You check your bank balance, then check it again just to be sure.

How is that possible? you wonder. I was so careful this month!

Maybe it’s the fact that you just welcomed a new baby into your family. Maybe you recently lost your job, and the bills are starting to outpace your savings. Or maybe you can’t seem to dig your way out of the college loans, medical bills, and family expenses that are always looming over your head. Whatever the case, you feel the anxiety that comes with strained finances start to take hold.

If you’re experiencing financial struggles, you might feel like this worry consumes all your energy—and all your attention. How are you supposed to grow in your faith when you can’t stop thinking about whether you’re going to be able to pay the next bill?

God’s Word is full of wisdom for every challenge we face. Here are three biblical reminders to help you trust God and show generosity amid financial struggles.

God calls us to live faithfully, despite how much money we make.

Throughout the Bible, we see multiple instances of the commandment that Jesus summarizes during his earthly ministry: “Love God, and love your neighbor” (Mark 12:28–31 GNT). If you trust Jesus as your Savior and want to honor God with your life, this calling is the compass that can help direct your steps each day. And while it’s a calling that guides how we use our earthly riches, it doesn’t require you to be wealthy to make an eternal impact in God’s kingdom.

We see examples of this in the lives of people throughout Scripture. Some, like Abraham, are blessed with incredible wealth (Genesis 13). Others, like the unnamed widow who gives two small coins, are poor (Luke 21:1–4). Both are called by God to follow his law and live faithfully. And both receive God’s favor for the way they honor him with the gifts he has given—not because of their wealth, but because of their faith.

If you’re facing financial struggles today, remember that your calling to love God and love your neighbor is still the same. Ask God to grant you humility, gentleness, and patience and to encourage you in your calling (Ephesians 4:1–4 GNT). And trust that God will bless your faithfulness!

We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfill by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith. In this way the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory from you, and you from him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11b-12 GNT

Even amid financial struggles, God promises to provide.

Calling is great, you might be thinking, but it doesn’t pay my bills. When you’re wondering whether you’ll have a paycheck next month or reworking your budget to ensure that you’ll have enough money for food this week, God’s calling to live faithfully could seem like empty noise.

God understands the fears, anxieties, and worries that come with financial challenges. He cares about the way these struggles can impact our lives, our emotions, and our faith. That’s why his Word is full of reminders about who God is, and what he promises to do for those who trust in him. We’re reminded that God cares for every living thing, and that he loves us much more than any other creature he has made (Luke 12:24 GNT). Even more than that, we’re told that God is our heavenly Father, and that he will respond to our need (Matthew 7:9–11 GNT).

Because of these truths, God’s Word encourages us to reject the temptation to worry about our earthly needs (Matthew 6:31–33 GNT)—including the financial ups and downs we experience. As we grow in faith and learn to trust God with every need, we grow in our understanding of how good, loving, and powerful our God is!

And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs.

Philippians 4:19 GNT

Your financial status doesn’t dictate how God can use you to bless others.

Many times, when we face financial difficulties, charitable giving is one of the first expenses we cut. Our monetary generosity toward our church, community, and ministries around the world dwindles. This can be a difficult experience. We might feel like we’re not doing enough to bless others. We may even worry that if we don’t have enough money, we can’t do enough for God.

God calls us to love him and our neighbors, and we can do that with or without money. He reminds us that he is the one who provides everything we have to offer—not just our money, but also our gifts, talents, passions, and abilities. And our financial status doesn’t control how God can use us in his kingdom. Think about all the ways people have blessed you through their prayers, words, and actions. Sometimes a visit, an invitation, a home-cooked meal, or a timely prayer is exactly what God uses to remind the people around you of his love. Don’t underestimate how God will use you as you seek to live out your calling of biblical generosity. Instead, ask him to show you unexpected ways to bless those around you as you follow his calling and trust in his provision.

And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. As the scripture says,

“He gives generously to the needy;
his kindness lasts forever.”

And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity. He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.

2 Corinthians 9:8–11 GNT

Ways to Pray

• If you’re facing financial struggles, spend some time making your specific needs known to God. Ask for his help to avoid worry and trust in his goodness and provision. Use some of the Scripture passages above to guide your prayer.
• Spend time listing the ways God has blessed you today, this week, and this month. Thank God for each blessing and ask him to help you bless others as he has blessed you. You can even keep a written list of blessings in your Bible, on your fridge, or noted on your phone to help you remember God’s goodness to you!
• Spend time praying for the people in your life who have shared their own challenges with you. Ask God to show you practical ways to encourage them. Choose someone today and reach out to offer an encouraging word, a small favor, or to let them know that you are praying for them.

We hope you were encouraged by this reflection on God’s provision! To continue exploring Scripture today, check out these two blogs on trusting God with our financial worries:

• 4 Things to Do When You’re Stressed About Money
• Tossed by Financial Worries? Here Are Three Reminders to Anchor Your Faith in God