For years, I’ve known my weakness in financial affairs to be great. Wisdom has been a prayer that I’ve brought so often to my weekly or monthly accounting. But also I’ve had to pray so often for peace and mercy, knowing how weak I am as a financial manager. 

Have I been disappointed in myself? Absolutely. And, have I been disappointed in God? Yes. 

I’ve wondered why God has not gifted me with better ability to manage my financial affairs. I have been disappointed that he didn’t give me more money to manage, so the mistakes I made didn’t feel so disastrous. I have been disappointed  that God finds it necessary to discipline me again and again into a desperately dependent relationship with him in financial matters. 

Disappointed until I remembered…

And then I’ve remembered something that makes all the difference in the world. I have remembered that Jesus reigns over my life and has called me to contentment in whatever poverty or riches I have. I know without a doubt that the Spirit of God is moving in my life to mold me into the image of Christ, and that my Abba Father has promised to always provide for me – that his goodness and greatness might be made known.

Disappointed until I learned…

I’ve also learned that there are three words that are better choices than disappointment – when facing financial challenges. As my son-in-law Dirk Gieser is fond of saying, “It matters how you frame it.”

WAYS TO REFRAME DISAPPOINTMENT

Because Jesus is reigning, the Holy Spirit is moving, and Abba Father is providing, do-nothing, depressing, defeating disappointment can and must be replaced with the following with confidence that the following is happening in real time:

• DELIVERANCE – from what we can’t control, or know
• DIVINE APPOINTMENT – to the best possible outcomes
• DISCIPLINE – of heart, mind and lifestyle to The Voice of the Spirit of God

HALLELUJAH!

DELIVERANCE instead of Disappointment – Deliverance from what we can’t control, or know

I do not know all that God has delivered me from in his sovereign choices for my life, but I know one thing. He has delivered me from colossal financial errors. Mismanaging a couple thousand dollars a month in income is one thing. What if I were given a couple million dollars of income every month to manage? Small errors with large amounts of his kingdom resources could be absolutely disastrous for so many people. So, I’m thankful there are others who are good financial managers that God has given more money to, because I probably couldn’t be trusted to manage large sums wisely. 

DIVINE APPOINTMENT instead of Disappointment – Divine appointment to the best possible outcomes

And then there is the divine appointment. Each of us is appointed to walk where Jesus wants to walk, to reveal his glory to those who we rub shoulders with. It so happens that I was born on the Dakota plains among humble farmer families. It’s so happens that at no time have I been a pastor to those with millions. It’s so happens that in poverty and humility throughout my family history we have been divinely appointed to show to the world that God’s gifts are enough to live graciously and righteously, even when they don’t seem like they are enough.

Recently (9/21/2025) I drove 70 mi south to speak at a church of my brother in Christ, Kerry Mitras. Our church is partnered with Vision for Children, of which he is the director, in support of Casa Esperanza in La Pintana, Chile. My effort was to speak about mission outreach as a “work of faith,”  “labor of love,”  and conviction arising out of ” steadfast hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

The trip cost me gas money and tolls totaling about $35. I’m short this month and thought that I probably would take the honorarium this time if they offered one. But when their treasurer approached me after the service and asked me if I would want to donate the honorarium to Vision for Children, as I had the last time I had been there, in the afterglow of worship and speaking the word of the Lord, I said “Sure!” 

Later, as Kerry and I walked to the car, he showed me a check for $350 to Vision for Children and said that I was responsible for $250 of it. I was shocked, and instantly struggled with a bit of remorse that $250 wasn’t in my pocket. 

But then, the love of God in my heart for that ministry and for my brother took over and I was able to say honestly,”I’m glad it’s that much ” As I drove off the parking lot, conscious of my core weariness and aware of needing to stay alert for the long drive home, I realized that on my own I was unable to manage very well without God’s help. But then I also thought that in managing my monthly income it is the same thing and I depend on God to take over in my weakness. I was flooded with joy! On my own I would never have decided to donate $250 this month to the work at Casa Esperanza. I began praying with true joy that my budgeting “mistake” was redeemed and made available to ministry by my Lord: “Lord Jesus, you are reigning; Holy Spirit, you are moving; Abba Father, you are providing. Hallelujah!” 

DISCIPLINE instead of Disappointment – Discipline of heart, mind and lifestyle to The Voice of the Spirit of God

And of course there’s a thing I don’t really like, discipline. When I’m disappointed, it usually points to some challenge to my spirit and mindset. I find that I am no more deeply challenged to exercise self-discipline that in the use of money. If disciplines me to listen as carefully and intently as I can to the voice of the Spirit of God. Recently I had the uncommon experience of having $100 in my wallet. And I happen to be thinking about a brother who is going through cancer treatment in another country. The thought crossed my mind that perhaps God wanted me to give him that $100.

Because I have adopted disciplines for My mind and Spirit over the years, my first instinct was not to send that $100 to him but to pause and pray, saying “Lord Jesus, please confirm for me if this is your will for me. You know that this month of taxes is calling for that $100. You know that I am hoping to get different hearing aids. But you also are able to provide for all of those things if you want me to share that 100 bucks with him. So direct my steps Lord. No, discipline my steps and open my ears to your voice that I might do only what you want me to do. I know you can provide for my brother as well as you provide for me. Please Lord pour out a blessing on him financially whether this $100 is for him or not ” 

Am I disappointed that I don’t have $10,000 to send to my brother?

No matter how much I would have in my wallet, I am not disappointed that I don’t have more but am disciplined to lay it before the Lord in view of everything that he has put before me to finance this month. 

It’s not only my mind and heart that have been disciplined to listen first for the voice of God on financial matters, but my lifestyle has also been disciplined. 

There was a time when Julia and I were deep in credit card debt. Two things happened that I consider a gift from God. They helped us to discipline our spending and begin to live by a budget. The first was a very helpful credit management company that helped us to set up a payment plan with our credit card companies to pay back what we owed over a seven-year period of time – sparing us from bankruptcy. God helped us to pay back what we owed in 5 years! God did that by giving us a second gift. 

During those five years we went through a course called Financial Peace University. 

Through Dave Ramsey’s teaching and inspiration we learned again that spending as wisely and carefully as we could was a discipline that God would bless mightily. 

In addition to those two major gifts, we experienced other extraordinary gifts of God during those five years. We were given a good car. Our church went through extremely tough times but continued to be able to support us in ministry. The ways that God helped us to begin to give away large sums of money is a story for another time, but in the end we were content, not disappointed. 

“…in the end we were content, not disappointed.”

Julia and I after all those experiences 20 years ago, adopted the following as our life goal. I pray it will inspire you to follow the Lord with contentment:

We are breathing by grace. We are asking God to help us stand on the rock of His faithful love and let our life be a testimony to living by grace – by His gifts alone…  Soli Deo Gloria!

“For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then My faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” ~Isaiah 54:10 NLT

Additional resources

• “Courage is doing the right thing when you don’t know the outcome…” – Charlie Kirk
• When Heaven Blocks Your Plans, God Is Only Editing, Not Ending © 2025 By Ogbo Awoke Ogbo
• Open Hands – Laura Story
• I Know Who Holds Tomorrow -Alison Krauss, Cox Family
• I’d Rather Have Jesus – Bev Shea
• Give me Jesus – Jeremy Camp