Financial crisis is one of the source of anxiety and stress today. And also one of the most common reason why broken marriages in low and middle class living. Many of us are experiencing hard financial times that lead to physical and even mental health problems.
Here’s some tips on how to improved and solved your financial problem;
KNOW THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
In improving your finances, first you need to know what the root of the problem. Now, I want you to go back and think how you spent your money and resources. We’re you able to manage your money and resources properly? If you will say yes and here you are still experiencing financial problems, then I would say you have problem on management.
Now, what is Management? Management is the effective, efficient, timely use of property and resources. The reason why people are still poor and suffering financial problems even relationships, broken marriages, because they are bad managers. Now, let’s go back to Genesis 2:4-5, (first book in the Bible) this was when God created heaven and earth (v.4) but no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up (v.5) but why? The Lord God had not sent rain on the earth because there was no one to work the ground. Work is simply defined as to manage. God has a problem during that time that’s why He had not sent rain yet, there’s no manager to managed or work the ground. Now, you and I are made to become manager, good and faithful manager. Managing the entire God given resources to us that include your finances… your money. If you are suffering right now from finances it’s not your lack of money and resources, it’s because you are a bad manager.
Let me give you an example;
You have this 1000PHP (Philippine pesos) or let’s say $100 (1000PHP is not 100$) I’m just giving it as an illustration. Let’s say you have that amount of money, you go to mall buy shirt or shoes worth 800PHP or shoes worth 100 bucks and eat in an expensive restaurant. What a bad manager! Do not live beyond your means. Manage what resources and money you have right now properly. Now, repent ask the Lord for forgiveness for being a bad manger and it’s not yet late for you to manage your money responsibly
NO DEBT COVENANT
We Filipinos, we really love to do “utang” that’s lending money. Personally, there’s no harm in doing that as long as you will pay what you owe, I did it before but I made a covenant not to do it anymore saving myself from debts. Debt is stress. I understand why people lend money, I really do believe me. I lend money because I don’t have enough but what I’m missing I have something I am thinking it is not enough, but the reality is “it’s not enough I just don’t know how to managed what I have properly, efficiently, effectively and timely”. You owe money to someone, you spend it but the problem is you still have that debt to pay. A portion of your income has already been spent before you receive your salary. Wise or no wise?
GIVING AND SAVING
Now you probably wonder why giving and saving can help you improve your finances? The Bible talks a lot about the principle of Giving. And also how giving open the windows of heaven for the Lord’s blessing that there shall not enough room to receive it (Malachi 3:10). According to Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” You may heard this a lot of times but it is true, I applied to myself and its working so no reason it won’t work for you. You give God what’s for Him, it’s not that He needs it, He has everything He even own your own life but because you love Him and also He wants to see you manage what you have right now in giving faithfully. He wants to see howresponsible you are. Give your 10% to God and expect that He will do something for you. Expectation is not having false hope its faith and trust.
Saving
Giving and saving comes together. Have you heard 10/10/80 rule? Give out your 10 % to God. The most precious money you ever saved is the one you give out. And the other 10% of your income, please save it. Take a lesson from the ants in Proverbs. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. (Proverbs 6:6-8, NLT) Gather and save for winter to come.
WORK ON YOUR RESOURCES
God gave us all the resources we need, we lack nothing. God made man to manage everything He made. All we need to do is to manage and develop the resources. Let’s say for example, I have a certain friend who keeps on complaining that she has no money. She doesn’t eat thrice a day so on and so forth but when I visited her one time. I asked her, you really don’t have money? And then she answered me I have here only 50PHP, and then I look at her and what caught my attention, she has a refrigerator at home and then I smiled. Then I told her with a smile on my face, invest your 50 pesos. You have your refrigerator, make ice candy and sell it.
Most of the times, we don’t know how to manage or work what we have or the resources we have. I’m really thinking, how can God will let us manage 1 million if we don’t even know how to manage our 50PHP or 50$?. God is looking for good managers. Work on your resources.