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Our foremothers knew how to make something out of nothing. Creating a delicacy out of parts of meat that no one else ever thought to eat was their specialty, and they could turn a throw-away into a showpiece that birthed what we now refer to as designer knock-offs. They were forced to be innovative and resourceful by the circumstances they often faced. Lack was rampant for many of them, but their love and tenacity was unparalleled by much of what we see today. They seemed to have a never-ending supply of unshakable faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and through it they accomplished the seemingly miraculous. But there was another side to their amazing talent for making it seem to us that all was always well.
What we didn’t see, or what they tried to hide, was the pressure-ridden backdrop of them robbing Peter to pay Paul. In other words, they were scurrying to make it all work by paying some and not paying others; or paying a little on ‘this’ and more on ‘that’ to keep creditors halfway satisfied until the next time. The older we grew and the more of this hustle we gained knowledge of, the greater hold it took in our psyches.
Generations have evolved, and our successes in many cases far exceed anything our foreparents could have hoped to achieve. Many of us are blessed to be in a position where we are better able to manage our finances, but for a whole lot of us this ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ hustle is anchored in the back of our minds. We’ve categorized it as an as-needed strategy of survival. We might not HAVE to pull it out, but best believe we will if we need to.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, methods like these are not as dormant as we believe. They are working subconsciously and sometimes doing so against our faith. They lead to a mode of thinking and strategizing that impacts us daily. It may not be that we can easily detect remnants of these old patterns of behavior left from generations before us, but they are there, lurking beneath the surface. We don’t notice them until we come against conditions of lack ourselves. And when we do face financial adversity, most of us are completely caught off guard.
The last place that we look is beneath the surface of our subconscious to see what may be playing repeatedly within it, like a broken record. We don’t examine the thinking that might be causing us to second guess the goodness of God and to question His provision. We pray about it, wait for an answer, and then pray some more; not recognizing that sometimes it is the subtlety of those messages that keep us from moving forward in faith.
Lessons have a tendency to cycle back around. We talk about this often at SMS, because it is such an awesomely important piece of information to carry in our arsenals at all times. We might be tempted to think of these repetitive opportunities of spiritual lessons in a less than positive light, but it should be viewed in a very beneficial way. There can be no doubt that the enemy will seek to attack us. There is also no denying that he seeks to do so in our most vulnerable places. What the devil meant for bad, God will turn it around for our good.
Heavenly Father has designed the universe to respond positively toward us any time we seek to learn, correct ourselves, repent and grow spiritually in Christ. When it comes to God turning things around for our good, we’re not standing on the sidelines watching, we’re in the game. We must understand that we are integral partners in the process. One of the ways in which Heavenly Father turns an attack into a stepping stone for higher heights is to equip us through the knowledge and wisdom we gain from having been attacked. God commands us in His Word to be watchful, and to wake up and strengthen ourselves in His Word. One of the ways in which we do this is to recognize where we have left a door open.
The true essence of life is growth. Growth keeps the promises of God flourishing in this earthly realm, and He is very interested in our spiritual growth in Christ. He tells us in Ephesians 4:23 to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. This allows us to release the very thoughts and habit patterns that hold us back, and encourages us to put-on in our minds more of His Word. This is how we grow in Christ.
Noticing the recurring of patterns and situations help us to take note of the degree to which we still have work to do. They reveal the need to refocus our attention to the things of God, to make a greater commitment to renew our minds, and to keep at it in terms of moving the negativity out as it pops up. In other words, when the same things keep knocking at our doors, it tells us that we’ve gotta keep praying and partnering with the Holy Spirit over our deliverance.
These things should prompt us to think deeply and ask God for answers that only the indwelling Holy Spirit can provide. For instance, some of us have tendencies to hoard or to be obsessively frugal because we are afraid of being without something we need. We don’t tithe, give liberally, or invest in others because we think we are not going to have enough to take care of ourselves. Many with this mindset have a decent job and their needs are adequately met, yet still they maintain a mind-and-heart-set of not enough.
Thoughts like these can be strongholds, and one of the ways we tear them down is to recognize the bad programming and confront it with the truth of God’s Word. Discern God’s heart for you and don’t be shy about looking under the hood of programming that might have been passed down from well-meaning sources.
God speaks His thoughts into our deep places. He is telling us to come out of our fear and be at one with Him. Yes, all of us may have robbed Peter to pay Paul, but at some point we will have to wrestle with a mentality that limits us from moving higher. We will have to release our firm grip on the things that keep us from opening our hearts to God as fully as we should. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Robbing Peter to Pay Paul” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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