Thoughts on Finances passed on by a friend

1. Give to God the firstfruits of your labors not the leftovers. (Proverbs 3:9).

2. Be Content With What You Have. Lack of contentment is a sin. It is also the greatest cause of unnecessary debt. (I Timothy 6:6).

3. Budget Your Income. Work hard to know the condition of your resources. Be ready to give an account before God.(Proverbs 27:23 1 Corinthians 4:1).

4. Stop Going Into Debt. Get rid of the credit cards if you cannot control them. (Proverbs 22:7; Romans 13:8).

5. Begin to put aside for the things that break. Start with a small amount but make it regular. (Proverbs 30:24).

6. There are only two ways to fix a debt.
   a.) Increase your income
   b.) Decrease yout outgo.

7. Evaluate your expenses - are they really necessary? Try going without. Learn to judge real value and costs. (1 Corinthians 2:15) Ask God to give you wisdom in financial matters (see James 1:5).

8. Set Your Financial Priorities. According to Matthew 6:33, we are to seek first the kingdom of God. Make a list of your major financial goals in the order of importance. Now pray about them. Are they the will of the Lord for your life?

9. Make the Tough Decisions on Purpose. Judge the situation with God's help and make the right decisions. 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Ignoring a problem does NOT make it go away.

10. In Good Times Plan for Lean Times. Proverbs 30:25

11. Simplify Your Life. John warns us against loving the things of the world (1 John 2:15-17). Simpler is less complicated and often much more peaceful. You can learn to appreciate having and doing less.

12. Learn New Skills. Colossians 3:23 tells us, whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. You cannot do your best if you do not develop your talents and expand your knowledge. You can also learn to home skills that can save you money.

13. Consider a Job or Career Change. Some people stay in dead-end situations even after it becomes plain to them that there is no future for them where they are.

14. Don't Be Blind to the Alternatives. We tend to see things as we have always seen them. God wants us to look beyond our reasoning and see other possibilities. Proverbs 3:5-6 (A good rule of thumb: There are usually three times as many alternatives as you think there are. Keep looking. Keep praying.)

15. Give to Others in Need. In times of financial troubles, we tend to get selfish. Proverbs 11:24, Proverbs 19:17

One final note: it may not be God's will for every one to be financially stable. He may allow sickness or financial disaster to occur for His own purposes. He may force us to look to Him in faith through financial problems. The precepts given above are general in nature and God often intervenes. We obey them because they are God's will, not in order to be rich in this world. God must always be the centre of all that we do. Do not set your eyes on the riches of this world. You cannot serve God and mammon (material possessions).

I really believe that those who have should really make a concerted effort to help those who have lost their way and are battling to satisfy their own desires. They need to led to the Life Go intended for all of us, because these poor people won't find it themselves. It's because we've become so selfish with our resources and so self-centred that we have become the main obstacle to God's army being raised up/freed. Deuteronomy 15:7.

Do you know of any Christian that could find it within him or herself to kickstart such an initiative? Is there anybody out there who cares?

I'm willing to devote my entire life to freeing my brothers and sisters in Christ from this terrible bondage which causes them pain every day. Is there anybody out there that can supply me with the tools?

I initially thought that some rich Christian dude would want to start something like this. There might still be such a dude/dudette out there, who knows?

Sincerely,

Jacques