“Those who love money will never have enough.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Dollars or Cents/Sense?
The national debt hit nearly $33.2 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2023. Spending 38% more that it collected in FY 2023, and resulting in a $1.7 trillion deficit. (USA Facts) To most, that would be a bankrupting business model, totally unsustainable and definitely in need of drastic spending changes, yet we continue. Why? Perhaps its values driven, earthly that is.
Illusions are Deceiving
Huge houses, expensive vehicles, fancy lifestyles are not always wealth, but sometimes simply debt. Will Rogers stated, “Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like.” True wealth often includes time, freedom, options, and health. “Budget” may not be a four-letter word, but it can be absent from much needed family conversations.
Solomon warns us in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Those who love money will never have enough.” Contentment is paramount. It comes down to stewardship. It’s as transparent as our calendar, checkbook, and debit cards. Swiping may be easy, but climbing out of debt is agonizing and time consuming.
A Practice of the Past?
Living within our means often appears to be a practice of the past; back when handshakes sealed a deal and things were “settled up” sooner rather than later. Credit was a temporary state of being, not a line item in an ongoing spread sheet. We abide in a culture accustomed to drowning in debt. Many are so broke that they can’t even “pay” attention. If we aren’t intentional, we could well be like Cuba Gooding’s character portrayed in Jerry Maguire, simply focused on, “Show Me the Money!”
The Newest Form of Slavery
Dr. Tony Evans reminds us that debt is the newest form of slavery. It’s when wants are unbridled that the title wave of debt can leave us gasping for air and losing our footing. Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. Plan ahead. Warren Buffett, the highly successful investor, agrees and shares, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
Planning for the Future
If you find that your planning indicates that you can retire at 80 and live comfortably for 11 minutes, you might want to get some professional advice and work a better plan. Lots of Christian models for saving and expenditures are available and simple (not easy) to implement.
Dave Ramsey provides many resources and principles that help us grow, control, manage, and view our assets in a way that reminds us to see them as God’s provisions not just our wages. We need to educate ourselves in things financial. Don’t be the guy when asked if you have signed up for the company’s 401K responds with, “I don’t think I can run that far.”
This is the Goal
Financial peace is a trait we certainly want to model and pass along to our children and others. It will be more valued than the family recipes and old toys left in the garage at our passing. It’s a shared stability that pays it forward. Trust funds are beneficial, but without the wisdom and guidance to best utilize them, they can evaporate quickly instead of multiplying their potential.
Biblical Abundance
The Believer’s life is one of abundance if lived according to biblical principles and a heavenly world view. We are to balance our consuming with giving and our focus should always be an awareness from where ALL our blessings and assets originate…God, alone.
There are over 2000 verses in the Bible about finances, wealth, and possessions. Jesus spoke about money in 11 of his 39 parables. It was a topic of importance. He wanted us to get it right. When we use money as a tool for His Kingdom, it becomes a powerful instrument for good. It outlives us, what a legacy.
Mark Stitch
MD5 Facilitator
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