Read Proverbs 21:5

As you approach the local county fairgrounds, you see all of the cars jammed into parking lots and the signs indicating the possibility of close parking for a pretty penny. Are you paying $15 to park close to the fairgrounds or are you walking from blocks away in order to save that cash?

One of the biggest adjustments Kelly and I had to make upon our marriage was realizing that we are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to spending money. Kelly is paying $15 all day for close parking where I’ll walk as far as it takes to not spend that money.

(by the way, Kelly has read over this introduction and has approved it haha)

What I have had to realize is that we both need to meet in the middle. She needs to learn, and she is, the value of being wise about purchases where I need to not break out in hives when a necessary purchase opportunity arises. I’m a work in progress…

While our reading today doesn’t explicitly reference money, the principle still applies:

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

When it comes to your finances, would you say that you are planning diligently? Or would your money habits best be described as “hasty”?

We all know the consequences of being hasty with our money. The “impulse buy” is a weakness for so many. You see something on the shelves or on Amazon and think to yourself “I deserve this!” or “My life would be so much better with this!”.

Do you think about the difference between “need” and “want”? Do you really NEED what you are looking for?

There are so many more benefits to saving money than I have room for. Think about the space and buffer having a little bit of money saved provides you. When something unexpected comes up, will you be able to afford to make it through?

At the end of the day, we all need to take it upon ourselves to be “diligent” with our financial plans. Whether it is saving, spending, addressing debt or tithing, we should never be hasty or impulsive with what God has blessed us with.

Again, I ask, are you “diligent” or “hasty” with your money? How are you preparing for the future? In what way are you setting yourself up for success? How much of a savings buffer are you going to commit to give yourself so you are prepared for whatever may come?

At the end of the day, we are managing what God has blessed us with. How are you going to handle your money to be the best stewards you can be?

Jake Lawson