Money Management

Money is among the top three causes of marital discord and personal stress in many homes. The primary reason is that our priorities are out of order. Matthew 6:33 is the established priority that God has called us to. 

Most of us would agree that COVID-19 was a time that we were not prepared for. There are times when life seems to go in one direction or the other...like the seasons, but this was a very long season of uncertainty in many areas, such as our money.

I want to challenge you to see that this is the season to get your house in order. It is a wakeup call to discipline yourself and gain control of your money. We are living in uncertain times as far as the economy is concerned, but our lives could not be more certain when we are living in faith. These times remind me of the years of famine that Joseph prepared for. When things were good, Joseph stored up enough resources to last during times of leanness. Read Genesis chapter 41.

That, I believe is a lesson for us. God had Joseph in the right place, at the right time to be able to interpret the Pharoah’s dream of warning that there would be a seven-year season of abundance and a seven-year season of famine. Yet, we had no such warning that COVID-19 was coming. Joseph understood that during the times of abundance, he was not to allow all that was produced to be consumed, but a portion was to be held in reserve for the times when there would be scarcity and lack. This is another good lesson for us to learn in light of the current economic climate.

When the economy is good, we are to save and manage our money well, so that when we run into difficult times, we have enough to ride out the storm. Okay, if you didn't do it when things were good...you can start now. To start now is a decision that you must make to set some goals, control your spending, get out of debt, and start saving.

There is a lot of talk about going back to normal. Businesses are opening and people are excited, but be careful, because many businesses will be trying to recover and increase their bottom line at your expense. In many cases, you have less, but you will be asked to pay more. This is a lose- lose proposition, if you can, try to delay or postpone purchasing things you don’t need, and concentrate on your own recovery. 

You must start saving, even if you think that you don't have anything to save. Start looking at your spending by writing down every dime that you spend for the next month. Once you see it in writing, go back through it again and start eliminating areas that you do not absolutely need. It is for the benefit of having a reserve for an emergency. If you have an emergency fund, you are able to relax and have some peace while things in the economy get better. All of this requires discipline which may be hard, but not impossible. Remember, with God all things are possible to those who believe. I want to encourage you to start now. You will not be disappointed. I am praying that you will see the benefits of saving for a rainy day so that you will have less stress in your life. 

God Bless You!

Challenge yourself with this two minute assessment, The Personal Money Management Challenge Assessment. (download free resource here) 

Seminars are held regularly from April through November, and can be scheduled upon request. For inquiries about dates before April, please email revhicks@myfirmrock.org. Seminars will be held via Zoom. The link will be sent upon registration.