Change Doesn't Just Happen

We've all heard the following:

Money doesn't grow on trees.

It is God who gives us the power to gain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).

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

Each of these statements reveals a truth about finance:  change doesn't just happen. Unless we're willing to do things differently and much more consistently, we will continue to experience many of the financial ups and downs that have become norms in our lives. The truth is that money doesn't just grow on trees; we have to earn it and establish a budget that will help us to control how we'll spend, save, and invest it. The truth is that while God gives us the power to gain wealth, He also gives us the ability to work hard, use our creative minds, and apply financial principles that will enable us to establish a foundation that we can build upon. Finally, the truth is that one of the most important difference between the wise man and the foolish man is perspective. The wise man lives for tomorrow and leaves a lasting legacy, while the foolish man is only concerned with today and is soon forgotten after he's gone.

When it comes to our finances, all of us have the potential to be wise. We can all pursue greater financial knowledge and then apply the principles and strategies taught, but none of us can build wealth without vision and self-discipline. Improving our financial status requires an immediate assessment of who we are now, what we do now, and where we are now in our financial lives - then who we want to be, what we want to do next (short and long-term), and where we want to be in our financial futures. That's why budgets are so important. At the very least, it can help us to answer that first set of questions and assist us in determining the answers to the others. A budget is a great resource for helping us to develop the self-discipline to plan how we'll spend our earnings and how we'll actually stick to that plan.Don't overlook the opportunity to fine tune your financial planning, especially prior to the new year. It's the only way to break old habits and missed opportunities that have left us wandering around and living beneath our potential.

When do you get paid next, and what will you do with that money? Who do owe and what will be left after you pay them? Are you living with a regular surplus or trying to survive amid usual deficits? These are questions you need to be able to answer, and you can if you choose to deliberately do so. Why not make today the day you pursue change and work on perfecting practices that will help you to cultivate financial vision and discipline? You can do it...I know you can!