To maintain debt free all your life, you must be willing to
tackle the spiritual as well as the practical aspects of
money and finance. The three basic spiritual aspects of
money management are gratitude, sharing, and trust.
Be grateful of what you have, and stop complaining!
Why is gratitude important?
God may have given you less than others ' or at least that
may be what you think. Remember, everything is relative.
Maybe God has given you less so that you will have the
incentive to make more.
In your present life, you may be struggling from paycheck
to paycheck; you may be working hard, and still you can
hardly keep your head above water.
"You plant much but harvest little. You have scarcely
enough to eat or drink and not enough clothes to keep you
warm. Your income disappears, as though you were putting it
into pockets filled with holes." Haggai 1:6
Yes, your pockets may seem to be filled with holes.
Nonetheless, be grateful! Instead of whining, put your time
and effort on making money to live a debt-free lifestyle.
Whatever you have, however meager it may be, share it with
those who are less fortunate than yourself.
"'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there
will be food enough in my Temple; if you do so, I will open
up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so
great you won't have room enough to take it in! Try it! Le
me prove it to you. . . . ,' says the Lord Almighty."
Malachi 3:10-11
You are willing to give and share in spite of your meager
possession because you trust in God. You wholeheartedly
believe that God some day may actually "open up windows of
heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won't
have room enough for it" as He promised.
Your giving is based on your trust, not on your own need.
Mother Teresa once said: the more you give, the more you
will receive. It is more than giving out from your surplus:
it is sharing out of your lack.
You should follow God's principles of living based on these
three spiritual aspects of gratitude, sharing, and
trusting, which should be interwoven in your attitudes
towards money and finance.
These attitudes are not only life-changing, but also
attainable. The right spiritual attitudes help you break
your bad spending habits. They are not only exemplary but
necessary for success in curbing spending and making you
ultimately debt free for your financial freedom.
Another important attitude towards your money and finance
is that God owns it all and that you are merely a steward
of God's money. When you come to think of that, you have
your personal responsibilities to fulfill your stewardship.
Responsibilities of good stewardship include the following:
diligence and productivity (if you don't work hard, you
will not make money); proper time management (if you cannot
manage your time, you will find it difficult to manage your
money); and self-discipline (if you don't control your
spending, you will never get out of debt).
So, stop spending on yourself, start giving to others,
discipline your spending, begin to live below, not beyond,
your means, and start saving for the future.
If you are in debt right now, only YOU can make a
difference in your financial life. Only YOU can set a
financial goal for yourself and work at it. Only YOU can
exercise the self-discipline to spend below your means and
still give to others in spite of your lack. But all these
require your trust in God, and God's blessings, which often
come in the form of wisdom. Yes, you may be working hard,
but your pockets are "filled with holes." You need God to
show you the way ' the right way to make money and the
smart money management to stay debt free. If you believe
everything comes from God, and you are willing to share
what you have and trust in divine providence, you will be
living debt free for the rest of your life.
----------------------------------------------------
Stephen Lau is a researcher and writer of medical research
for doctors and scientists worldwide. His several
publications include "NO MIRACLE CURES" a book on healing
and wellness, and "HOW TO TEACH CHILDREN TO READ" a book on
reading strategies. He has also created several websites on
health, golf, Zen living, mental depression, and money
management, including the following:
http://www.smartcreditsmartmoney.com
http://www.longevityforyou.com
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