You can set yourself up for an EXTRA-ORDINARY financial future!
Welcome to our Financial Matters weekly notes.
A THOUGHT TO CONSIDER:
I know many people are battling financially at present. It is tough in the current economic climate. Many have given up and are just going through the motions, living from paycheck to paycheck, barely surviving and definitely not thriving.
You do not need to live like this. You can turn things around!
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PRACTICAL WEALTH BUILDING PRINCIPLE:
The statistics show that many are cash strapped and are living financially stressed out. Many are living in survival mode, with maxed out credit cards and spiraling debt, just trying to keep their head above water. It is very difficult to live like this.
Unfortunately so many people are managing their money the wrong way around, and are left feeling despondent and frustrated, with only a trickle of savings at best, and nothing but distant shattered dreams.
If this sums up your life, you have probably lost your joy and passion for life, and may be just be going through the motions.
Today, I have some GOOD NEWS for YOU. If you are sick and tired of just following the crowd, with nothing to look forward to, you can make a CHANGE. You don’t have to be ordinary. You can set yourself up to be “EXTRAORDINARY” by making some simple changes to the way you manage your money.
I do not know where you are standing financially, but I do believe that a few simple changes to your money management, and with God’s help, that you can set yourself up not just to have an ordinary future, but one that is EXTRA-ORDINARY, filled with purpose and a new lease on life.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true there is life and joy” (Proverbs 13:12)
You may feel overwhelmed. You may have given up. You may just be going through the motions. It is time to RISE UP. It is time to begin again. You can start afresh. It may take some time to get back on your feet and turn your financial affairs around, but you can start to dream again.
It starts with a choice. Draw a line in the sand. Lift your head. Dare to dream once again. Put God first and set some money principles in place that can take you out of your valley of despair towards a fruitful financial future.
Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing the same way expecting different results”
You cannot do the same thing the same way, and expect a different result. Something needs to change!
You can get your financial priorities in the right order. You can manage your money the right way around.
So lets take a look at a few practical changes you can make to your money management…
- Stop! Access your current situation. Don’t bury your head in the sand and pretend that you do not have a problem. Face your fears and make a decision to start over. Invite God to be part of your journey.
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, & He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.” (Psalm 37:3-5)
- Dare to dream again
- You need to set some goals and plans for your future
Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverb 29:18)
- Set up a budget with the first priorities…
- God first
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10)
- Save before you spend, buy setting funds aside in a bank account. You need to build up a cash reserve for short term needs and emergencies.
- Invest for your future. You need to set up an automated debit order to start building up an investment portfolio. The funds in your investment must not be drawn, but left to grow. With compound growth over the longer term, you can generate exponential growth and build up a Wealth Portfolio to fund your future. Get some advice.
“The wise man saves for the future…” Proverbs 21:20
- Live within your means. For a season you may need to give up on a few things in your budget in order to free up your cash flow to attack your debts. You may need to downscale for a season so that you can get your financial affairs back on track.
Imagine if you had no debt repayments to make, how your lifestyle and joy levels would improve. You can set yourself up for an EXTRA-ORDINARY future by making a few changes!
I believe it is time to break the old cycle. It is your time to build towards financial freedom. It is time to change!
You may be living beyond your cash flow means. You may be eroding your ability to build wealth due to reckless spending. You may be handling your money poorly. You may have a serious money problem.
Dave Ramsey says “If you want something you have never had, you’ll need to do something you’ve never done!”
If your current situation is not working, you need to do something differently, or you will never see a positive change. I want to ask you to do something different. Put your faith in God. Commit your plans and your life to God. If you have messed up, then face this and ask God to forgive you. Jesus already paid the price for you so surrender your past mistakes to Him. Then, I want to ask you to do something scary. Face your fears. Look that giant of a problem in the eye and say enough is enough.
With God at your side you can find breakthrough. God can move mountains. Let hope rise up on the inside. Put your hand in the hand of your Savior, and rise up!
If you want to change your current situation, you need to be prepared to possibly change your habits.
You may be living in SURVIVAL mode, just desperately trying to keep your head above water.
There is another way…
- Why don’t you choose today to give up on your old way of doing things that is not working?
- Why don’t you modify the way you do things that haven’t worked?
- Why don’t you try a new strategy that can lead you to success?
I believe that with GOD’s HELP, a PLAN, & some DISCIPLINE, you can break the debt cycle and build towards a fruitful financial future. It is time to dare to dream.
You can set yourself up for an EXTRA-ORDINARY financial future!
I want to encourage you to get your priorities in order. You need to put first things first. That means putting God first, and also fixing your financial priorities.
You may have messed up your financial priorities. You can fix it!
I would encourage you to ask yourself three questions…
- Where am I at present? – in terms of your needs, I want to encourage you to analyze your current situation.
- Where would I like to be? – set out your goals and objectives.
- How can I get there? – set up a plan, and a budget, in order to help you achieve these goals.
You cannot do the same thing the same way, and expect a different result. Something needs to change! If you want something you have never had, you need to do something differently. With God’s help you can solve your problems. You can fix the areas that have been failing. You can change your habits.
”Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5)
INTERESTING FACT:
If you do not start investing until age 45, you will need to invest three times as much compared to if you start investing at age 25.
POWER QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
“You don’t need to be brilliant, only a little bit wiser than the other guys, on average for a long time.” Charlie Munger
In other words small changes today, over a long period of time can help set you up for an extraordinary future.
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Zig Ziglar
If you are just going through the motions, and life is not working out well, then I want to encourage you to start doing something differently. You can turn your finances around. You can be the head and not the tail.
WHAT DOES GOD HAVE TO SAY:
“Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.” (Proverbs 10:4)
Don’t just talk about your financial problems. Get disciplined and put in the work to fix your finances, and you will succeed.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23)
“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…” (Deuteronomy 30:11 & 19)
Choose life. Make wise choices.
“A wise person chooses the right road, a fool takes the wrong one.” (Ecclesiastes 10:2)
Make the right choices. When you do you can set yourself up for an EXTRA-ORDINARY future.
But know this, there is more to life than money, and you do not need to do life alone.
God loves you so much that he sent Jesus to make a way for you and I, so that we can be connected to Him. He wants to walk the journey of life with you, and even made a way for you to share eternity with him. Do you realize what Jesus did for You? Invite him to be your Savior. He wants to walk the journey of life with you. And, not just during your temporary life on earth, but He also wants to spend eternity with you.
LET’S PRAY:
Father, I am sick and tired of just going through the motions. Forgive me Lord. Today I choose life. I look to you as my God, and I ask for your help. Help me to put first things first. Help me to rise in faith. Thank you, Jesus, that you are a friend of sinners and that you came to seek and save the lost. Thank you that you came to bring life and life more abundantly. Today I put my hope in you. I ask for your abundant favor to be poured out on my life. I ask for a new beginning, in Jesus name. Amen.
If you want to start or restart your walk with God, click here to pray a simple prayer we have set up for you.
CONCLUSION:
I challenge you to rise up out of the dust of despair, to set your sights on Jesus, and to attempt great things with God.
God bless you.
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