Thoughts on Finances

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Jonathon and I (along with some other people) watched a really good sermon online about finances. It was from Church of the Highlands. It focused on dealing with debt and why people get into financial difficulty, and then also how to get out. Here are some quick highlights.

Understanding how you got into debt:
-Being consumed with “more”
-Instant gratification
-Self-destructive behavior
-Spending everything you have
-Being unprepared for storms

*I think the main reason Americans have such problems is because they feel like if they “qualify” for it, or if someone else has it, they should be able to get it. Not to say that some people haven’t had unforeseen hardships. But just because a car dealer approves you for a $30,000 car, doesn’t mean that is the smartest purchase you could make. But now people expect a “bail out” instead of just being responsible. I also think we are set up for failure. Just about every few months, I get a letter that the bank has raised our credit card limit. They want us to spend more than we can pay back. We also could have gotten approved for a house that would cost about 60% of our monthly income, but that’s not smart either.

I am paraphrasing, but Proverbs says something like “riches disappear in the blink of an eye… wealth sprouts wings and flies off.” It can all be gone so quickly. If you base your life on money and your material possessions, you are setting yourself up for unhappiness in my opinion.

Then he talked about developing a plan to get out of debt. He suggested keeping track of expenses for three months to create a budget. He said to do it NOW, and to ask God for help.

The last thing he discussed was tithe. I always have had an issue with God “needing” 10% of your income. I know that’s not what it is really supposed to be. The way this pastor said it, really made sense to me. He said, “God isn’t broke. He doesn’t need your money… but wherever you put your money, your heart will follow.” It is a reflection of the attitude that God is first.

Anyway, I have just been thinking about finances a lot lately. I know everyone has. I thought this message was really interesting and wanted to share.

If you want to check out this sermon here is the link. It is about 30 minutes but seemed much shorter because it was, honestly, really interesting.

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