Overspending is a very big problem in the world today, especially with the decades long increases in loan credit availability. Most people are in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt via credit cards, charge cards, car loans, student loans, mortgages, and cosigning for other people’s debts. Over the past five decades savings has declined from approximately 15% of income to not much more than 1% today. Immigrants who come to our shores soon begin to go after loans like those they see around them, so they can immediately purchase all the things they think they missed out on in their former land. It’s a pity we’re leading them on this path at the risk of financial ruin, divorces, and severing of family relationships.
Many people are purchasing much larger homes with very expensive amenities and furnishings than ever before, more expensive cars, and generally more expensive clothing and other merchandise to impress people around them. This makes them feel like they’re successful in everyone’s eyes including their own. They often feel this will make their names great to onlookers, but it often ends in financial and personal tragedy when such purchases are the basis of one’s security and reputation. Sad to say there is a notable increase in general unhappiness with life, divorce rates, depression rates, suicide rates, and many other indicators that seem to have followed the trajectory of our poor financial stewardship and increased movement away from biblical financial principles.
Not long ago, some people felt they didn’t have to save and invest in a diversified manner because the equity in their mortgaged house provided all the wealth they needed for their future and the material things they wanted to get now. They signed massive home equity loans to finance remodels and other lavish purchases (cars, boats, RV’s, jewelry, you name it). A good number even signed for mortgages that allowed them to use credit amounts greater than the amount of equity they had. Thus, stripping most if not all equity out of their properties mostly for the sake of immediately getting material things they really could not afford and that would not help them build wealth to ensure that they and their families would have secure futures.
One thing I need to make unequivocally clear, I am not against people earning large sums of money, purchasing expensive items, or being comfortable in life. I am not the values police waiting to check your every purchase to make sure it’s in line with my beliefs or even scriptural principles. However, I recognize that many will suffer unnecessarily in the area of finances and its connection to so many other areas of life unless they learn, understand, and act on the wisdom of God laid out in the bible. The Holy Spirit indwells believers for the purpose of guiding them so we can become more Christ-like the longer we live upon the earth. He instructs and encourages us to live out biblical principles including those that affect the financial areas of our life. Therefore, I must share the negative consequences that ultimately come upon those that become slaves to lenders, fools who spend all that they earn, cosigners for others, and spiritually blind wealth impersonators who fail to pay attention to ensuring their earnings far exceed their expenses.
No one can continually spend more than he/she earns without running into financial turmoil and future lack. Some big money grips who thought they could, ran into earnings, foreclosure, repossession, bankruptcy, poverty, and even homelessness problems later in life that showed the error of their thinking. We must utilize biblical principles to ensure that we progressively put ourselves in a situation where God, man, and human financial systems work to our benefit so we can properly care for ourselves, our families, our Churches, and others that God leads us to help. In fact, God usually brings an abundance above and beyond what our mere actions could bring when we commit to doing things His way for His glory. This does not mean that you are without problems and suffering or that you receive everything you ever wanted. It means that God is sure to care for your eternal soul and earthly livelihood by providing all your need according to His riches in glory. For many, this can mean great monetary wealth to be used in the context of giving the LORD ever increasing worship via funding evangelistic and disciple-making ministry and where a great portion of it could also be used for greater creature comforts.
My admonition to you at all times, including holiday seasons and special occasions, is to check your spending at the door by recognizing that living within your means today provides a greater opportunity to display trust in the Almighty, to build wealth for the future, to give abundantly to the Church for Kingdom ministry, and to have more creature comforts in your latter years when you will need them the most. A lifestyle of good financial stewardship relieves the stresses, pressures, and worries upon individuals and families that poor stewardship created and worsened. Remember, you are made to be a conqueror not a victim, a winner not a loser, a lender not a borrower, wealthy not in poverty, a Christian not a slave to the devil and his bondage strategies. So, take control of your life by putting a stop to overspending. Cut up those credit cards that have been taking you deeper and deeper into the pit of financial despair. Get a second job temporarily or earn extra income via an entrepreneurial endeavor to help pay off the loan bondage and start a savings and investment fund. By doing so, you will increasingly eliminate worry and anxiety, breathe easier, better care for your responsibilities, and create a more intimate relationship with the LORD.
Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!
Deuteronomy 8:18, 28:12, Proverbs 22:7, 27:23-27, Romans 13:8, Luke 12:16-21, James 5:1-8
Please forward these bondage-breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!
You can find books authored by Randy Parlor and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com
You can find many other MoneyWalk articles on Facebook by looking at the NOTES created by Randy Parlor at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000444069041&sk=notes.
You can connect with Randy Parlor on Twitter and Linkedin
You can also view and/or listen to MoneyWalk articles at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnztOIesOKIrSd_H6c-8mQ
No comments:
Post a Comment