We Can, But Should We? Finances July 15, 2008
Posted by BDO in Budgeting Concepts, Spiritual.Tags: allowed, beat, can, card, check, choices, Corinthians, credit, Debt, finances, loan, permissable, priceless, rebate, should, we
trackback
“We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things are good for us to do. “We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things help others grow stronger.
We live in a time that debt can be attained through easy means. Debt “enables” us to purchase almost anything imaginable. With a meager salary and a credit card, we can have products and services similar to a person who makes five times the amount we make. The false freedom that comes from purchasing anything our heart desires quickly gets slapped away when the credit company (that now owns your true freedom) wants your paycheck and the time required to gain that paycheck.
Through the ease of credit, American companies make it easier every day for us to buy ourselves into slavery. There are websites dedicated to the promise that if you take credit, your life will be priceless. This is NOT true. Where are the stories that show the person struggling to pay off what their marketing claimed would make their lives wonderful?
These companies know that if they heavily market to us, we eventually cave in and purchase items we don’t need on credit. [1] We must understand the long term effects of those decisions. In the Bible verse above and below, we see it is important to understand that God gave us free will, but that does not mean that everything we can do, should be done.
“Everything is permissible for me”-but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”-but I will not be mastered by anything.
Let us take a second look at this verse, where it says that we are able to do anything, but that does not mean that it is beneficial. Now let’s apply it to our finances. We can go out and spend our rebate checks on a new car, but that does not mean that there are not more beneficial ways to spend that money. We can go out and spend our loan money on new furniture, but that does not mean that we should take out loans. We can even put weekly splurge items on our credit card, but that does not make it right, especially when we are still in debt.
Our money, and the credit that is offered to us, allows us to buy almost anything we want. But that does not mean we should. The “we can” financial management style sounds like a world of possibilities, but it leads to sadness and slavery. Conversely, the “Should we?” financial management style sounds like a world of stagnant boredom. However, this is the financial “straight and narrow road” that leads to intrinsic exhilaration and financial independence.
Discussion Questions:
1. How often are you tempted to purchase something through debt, just because you can?
2. What motivations remind you of what you should afford?
3. What ways can you apply to your life that makes your finances a “Should we?” style of management?
~~~
“Money is a new form of slavery, and distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal, there is no human relation between master and slave.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of Thine hand to do it.” Proverbs 3:27 KJV
Photo by: Freefoto.com
_________________
A Kid's Guide to Managing Money (Ready-Set-Grow Series)
I think budgeting is great. Reducing spending and consumption is great. It’s good stewardship of our personal finances, and it’s good for our character to remember that the things of this world can never bring true satisfaction. So, I’m not disagreeing with any of these points, but every Christian finance program repeats this message ad nauseum. Granted, it’s a message that so many people in our Western culture need to hear, but it’s not the whole story. I think you could really break some new ground by considering some unexplored aspects of the problem.
What about our responsibility to steward the resources of the Earth as a whole? What happens to last year’s computers, monitors, and mp3 players when they head to the landfill? What are the working conditions for the miners in Africa who mine the diamonds for our jewelery, and the tantalum used to make capacitors in all of our electronic gadgets? How does our consumer behavior impact the environment? I’m not sure that religious America really thinks about this.
What about EARNING money? The Christian finance plans I’m familiar with all deal with spending and saving, but the earning side of the equation is left out. You can only save and budget to a certain point. It’s not considered “spiritual” to ask God for a higher income, but the Bible makes it clear that wealth itself is not bad. It’s widel accepted that every Christian should, within their circumstances, do their best to avoid becoming a burden to anyone. Is it right to accept Social Security or Medicare if you don’t really need it? How do I go about earning enough money that I never need to receive charity, and instead provide help to others?
Craig,
Most programs focus on saving and responsible spending because a majority of people can’t or won’t find ways to earn more money. Finding higher paying jobs usually requires more education or experience, both of which require time and money. People who have fiscal issues need help NOW. The quickest fixes are to change spending and saving habits.
That being said, I don’t disagree with you on the importance of earning money. I don’t want to be anyone’s burden when I get to “that age” or have “that disability” or whatever. I’m a huge proponent of education and encourage everyone to get at least their undergraduate degrees. A degree is a very expensive piece of paper, but in the long run, it sure pays off!
As far as American wastefulness goes, do you know of any program or non-profit organization that takes in old technology for the needy? Also, it’s incumbent upon us to make sure we know where our stuff comes from. Like you said, we need to be responsible stewards. This applies to how we use our money, who we support (however indirectly) with the money we spend, how we use our time, etc.
Thanks for provoking my thoughts!
I agree with gtrj, and it is difficult to ‘earn’ more money if you don’t have the time or means to do it because of health, family obligations, time constraints, etc. Americans can ‘earn’ money by not spending so much and getting rid of the stuff they have via yard sales, websites, by couponing at the grocery store (personally I usually buy the store brand), going out only with a coupon in hand, yet being careful that coupons don’t make you spend more than you normally would have.
I think the main message is that being in debt confines us so that we do not have the freedom to give to good causes, to needy families/countries/organizations. When we allow ourselves to spend more than we make in a month, then we limit our freedom of expression, money-wise. It takes on the form of spiritual bondage as well as financial. How one spends their money is often an indication of their heart condition. Although everything is permissable, all things are not needful or beneficial to my spiritual, financial, or marital condition.
[...] – bookmarked by 5 members originally found by misterdeity on 2008-10-01 We Can, But Should We? Finances http://beatingdebt.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/we-can-but-should-we-finances/ – bookmarked by 6 [...]