The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil according to 1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV). Also the lack of money is the root of bitterness and the cause of most marital squabbles. Love it or hate it, we need Money to enjoy life to the fullest and make our unique contribution. Money becomes very important when we don’t have enough of it. It then dictates what job we take, where we live, what clothes we wear or cars we drive, what schools our children attend, and if we allow it, who we marry. Money then becomes a master rather than the slave it ought to be. The lack of money can push a good man or woman to do something they never imagined under normal circumstances.
Many, in an attempt to appear spiritual, avoid the subject of money. Rather than learn sound money management principles, we resort to prayer, hope and expectation of a financial breakthrough. Rather than back our prayers and faith with wisdom, understanding and hard work, we do whatever comes to our minds whenever money gets into our hand, and pray for increase. The result has been that there is lack in the house. When it comes to financial matters, we seem to be the tail, not the head. We consume our seed and pray for open heavens and a bumper harvest.
Money is just a tool to have our needs met, give to others and make a difference in our world. We are simply stewards of God’s resources. Like the parable of 5 talents in Matt 25:14-30, we are supposed to invest and multiply what comes into our hands, so that there will be enough and to spare. When we align ourselves with financial principles, we get the right results. These principles are no respecter of persons no matter how holy or committed we are.
The principles or laws of financial independence can be summed into 2.
1) Pay yourself first
2) Spend less than you earn
Paying yourself first means saving before spending. This savings is not simply to sit in a savings account and stare at you. It is to be invested for returns, the simplest being simple interest from fixed deposits, treasury bills, bonds etc. This means you decide how much you want to save each month, come rain or shine and just do it. By spending less than you earn, you make do with what you have left – cut your coat according to your cloth. When you save every month, you become richer every month and move closer to your financial goals. If you save nothing every month (eating with 10 fingers), you will be left with nothing at the end of the year, each year. So the question is; do you want to become richer every month, or keep marking time at the same spot?
If you master your finances, money becomes your slave. Rather than keep working hard for money, your money starts working hard for you. At a point, your interest income will grow to exceed your monthly expenses. At this point, you have achieved financial independence – you can do without your salary. You can decide to keep working or go do something else with your life. You now have a choice, something very few employees have. You are no longer afraid of being fired or laid off.
There are two types of money problems:
1) Not enough money (most are used to this)
2) Too much money (where you ought to be)
When you get to the point of more than enough (mentally and physically), money ceases to be an issue in your life. You are free of financial worry and anxiety. You can do what you want to do, how you want to do it, when you want to do it. You can spend without being scared if your cheque will bounce. It starts with financial education and financial intelligence – learning how to use what you have to create the abundance you desire. It will not happen overnight. It takes prayer, hope, learning, wisdom, hard work, focus and never giving up.
-Usiere Uko is editor of www.financialfreedominspiration.com and author of Practical Steps to Financial Freedom and Independence – www.amazon.com/Practical-Steps-Financial-Freedom-Independence/dp/147006832X .
Marriage is like a man and woman going into a room and taking off their clothes with the light on. You get to see each other’s blemishes that have been hidden by clothes earlier. One of the greatest discoveries would be your partner’s attitude towards money. For some, the discovery is not immediate. And in a situation where one of the partners has lived beyond his or her means prior to marriage, it seems like the first thing they notice, once the doors are closed after the ceremony.
Money is a major part of human life. And money represents different things at different times, to different people.
Money represents time; money is a reward we get after spending hours of our life at working hard. Money is a problem solver. Money is a seed that can be sown to multiply it. Money is a gift to be shared with others that do not have.
Money gives a form of confidence.
Everyone should have some money under his or her control. By this I mean money that can be spent without having to answer to anyone on how and why.
Money can build walls between people in any form of relationship and this is even worse in marriage.
Most couples no matter how spiritual, educated or in love will disagree over money at one point in time or the other and where this is not well managed, light cracks begin to appear in the marriage.
I once read that when sex is good in a marriage, it is 10% and when it is bad it is 90%. I want to relate the same to money, when finance is good in a marriage; it is 10% and when it is bad it is 90%.
In the light of the times we are in today, I want to focus on when the finance situation is bad.
Everyone has a financial situation or the other, sometimes it seems as though marriage places a magnifying lens on our financial situation. Immediately after marriage your status quo changes, especially here in Africa, now you’re expected to participate more in family events and your own cost of living is growing too.
Whenever things are tight like this in families, there’s lot of pressure on husband and wife, or the intending couple planning to get married.
The stock markets have not boomed like everyone expected, plans have been made based on expectations that have not been met. Instead we have a situation where banks are trying to recovered monies borrowed out. And now a festive season is about the corner, what do we do? Where do we run to?
The last thing we are expected to do as believers is to take the pressure on one another and ruin the spirit of the season.
Love should help us bind more to each other, love can conquer all, fit your budget into what you have and enjoy a lower budget holiday bearing in mind that the next will be greater!
Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen; though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted; though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty,
I’m singing joyful praise to GOD. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on GOD’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain! Hab 3:17-19 (MSG)
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. Hab 3:17-19 (KJV)
So put up the Christmas lights and start playing the Christmas jingles, put everyone around you in the holiday mood.
Bring down every imagination and high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God and enjoy this Christmas.
All things are working together for your good!
Lots of Love
omolola ezeifeoma
| Thank God for his word. Thank God because it does not fail. Glory to God because the scriptures cannot be broken.
Like we said we must consciously sow seeds because they hold the key to the future. So what do we do? We must always remove the seed FIRST. Now you can view the seed in so many ways because really there are varieties of seeds. But let’s broadly have two classes. There are the First fruits. Ex 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God.” This seed is so important not only for the increase it ensures but because it is an act of: WORSHIP – Deut. 26:10: “And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God” HONOUR – Proverb: 3:9 “Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase” and is a simple way of showing “in all your ways acknowledge Him” financially. Simply put, set aside seed to be sown into the most fertile soil of ministry. Tope Aladenusi calls it “the investment with steady returns”
There is also the general seed that is kept to be invested in a variety of places. That’s the “Proverb 21:20: There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” Friends it is foolishness to spend/eat all we have. There is a portion we withhold. “Proverb:11:24: There is he that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” Note the withholdeth more than is meet. So a part of all you have and get must be set aside for investment. Most times we don’t because we believe we don’t have enough in the first place, so why set aside something from nothing. Remember, the disciples saw five loaves and two fishes as nothing if five thousand people were to be fed, but Jesus taught them it was something.
God’s grace ensures you have something to invest. He ministereth both bread and seed. There is always a part that is tagged seed/investment in all that comes your way. If we save 10% of all we waste we will be 100% better each month. Do a simple exercise. Buy a small jotter; record ALL your expenses in a month. ALL. No matter how small and negligible it is. At the end of the month put each expense where they belong and see where your seed goes. Do something about it. Now! -emmanuel aladenusi
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