Living Within Available Resources, Part 2

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Living Within Available Resources, Part 2</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id467.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Living Within Available Resources"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id469.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Facing Our Poverty and Finding True Rich"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"God's Plan for Financial Fitness: Living Within Available Resources" Part 2</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, August 29, 2004</B></div> <bR> <div>      Game show veteran Wink Martindale returned to host a show called "Debt" on the Lifetime cable network. It premiered in 1996. Contestants arrived with between $6,000 and $10,000 in debt-from credit cards, student loans and car loans-and tried to head into the black by answering pop-culture questions. Instead of taking home TV's or bedroom sets, players got a chance to win up to twice what they owe. Martindale said, "The reason contestants are in debt in the first place is that people have already gone out and bought these prizes." What about the folks who pay their bills on time? Senior producer Andrew Golder suggested, "Buy the time-share you've always wanted and then come see us. Or just enjoy the drama of watching others trying to escape the pit you were smart enough to avoid." (<I>U.S.News & World Report</I>, 6-3-1996, p. 13.)</div> <div>      A game show or the lottery or some other chance is not the pathway to financial fitness and freedom. If you want to become and remain financially fit, begin to <I>live contentedly within your available resources</I>. If you have been following along, you have already determined what you earn, and you have developed a written plan. The challenge is to stick to it, and live on less than you have. We are looking at what the Scriptures say about contentment (be satisfied, don't delay happiness until you get more): </div> <div> [I. Luke 3:1-3, 7-14<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>- Contentment is a matter of the heart - it is primarily a spiritual issue, not a financial one.]</div> <div> [II. Luke 12:13-21<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>- Your stuff is not your life.]</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Luk+12:22-31" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Luke 12:22-31</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>- <B>Rather than worrying about how to get more stuff, pursue the priorites of God. </B></div> <div>      The unrighteous seek after (and stress out about) all "these things" (vs. 30). Doesn't that sound like the American way of life? - the pursuit of riches and possessions and pleasures, which drives us to stress and anxiety. The Proverbs say that it is better to have just a little with peace than to have a lot with strife and stress.</div> <div>      Instead of worrying about possessions and pleasures, seek first the kingdom of God (vs. 31). Focus on his priorities, follow his instructions, and you will not have to worry. This is what it means to be "rich toward God" (vs. 21). Of course, work hard, save for the future, pay your bills; but the point is not having more stuff, but having enough so you can live life for the will of God. Get into his Word, decide what he has called you to do, and go for it.</div> <bR> <div> <B>IV. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=1Tim+6:6-17" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><B>- If you want to find satisfaction and enjoyment in life, you have to find it in God. </B></div> <div> <B>     </B>A lust for more and more brings more heartache, not more satisfaction. Enjoyment comes from God, not from things; when enjoyment comes from God, only then we can enjoy the things he provides. </div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I><B>Contentment is the key</B> to living within your available resources and experiencing financial fitness - getting out of debt, preparing for the future, being able to give generously, seeing your money as a tool to serve and honor God.</div> <bR> <div> <B>3 "drills" to help you develop the habit of contentment:</B></div> <div>      In sports (soccer, basketball, golf, football), drills help you learn the fundamental, basic skills in order to apply them in the game. You don't "will" yourself to all of the sudden be drastically different - you change, grow, and develop one small step at a time. Decide and begin to do the little things that will help you change your overall behavior. You develop spiritual muscles and skills, one small exercise at a time. <I>Financial skill, financial health and fitness is accomplished the same way.</I></div> <div> 1. Replace worry with trust, which is expressed to God through prayer (1 Timothy 6:17, Hebrews 13:5-6, Phil 4:6-7, 10-14).</div> <div> 2. Develop the habit of giving thanks (Phil 4:4, 6, 10, 14). It is not a feeling. It's easier to act your way into feeling, rather than feeling your way into action (Mary Hunt).</div> <div> 3. Generously give money and possessions away (1 Timothy 6:18-19).</div> <bR> <div>      Only with contentment can you truly be financially fit. But how does it work, how does it affect your financial situation? Discontent leads to the clutter of possessions that no longer are used; to more debt for possessions, items, experiences you no longer use or enjoy; to not having money available for emergencies or unusual expenses, so you pull out your credit card; to always wondering what you are missing that other people are enjoying. There is an ad for lendingtree.com (or one of those): A couple says, "That's more house than we can afford." The loan officer replies, "there's always a way to get the house of your dreams; don't let a little thing like not being able to afford it keep you from the house you want!"</div> <div>      With contentment, you will be better able to control expenses. You will be willing to choose what you can afford, and still be happy. If you want to get control of your expenses, keep a record for a whole month on every expenditure. You <I>will</I> discover some areas of leakage. Ben Franklin said, "Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship" (Hunt, 161). Areas to consider: food, including eating out (big and little); phone and long distance; cell phone plan; TV cable / satellite; internet service; gas expenses; electricity bills; car insurance / deductibles, etc.; toys, going out to dinner, blowing too much money on fun.</div> <div> <B>     </B>If you are an impulsive spender, what changes do you need to make it harder to spend money impulsively? Make money that is saved and set aside hard to get to (separate checking account, savings accounts). Carry no credit cards (only a debit card, representing real money). Or use only cash and only carry as much as you need for something you planned for. Be accountable with someone and be a partner with your family.</div> <bR> <div>      How would you feel about ripping a dollar bill in half? How do you feel when you lose a ten or a twenty? How does it feel to find a few bucks in a jacket pocket? It feels bad to ruin or lose even little bits of money, and it feels pretty good to find money lying around. So why do we so easily <I>waste</I> the money God has allowed us to manage? We are regularly tossing money out the window of our lives.  (Suze Orman, <I>Financial Freedom</I> intro.) Let's start being satisfied with God has provided, and committed to living on less than we earn, so we can achieve the financial fitness God has in mind for all of his followers.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2004, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>