Don’t mind me, I am just going to get in your business really quickly.
You need to become financially free. There, I said it. You have too much potential to be weighed down by the stress of living paycheck to paycheck.
We have had multiple epidemics happen in America over the past few years – but the greatest of them, I would argue, is the fact that over 60% of people are scraping by until the next pay period.
Related Book: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
It may seem too far off for you though, almost an unreachable goal to become totally financially free. Not to worry, I believe in you! I am going to recommend three steps that will help you on your journey to freedom.
Through this blog, I want you to become physically healthy, mentally stable, spiritually challenged, and financially free. I want you to be as free as can be so that you can open your hands to the Spirit of God for what he has for you.
Related Blog: 10 Steps To A Healthier Life
To put this in perspective, NOT being financially free is hindering your ability to serve God. Am I saying to get rich? No, not at all. I am saying that your ability to steward money well plays a significant role in your faith and even in God’s blessing on your life. For an example, see the parable of the talents in the gospels.
If you are intrigued by the chance to serve God freely, take a look at these 3 things to implement in your life:
- Don’t Spend More Than You Make.
I hate to break it to you, but I am not a rocket scientist and this is not calculus. The very first step that you must MASTER is the ability to save money. You can make $30,000 per year and you can make $300,000 and still be the same amount of broke.
One tip to save money is to make it invisible. Put money away into a retirement account straight from your direct deposit. Treat it like taxes, they automatically take a percentage out of your paycheck.
I know what you might be thinking… “I am already living paycheck to paycheck, how would taking more out of my paycheck help?” The power of compound interest can take $200 per month and make you a millionaire by the time you retire.
There are also plenty of other ways that you can save money – and not all of it has to be through cutting out your favorite things like a Starbucks coffee (daily), Friday night pizza, or your Netflix subscription.
No, you do not need to cut up your credit cards either – but you do need to recognize how they work. One way to save money is to stop paying interest on things! Pay your card off FULLY, and keep paying it off fully. Make this your number one priority and stop making excuses. The interest is costing you thousands of dollars that you could use to make more money.
That’s another thing. If you want to save more money, increase the amount of money that you make. There are so many resources out there for how to make additional side income.
- Learn how to benefit from credit cards.
Credit cards will either keep you afloat or sink your life. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but just because you pay with a credit card DOES NOT mean that you will never have to pay for the item.
This should be your new life motto: if you don’t have the funds to fully pay for something, if it’s not a life or death item, don’t buy it.
I know, I know – that life seems boring. Yes, it is. But you are trying to become financially free. Attempting to live a “fun” life is what got you into this mess in the first place, so stop trying to live the same lifestyle and expecting a different result.
Paying off all your cards and racking up free points by putting your spending on the card and paying it off continuously will not only increase your credit score, but also your ability to get free money.
Your life will become incredibly more freeing when you have a good enough credit score to rent an apartment, buy a car, or get a mortgage. Your score may not seem important, but it is a very good estimate of your overall ability to steward money.
- Live generously.
This step might seem counterintuitive to becoming financially free. I mean, how can you save more money if you just give some away?
Related Book: Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn
There is a uniquely Christian principle that claims God can do more with 10% of your money than you can do with all 100%. Tithing is not just for people who live in the suburbs and have their student loans paid off.
The aspect of giving reflects directly on your trust in the Lord. Your finances are one of the most personal aspects of your life. Giving financially is not a one way ticket to God blessing you with a lifetime of prosperity. In fact, you may never see that money again.
But you are promised a life of abundant joy. You are promised that when you trust God and surrender yourself to him that he will hear your cry and answer your prayers. Live generously, and your life will be blessed in one way or another.
The ability to live generously when you are still working towards financial freedom will instill the discipline to be generous when you are eventually financially free.
There are many leaders who use the term “rich people aren’t generous. Generous people are generous.” You don’t need to have all of your finances figured out in order to serve the community around you and invest your time, money, and energy to build God’s kingdom.
Money is very personal. You have a chance to become financially free and I want to see you get there. Your financial health is intertwined with your spiritual health so deeply that it impacts almost everything you do.
Learn how to stop worrying about money. Put these tools into practice and see how the Lord slowly but surely builds your life around freedom.
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