via TJC
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb 13:5. (NIV)
“But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” 1 Tim 6: 8-11.
Yesterday we considered where your treasure truly lies. For today, first consider these statistics “these findings from a Ramsey Solutions study when it comes to finances and divorce:
Money arguments are the second leading cause of divorce, behind infidelity.
High levels of debt and poor communication lead to stress and anxiety when it comes to finances.
Nearly half of couples with $50,000 or more in debt say money is their top reason for arguing.
Nearly 2/3 of all marriages start in debt.” *
Though difficult, where is the Victory? The Victory is living within your means. Living within your means is Not about how much money you make, as no matter how much money you make, you can still be spending each month/year more than you make, going into increasing debt.
A mistake is to keep looking for, “life will be better when …”, because that looks for a future event that has not yet happened. We can only change the present, the here and now. Our God is the God of the present, and is here and now able to lead us to the right decisions and calm our hearts about our past and future.
Living with a plan that accounts for your present income and expenses brings a financial peace that takes stress off relationships.
Within my family (and before having a family), I have set the standard for “Hamburger tastes on a Champagne budget”, which is so much easier than the stress associated with “Champagne tastes on a Hamburger budget”. The decision and practice to live within our means has brought a peace in the household that frankly money cannot buy. And that is Victory!
Daily Battle Order:
Are you living in Victory in regards to peace and finances at home, or living like the rest of the world?
If you haven’t yet found a good tool for financial planning and living within your means, seek it out as there are several good tools, including good Christian tools and resources.
The scripture from 1 Tim 6: 8-11 really struck me this morning. I'm working to get out of debt and this scripture well outlines some of the things that led me into debt.