Are your money priorities out of sync?

Many manage their money the wrong way around. This leads to frustration, stress, debt, and poor savings. Today I want to encourage you to get your priorities in the right order. If you manage your money well and build on a solid foundation, you can set yourself up for a brighter future.  

If you were going to build a house, you need to start with a firm foundation. If you don’t have a solid base, your home may look good for a season, but after a storm, your house will dilapidated and dangerous to live in.      

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus told the story of the wise and foolish builders. He said, ”Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

I know that Jesus was referring to our lives in this scripture, specifically to your eternity and the day of judgment, when we will all face God. Jesus was saying that one day we will all go through the storm (or judgment day) and that only those who have their life built on the solid rock (on a firm foundation of God) will be left standing. He also warns us that those who build their lives on the sand will come falling down when the storm rises. In other words, we need to be ready. We need to build our lives on a solid foundation.

If your life is not built on a solid foundation of God, please consider your ways. Please consider your eternity. Surrender your life to Jesus. No matter who you are or what you have done, you can begin anew with God, starting today.

If you want to start or restart your walk with God, click here to pray a simple prayer we have for you.

Psalm 62:1-2 tells us, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

Today build your life on God.

I also want to encourage you to manage your money well, and to build your financial plan on a firm foundation.

According to the dictionary, a PRIORITY is “a thing that is regarded as more important than others.”

You need to get your priorities in the right order. Put the important things first. If you can get your priorities in the right order, you can turn your financial affairs around.

PRIORITIES:

1. Put God first

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“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)

2. Invest before you spend money

“The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.” (Proverbs 21:20)

3. Only spend what is left over after giving to God and saving

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrew 13:5)

Today, I challenge you to put first things first!

How are you managing your money?

Where are you at present?

What is working?

What is not working?

What changes do you need to make?

I challenge you to re-examine your priorities. You can break the cash-strapped cycle. You can turn your financial situation around no matter how messed up your cash flow is! 

Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing the same way over and over again and expecting different results”.

If you keep doing the same thing the same way, you will NOT see any positive change.

Today you can choose to discard old bad habits of poor money management, and you can develop a good habit of INVESTING. The decision to manage your money wisely can become the BUILDING BLOCKS TO WEALTH.

If you will change the order you save, everything will change for you!

Start building wealth!

If you have a bad habit of spending all you have, you may experience some short-term pleasure, but if you don’t save you will have long-term pain. On the other end, if you start a good financial habit of saving, you may have a little short-term pain, but I promise you, it will lead to long-term rewards.

You can choose to drift aimlessly along from one payday to the next, but then you will never reach your goals and objectives or realize your dreams.

Have a vision.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18)

Dare to dream.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true there is life and joy” (Proverbs 13:12)

So how do we save? How do we realize our dreams?

You need to set goals. You need to dare to dream. You also need to formulate a plan. Above all, you need to stick to the plan.

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5)

Invest.

“He who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” (Proverbs 13:11)

Check out our recent Cappuccino challenge message to learn the effects of investing SMALL amounts over the long-term!

Dream. Plan. Make good decisions. Build good habits.

• Dare to dream.
• Set short, medium, and long-term goals.
• Set up a plan to achieve these goals.
• Make a decision to get your priorities in the right order and manage your money accordingly.
• Review your budget. Know where your money is going.
• Cut back on your spending and plug the leaks where money is being wasted.  
• Review regularly and follow through.

Priorities

1. Put God first
2. Save and invest before you spend. This way you will always build up your wealth portfolio.
3. Live on the rest.

Build your life on the solid foundation of God.

Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)

Get and stay connected to Jesus.

Jesus said, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:7)

Live to please God.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

And finally, manage your money well. Put first things first. Get your financial priorities in the right order. You can set yourself up for a brighter financial future!

“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” (Proverbs 24:27)

Have a blessed week. 

God bless you.