You are committing financial harm to yourself when you do not regularly save a portion of each paycheck in order to build an emergency fund that can take care of financial needs when rainy days ultimately come in your life. The destructive poor stewardship tendency that leads most people to fail to save is caused and perpetuated by regularly taking on loans to purchase products and services you don’t have cash to pay cash for. Also, some portion of it is caused by failure to immediately subtract account withdrawals from your checkbook. In addition, when you don't reconcile your bank account(s) at the beginning of each month you compound the poor stewardship until it finally results in some financial destruction (unbearable debt, repossession, foreclosure, bankruptcy, divorce, homelessness, loss of belief and trust in Jesus Christ, etc.).
When you display poor stewardship tendencies, you're a financial kamikaze that will inevitably crash and burn. The problem is your irresponsibility will damage your own ship (your personal economy and thus relationship with your spouse, children, church family, friends, etc.). The bible instructs you to monitor the state of your income versus your expenditures, so you do not become a tool of satan while thinking you are justified in acting irresponsibly with your finances.
In order to let peace and joy overcome financial destruction, you must keep the amount of your expenses well below the amount of your income. For example, you must budget in such a way that you spend no more than 70% of your after tax income on necessities and desires. You should also establish a habit of regularly tithing ten percent of your income, so that you open the window of heaven over your life to receive tremendous blessing to carry out your purpose and help others. If you don't like to hear the word "budget," would you rather hear the phrase "trapped in debt, relationships ruined, god-given purposes averted?"
When you don't budget, you inevitably overspend your income and get trapped in debt. Financial and spiritual ruin silently overtake most people who fail to budget; just like carbon monoxide silently and without odor takes the life of people trapped in closed buildings. Sometimes, other people do not know the state you’re in until they see you limp and lifeless.
This destruction happens because you were convinced by the enemy of your soul, satan, that you are wiser than God and thus could forsake God’s instructions without consequence. However, just like Adam and Eve you lose far more than you imagine when you take the satan’s word and manage money according to his instructions; destruction will come and it doesn’t matter who reaches out to help you, you’ll continue to be in a place of natural, financial, and possibly eternal torment.
This is not the future God planned for you! If you want to grow financially healthy, wealthy, and wise, you must keep your expenses below your income by staying out of debt. Also, you must do the other things that allow you to stay focused on God’s will and His instructions: get saved, worship Christ daily, pray daily, read the scriptures daily, join a local church, fellowship with believers every week, and be committed on a long-term basis to a ministry sanctioned by your church.
This pattern will serve you in the natural, financial, and eternal arenas of your life. The road to prosperity is not hard to navigate, but it requires setting your face like flint to obey biblical instruction and disciplining yourself to heed the words of our Lord Jesus, who asked what man would attempt to erect a building without first counting the cost. You can only build His building, one that glorifies Him, when you follow His instructions. For if the Lord does not build the house (through you following His guidance), you (the workman) labor in vain!
Please email me with any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Psalm 127:1, Proverbs 27:23-24, Habakkuk 2:2-3, Luke 14:28-30
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
You can find books authored by Randy and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com.
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