During these very recent times in which my wife and I have begun to discover money-saving techniques, we have to ensure ourselves to give proper credit and praise to whom we owe it: the Lord. We have also discussed many ways to cut down expenses and that has really helped us make our funds good in many ways. Far too often, we have strived so hard for material possessions and caused excessive and unnecessary stress upon ourselves instead of living within our means and learning to take control of the financial status that God has bestowed upon us.
My wife and I enthusiastically endorse someone’s right to wealth as long as he/she earns it honestly. In fact, my father instilled in all of his sons the values of earning what we want and respect for anyone who earns his/her worth honestly. We find nothing wrong with wanting something material, but we no longer covet possessions and allow them to become our central focus. Regarding finances, we now follow the advice of Matthew 6:19-20, which reminds us to lay our treasures in Heaven and not in material possessions. We do not begrudge or envy those who have more, but, rather, we congratulate them. Moreover, we search and pray for opportunities to earn extra income. Meanwhile, we learn to spend, save, budget, and invest wisely.
Envy thrust me into financial difficulty early in my adult life.During my college days, two of my brothers purchased brand new cars, and I began to envy those cars to the point in which my used car, although still running well, no longer sufficed. I bought a newer car that I really could not afford mainly to keep up with my brothers, who had already begun their full-time careers and could easily make the payments. I spent most of my small paycheck on that car payment, leaving very little left for other things, including bills. That single financial blunder made saving far more difficult.
I still had not completely learned my lesson. As my wife and I bought our house, big-screen televisions had started becoming popular. I begged my wife for months to let me buy one even though we could not afford it at the time. Then, our 19-inch set broke down. Frustrated, I dragged the 13-inch set out of the closet, and we made do with it for a while. Finally, I heard God’s voice telling me about wanting possessions that we could not afford. I gave in and regained contentment for the 19-inch set. I turned it on, and, surprisingly, it worked flawlessly. I knew right then that I had put my treasures in the wrong place all along, and I then felt at ease with what I already had. Fortunately, the Lord blessed us later that year with enough to buy a 27-inch television. A few years later, we found a great used big-screen set for an unbelievable price.
Personal financial management involves more than just making and saving money. It also involves ensuring that we live within our means both financially and spiritually and not buying possessions just to match others. We have no desire to become millionaires although we do want to earn and save enough to live comfortably without worry and leave a nice inheritance for our son. As part of our financial planning, we remember to praise God for our material possessions that He does allow us to enjoy.
