require you selling all you have and giving to the poor. It may require you knocking on your neighbor’s door to share the truth about Jesus with them. I don’t know what it will take for you to learn to trust God, but I know that I don’t want to get to the end of my life and say that I trusted God too little. If my money or money management is a barrier to that trust, then I need to change what I am doing.

### The True Definition of Hope

This is what financial hope is all about. It is about rightly placing our hope and trust where they belong–God. Whatever it takes for us to learn to trust God is exactly the best thing for us to do financially. This will leave a legacy of hope and trust with our children and will teach them that we cannot trust God too much.

FaithFi

Articles

Financial hope is about rightly placing our hope and trust where they belong–God.

MANAGE | Feb 14, 2022

The Ultimate Financial Hope--Trusting in God

By: Michael Blue

Where Faith Meets Finance

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