What You Know About Money Is Wrong

 

0:57 Not Living the Life You Want? Change This Habit.

12:18 Most Americans Are Now Doing This. Are You?

21:51 Are You Stressed About Money? Let’s Change That.

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We’re continuing to talk through the outer layer of the Core of Confidence: Valuing Your Resources. And as you know, our resources include time, money and even energy. We’re going to do a deep dive into the topic of managing our money in ways that bring glory to God. We’re also going to dig into current events and highlight some good news that came out of this pandemic. Finally, we’ll spend some time journaling on what this looks like for you. Let’s go!

 

Not Living the Life You Want? Change This Habit.

Y’all, I’ve made some massive mistakes with money.

Growing up, I never really heard the word no very often. But that led to some problems when I got older. I didn’t understand that you had to make choices with your money, live within your means, use a budget, and save for things you really want.

For years, I chose to live a life of barely getting by and putting most of my paychecks toward debt and payments. I called my mom often, asking her to put money in my bank account because I couldn’t make it to my next payday. But one day when I was around 24 years old, I had to call my mom again to ask her to put money in my bank account.

I was so fed up. I knew I couldn't live like this. I knew that I wanted nothing more in my life than the dignity of paying for my own lifestyle, my own expenses and my own bills.

That day, something in me changed. I decided I was going to work really, really hard to get out of debt. So, I tackled it like you tackle anything—one tiny step at a time. And exactly one week before I got engaged to my husband, Matt, I became debt-free. I made that final payment.

I won’t ever forget how it felt to feel that freedom. I won’t ever forget how it felt to know that when I got paid on Friday, I was going to actually get to keep my money. I won’t forget how it felt to go into my engagement completely debt-free. But I also will never forget the shame and the fear that haunted me every single payday.

We’ve all bought into this lie that this is just how it is. But I want to tell you that there’s a different way to live life. You don't have to struggle with your money forever. You don't have to barely get by. You don't have to feel fear when you check the mailbox.

But in order for that to happen, you have to decide that you're going to do something different. You have to have that moment that I had and say, Never again. I'm not going to live like this anymore. I'm not going to depend on credit cards. I'm not going to be sinking in debt up to my eyeballs. Never again.

Today, you have to think long term, not short term. Make the decision to change your life. When you do, you won’t just change your life—you’ll change your entire family tree.

I know you can do it, and I can't wait to watch you win.

 

Most Americans Are Now Doing This. Are You?

In America, people are stockpiling their cash and savings rates are going up.

I think we can all come to the conclusion that this is happening because of the pandemic and the current state of the economy. This is a really important topic in light of what we're talking about when it comes to managing your money.

See, we've had this wake-up call during the pandemic like nothing we've ever experienced in our generation. These wake-up calls give us an opportunity to do something different. And until you have a reason to do something different, you’re not going to change. You're just going to keep getting by.

And one of the things that the pandemic created in our world is a new perspective. It created an opportunity for you to think about how you manage your money. Let it be a wake-up call to actually save some money in an emergency fund. That way, the next time something like this happens, there will be a cushion between you and rock bottom.

 

Are You Stressed About Money? Let’s Change That.

“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” Proverbs 21:20 (NIV)

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

It’s really tempting to just spend whatever you make or whatever’s in your bank account. If you've got it, you can spend it. I love how these verses shine a light on this. The wise man or woman has stores of food and oil. The wise man or woman saves and has a cushion—some extra stored away for a rainy day. There’s wisdom in saving and being prepared.

I want to be wise. I know you do too. So, I want to give you some questions to put this into practice. Process these questions and let them sink into your spirit. You can have actual change in your life, in your habits, and in your bank accounts.

1. What were you taught about money growing up?
2. How do you feel about it? Write down your feelings around money.
3. What stresses you out about money? Let's get really specific here.
4. What would it take for you to make a change?