I love the Scriptures. They are wisdom that are not only timeless but are actually timely as well. One part of it that never left me is found in the Proverbs 22:7 - “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.†When it comes to my financial concerns, this one resounds the most. This is why I refuse to borrow money and I do not lend money either.
Most people in the workplace are familiar with their corporate vision and they memorize it by heart. Few people have come up with their personal financial vision though and so they get lost along the way. Business borrowing is not the topic here. You could hardly do business without dealing with loans and credit facilities, and that is not our topic. What I will do is to share some of the biblical ideas that have worked for me and I hope would help you too.
1. Debt Elimination.
Many people are in debt because they do not understand the principle that the borrower loses his or her freedom and is enslaved to the person who lent the money. Some borrow money to maintain their lifestyle. Others unwittingly purchase stuff on installment basis, swipe their credit card unceasingly and find themselves short of it. There are two ways to deal with this: spend less and earn more. Eliminate, sell all the things you don’t need and pay off your debts. Regain your freedom and have peace of mind. Maybe your plan requires you to take on a second job, at least for a while or maybe you need a higher paying job? Make a careful inventory to determine what and where your “expense leaks†are and plug them. Those leakages are culprits in your financial plan.
2. Future Planning.
Proverbs 21:20: The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Another way to say this would be: The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools live from paycheck to paycheck.
We need to have the sense to understand that the rich have luxury cars, have signature bags and live in posh subdivisions not only because they can afford it, but also because they are rich.
“Duh!â€
Because I am not, I drive an ordinary vehicle, I live in a simple place, I wear mass produced garments and accessories and that’s okay. Why? because I am not rich. (Double Duh!) Problems arise when one tries to look wealthy when in actuality, he or she is not! There is a big difference between looking wealthy and actually being wealthy.
Am I going to feel bad because I don’t belong to the luxurious wealthy group? Why should I? There is a difference between wealth and riches. My wealth and riches lie in the fact that I am contented with what I have. And that makes me rich. Perhaps, my wealthy luxury day will come or perhaps never, but I won’t long for it. I just make myself diligent in saving something for the winter season or in our case and context, saving for the super typhoon.
Rainy days come in many forms. It could be a sickness, a death in the family or the need to care for someone who needs it. I need to have the resources in my storehouse, and if God blesses me with the means to be extensively wealthy, then that is His choice. In the meantime, the need to be prudent and hardworking are choices I have to make.
3. Generous Giving.
Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receiveâ€
There are two kinds of people in this world, the givers and the takers. The takers eat better. (They could also have higher level of cholesterol), but the givers sleep better. If you were to give, give cheerfully. Share your blessings with others. Biblical ideas are extremely powerful and practical. Learning to give trains us not to be slaves to money but to learn how to use money as tools of blessings for ourselves and for others.
Famous Hollywood actor of the olden days Errol Flynn says: “My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income.†Nice!
Money is not the root of all evil. The Bible says, “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil,†This means money is an attitude issue. The great writer and playwright George Bernard Shaw says: “The lack of money is the root of all evil…†It was said humorously yet it contains a great amount of truth in it too.
Manage your money…biblically.
(Mark your calendar for next year. Spend two inspiring days with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills as he presents Level Up Leadership Jan. 21-22 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries contact Inspire at 09158055910 or call 632-6310912 for details.)