10/16/2026
๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ข๐ก'๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ.
And you don't need a big house, designer clothes, or an expensive lifestyle to prove that God has been good to you.
Can we talk about something that has been bothering me lately?
๐ช๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐'๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ช ๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐'๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ฆ?
Someone buys a luxury car.
"Wow! God has really blessed them!"
Someone moves into a beautiful mansion.
"Look at what the Lord has done!"
Someone wears designer clothes, travels first class, and posts pictures from expensive vacations.
"Favor! Grace! Financial breakthrough!"
And listen, I'm not against beautiful things. I have some of them lol.
I'm not against owning a nice house, driving a luxury car, or enjoying the fruits of your labor.
If you can genuinely afford those things, have planned responsibly, and they align with your priorities, enjoy them!
๐๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐'๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ข๐ก:
**๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข ๐ช๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐'๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ?**
Because what we see on the outside doesn't always tell us what's happening financially behind closed doors.
That luxury car might come with a $1,200 monthly payment.
That beautiful house might have a mortgage that consumes half the family's income.
Those designer clothes might have been purchased with credit cards that are carrying balances.
And that picture-perfect lifestyle might be financed by debt.
Of course, some people genuinely have the wealth to afford these things.
But appearances alone cannot tell us which is which.
Now imagine another person.
They drive a 12-year-old Toyota.
They live in a modest home.
They wear ordinary clothes.
They don't post every vacation or purchase on social media.
But quietlyโฆ
They have no consumer debt.
They have an emergency fund.
They're consistently investing for retirement.
They're building wealth for their children.
And they sleep peacefully at night because they aren't constantly worried about how to pay their bills.
๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐, ๐๐จ๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐.
And here's the uncomfortable part.
Sometimes we aren't buying things because we need them.
We're buying them because we want people to believe we're successful.
We upgrade the car because our friends upgraded theirs.
We stretch our budget for a bigger house because we want to keep up with our social circle.
We buy things we cannot comfortably afford because we want to look like we've arrived.
And sometimes we even convince ourselves that these purchases are evidence of God's blessings.
๐๐จ๐ง ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ช๐'๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ?
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ช๐'๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐ง๐๐ข๐ก?
๐ Luke 12:15 says:
"Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
Read that again.
๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ข๐ช๐ก.
And in 1 Timothy 6:6, Paul writes:
"But godliness with contentment is great gain."
Not godliness with a luxury car.
Not godliness with a mansion.
Not godliness with an impressive social media lifestyle.
๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ง๐๐ก๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ง.
Now, please don't misunderstand me.
Being poor doesn't make someone more spiritual.
Being wealthy doesn't make someone less spiritual.
And having financial struggles doesn't mean God has abandoned you.
That's precisely my point.
๐๐ข๐'๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐'๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐, ๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐, ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ก๐ง.
And as someone who teaches biblical stewardship, I think we need to ask ourselves some deeper questions.
Are we building wealth or building an image?
Are we making financial decisions based on our values or other people's expectations?
Are we accumulating assets or just accumulating payments?
Are we pursuing financial freedom or financing a lifestyle that makes us look financially free?
Because there is a difference between having money and looking like you have money.
And there is a difference between enjoying God's provision and feeling pressured to prove His provision to everyone around you.
**๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ข๐ก'๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ข๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐.**
Sometimes the blessing is peace.
Sometimes it's contentment.
Sometimes it's having enough.
Sometimes it's being able to provide for your family without constant financial anxiety.
Sometimes it's the freedom to say NO to something you can afford because you have a greater purpose for your money.
And sometimes it's the quiet discipline of managing what God has already entrusted to you.
So here's my challenge:
Before your next big purchase, ask yourself:
"Would I still want this if nobody ever saw it?"
That one question might reveal more about our financial motivations than we realize.
๐ก๐ข๐ช ๐๐๐ง'๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ก ๐จ๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก.
๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐?
And here's another question:
Would you rather look wealthy to everyone around you or quietly build wealth that gives your family financial stability?
Let's talk. I want to hear your perspective, even if you disagree with me.
๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐น. ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ.
โ Liliane Finances
