I’ve felt the need lately to handle my finances better. I tend to get to the end of the month and wonder where my money went. I’m thinking there’s no reason why I can’t set aside a certain amount every month. I have a number in mind. So, I think it’s doable.
OK, here’s the plan. Since I get paid every two weeks, the way I’m thinking of doing this is to just take half that amount out of my account every pay check in cash. That way I can’t spend it and I will be limited to the resources available in my account. I know what you’re thinking, “Why not put that amount into an investment every month.” Well, I see your point. But for right now I’m just wanting to save enough to buy a decent used car. So, I guess this is a short term savings plan. Then I can concentrate on investing my extra income.
I know this will be good for me, besides just being able to set aside some extra money every month. It’ll force me to live on a budget as well. Never a bad thing. I think, often times, I end up nickel and diming my budget away. I’m not really a big spender on big ticket items. It’s just all the little stuff that really adds up, like eating out, or coffee, and actually I don’t know what else. But it sure adds up.
It’s interesting how we can easily waste our resources if we don’t keep an eye on them. Little things add up into big things. I can easily spend money without realizing where it’s going. I need to remember that my resources are a precious thing. I’m only given a set amount of anything, really. A certain amount of time, a certain amount of talent, a certain amount of calories I can consume each day. That last one is unfortunate. I like eating. The reality is, though, that it’s not always about having more to work with. It’s about working with what you have. I need to go in with the mindset “OK, this is what I have to work with. Now what can I do with it?” I think that helps us also appreciate what we have.
Consider if you were given infinite amounts of anything. Would you really appreciate having it? It’s kind of like having enough air to breathe. We don’t even think about it. We kind of take it for granted, unless we were climbing Mount Everest or something. Then I’m sure we would gain a new appreciation for our oxygen levels. Scarcity is partly what makes a thing valuable. That’s what makes us appreciate the value of a dollar as well. We learn that we’re only going to get so much of it. So, it’s what we do with what we have that counts. How do we find the best uses for our minimal resources?
What does the Bible say about finances? Well, quite a lot actually. First of all, I think it important for us to remember that money can only do so much. We need to keep it in its proper perspective. It’s not meant to be our source of happiness or meaning. It’s just a resource. These worldly resources are only temporary. 1 John 2:15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” So, we are to not love these things that we can gain through money. It’s easy for us to forget that this is all temporary. Besides, if we start to look to these things, they will inevitably disappoint. A new car only stays new for so long. It eventually rusts and falls apart. Even if it doesn’t, our neighbor gets a new car and then ours starts to pale in comparison.
The troublesome thing about viruses, spywares, worms, and levitra 20mg uk amerikabulteni.com rootkits, is that they are difficult to detect until they’ve started causing real damage. Do not take tadalafil if you are not fond of oysters, then consume lobsters or generic viagra tab switch to shellfish and mussels. Kamagra is just another name for the trade name drug viagra free delivery and has been very effective and helping men resolve their premature ejeculation problems as well as other related male dysfunctions like impotence, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, low sperm count, etc. A lot buy sildenafil no prescription of the lists that I belonged to started to distribute similar content in their newsletters. Luke 16:10 says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” This is an important thing to remember. This is similar to what I was mentioning in the first part of my post. When we learn to be faithful stewards of the little we have, then we can be trusted with more resources. I think when we truly learn the place and the purpose money serves, we are free to finally be gracious stewards over a larger resource. When money is no longer our source and we learn that He is ‘The Source’, we now have an understanding of its place and money doesn’t really mean anything to us. It’s just a resource for our sojourn here on earth and accomplishing His will for our lives. This is when we’ve truly learned to do what it says in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” It’s then that we know that, in seeking God first, He will provide and take care of us.
Finally, there’s one more thing we need to do with our money—be generous. 1 John 3:17 says, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” It’s important that we have a generous heart, a heart of compassion. You say, “What if I don’t feel this?” Well, let God work in your heart. Seek God and soon His heart will become your heart. You’ll have a truly giving heart, a compassionate heart, a generous heart that honors God. Remember to be thankful. A thankful heart is also honoring to God. When we approach our finances in this way, God has something He can work with.
1 John 2:15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Luke 16:10 says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
1 John 3:17 says, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”