Who Writes Your Checks?

“God is the Source of all things.” We learn that seemingly simple truth early on in our Christian discipleship. It’s Basic 101 stuff. But in an affluent culture, we fight to not have to live that truth out. Why? Because we are afraid of losing control and losing our stuff.

We seek to tie ourselves to—at least what we perceive to be—a solid, tangible, long-term source of income. Since it’s May, here’s an example: Whenever we encounter a high school graduate, we always inquire about their college plans or to hear their life plan. What we are trained to ask them and how we have trained them to answer is based on this underlying question: So, what will the source of your life be? We then mentally deem their school choice or career plan worthy or not, based on that answer. We never say it, but we’re all thinking it.

My wife and I have discipled couples that made the spiritual decision to have less stuff, but more life. More time, less crazy. I’ve never not seen someone be blessed by that leap of faith. Testing and proving that God is indeed the Source and Provider when you feel a spiritual conviction to change, or a calling that you can’t ignore any longer, can be amazingly freeing. But for a captive to be free, he has to walk out of the cell when the door is unlocked.

I have seen this truth for myself over the past year of how God will actually do what He promises when we place ourselves in the position for Him to respond on our behalf. It’s funny how that works—a truth is true, but we must place ourselves in the position of faith to activate that truth and see it for ourselves. The truth has to become true personally—for me, for you. The child believes Dad will catch him if he jumps, but the child has to decide if he can jump.

Regardless of who writes your paycheck, do you perceive God to be your Source? Is there anyone in your life that you view as your source? Your employer? Your wife’s employer? Your trust fund? 401K? You and your bootstraps?

Last year, I had a good friend tell me this: “All your life God has been writing your checks, even though employers, banks, and locations have changed.” Regardless of the details of our situation, where we are, or where we’re going, it is crucial that, at some point, each of us understand that all our water is coming from the same source, regardless of the label on the bottle.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together. —Colossians 1:15-17 NLT