September 18, 2008

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

--Proverbs 21:5

Are you in financial bondage?

If you’re not sure, here’s what financial bondage looks like…

  1. You charge daily expenditures for the lack of funds.
  2. You put off paying a bill until next month.
  3. You borrow money to pay fixed expenses such as your mortgage, insurance, or energy payment.
  4. You are unaware of how much you owe your creditors.
  5. You have creditors calling or writing you about past-due bills.
  6. You take money from savings to pay your current bills.
  7. You take out new loans to pay off old loans.
  8. You and your spouse argue about money.
  9. You consider being dishonest about your finances.
  10. You find it difficult to tithe.

If any one of these markers describes your life today, I want to offer you a word of encouragement: There is a way to escape financial bondage!

Number one, you need to confront the problem. When you have a problem, you have to be willing to be honest about it.

Number two, you need to take decisive action. As our Scripture today says, you need to have a plan if you’re going to escape financial bondage. It’s not just going to take care of itself on its own! This will probably involve such things as reducing your spending, putting up or tearing up your credit cards, and budgeting your income.

The last way to escape financial bondage is to focus on what you can give—not on what you can get. In Luke 6:38, Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

If you find yourself in financial bondage, I encourage you… make the decision to free yourself today!

YOU WILL NEVER BE THE BLESSING AS GOD INTENDS AS LONG AS YOU ARE IN BONDAGE TO MONEY.