Money Part 3 â How to Become Wealthy: BRINGING UP SARA 1.8
circa 2015 - 2019
Earlier, I shared about the need to be a master over money and what God expects us to do with the resources and talents He has given us. I discovered through this journey that God is a very generous Father. When I learned how to manage money well, He blessed me with much more than I can imagine or deserve.
So, in the next few posts, I will share what I have learned and put to good use.
Let me start with this simple formula to start acquiring wealth.
The Arithmetic of Wealth
Many people think that when they earn a lot of money they will become rich. Actually, you do not become rich that way.
It is basic arithmetic.
- Income – Spending = Savings
- Income – Savings = Spending
Which of these two formulas will help you become wealthy?
Take a good look at it again. Do you see it?
It’s (2) right? Let me explain.
Typically, most people have a budget for their expenses. After deducting it from their income, the amount of savings is simply a resultant number. So, the savings pool can sometimes go up or go down.
But if you budget your savings first (like in Formula No. 2), you will ensure that this pool is progressively increasing with each paycheck or return on your investment. Do not despise these little progressive additions for it is important to establish discipline over your spending if you want to get rich.
Some people are very good at earning money but have no self control over or any idea of their spending. Many end up in debt or go bankrupt the moment their income source dries up. Earnings do not equal wealth; it is the amount you have in your bank account or stashed away somewhere that determines your wealth.
With a savings goal, not only did I think about building my income, but it helped me make every spending decision with ease.
Many years ago, I read a book called “The Millionaire Next Door” which zooms in on understanding what is spending - whether it is for consumption or for investment. While I am not as shrewd as the author in watching his expenses, the principle is the same. If you want to become a millionaire one day, you need to watch your spending realistically and make it a habit and a goal to grow your savings consistently over time.
You can only be wealthy when you diligently save money and put it to good economic use. Money can buy you even more money.
Beware the Lure of Easy Money
The Holy Spirit showed me that one of the greatest dangers we face today is the lure of easy money – consumer credit, loans, ‘get rich quick’ schemes and scams, lottery and gambling.
Some people even think that these are heaven-sent opportunities to make more money, and even pray for God to bless them through such means! They could not be more wrong. I tell them this: God can give from the abundance of all of the heavens and earth and certainly does not need the help of lottery or scams to deliver it.
In fact, many ended up worse off after such windfalls.
The good book says in Proverbs 10:12:
“The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” (NKJV)
I believe that God designed mankind to engage in meaningful and productive work, as He knows we will derive greater and lasting pleasure from it. We will also naturally be more careful with our spending when the money is earned through hard work.
The Credit Card Demon
Albert Einstein, the famous physicist, was purportedly credited with this quote: “Compound interest is the most powerful force in the Universe.”
I personally feel that owing money to the bank is one of the scariest things in the world. One of the devil’s most dangerous weapons is the credit card, ironically known as “俥ç¨ĺĄ” (“integrity card”) in Chinese.
I personally know many who have fallen into depression, their marriage on the rocks, ready to kill themselves because of their insurmountable credit card debt. One man shared that it is very addictive as banks offer them so freely so they do not have to beg or borrow from friends or relatives. So many end up using one card to pay off debt on another card when money is tight. It also constantly lures people to enjoy making lifestyle choices that they envy and cannot afford, as though they never have to worry about paying for it.
When I show these people how much interest they are paying on their credit card debt, they soon realise that they will never be able to pay off forever if they are going to pay it off bit by bit.
The amount of interest charged is staggering. A $10,000 debt can balloon to more than $50,000 in a few years, plunging the borrower into a life of anxiety, fear and misery on a daily basis when the banks come calling. They become trapped in a living hell, crippled from being able to think or to earn enough to ever pay it off.
This is exactly what Mammon wants – that they may never repay the debt but forever be paying interest, thus causing them to be a slave to Money.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT MAMMON WANTS - THAT THEY MAY NEVER REPAY THE DEBT BUT FOREVER BE PAYING INTEREST, THUS CAUSING THEM TO BE A SLAVE TO MONEY
The Lord showed me how this evil is pervading through so many countries today and very soon, the whole world will be a slave to the financial system where Mammon (the Money demon) and Babylon (the spirit of seduction) will reign.
So, please take my advice – avoid credit card debt at all cost if you do not have the discipline or means to pay off the full amount every month.
To me, the credit card is a convenient payment tool and I have never ever paid a cent of interest on it.
There was a time when my husband was in the same predicament and I had to pay off his credit card bills with my annual bonus because I could not bear to see the amount of interest and ridiculous late charges being levied. Thank God he realised the precarious situation he is in and he locked up all his credit cards. When he had a better hold on his spending, he restored the use of his cards. To this day, he never faced the same problem again.
I noticed that this problem seems to be more common with men than with women. V tells me it has to do with headship. Obviously, the enemy wants to usurp the headship of men in families.
That was when the Lord led me to do something drastic- He told me to quit my high paying job and be a homemaker when we totally cannot afford to. It nearly gave my husband a “heart attack” đ but it was the first step towards the journey of financial freedom and success that God has put us on.
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