I’ve been working with my new friend Randy for quite a few weeks now assisting in the case study portions of “Financial Management - God’s Way”, a study by Tom Copland into the biblical principles behind personal finances.
As we’ve been talking about budgeting and debt, I’ve been thinking more about the idea that as things change in our financial pictures, so must we.
The saying I heard that best summarizes this is a statement by Dr. John Delony - “you go with you”. I’m quoting at length from a transcript of a podcast that Dr. John co-hosted:
(Dr. Delony talking about a cross-country move) - "The worst part about moving is that you go with you. My marriage probably stayed the same. My insecurity stayed the same...and so when I got to Tennessee, I had to work on those things that I was having to work on in Texas, too. And so whatever challenges you and your wife have or blessings that you have, all that comes with you."
The question I get often - really often actually - is that “after you pay off your debt, are you still going to keep a budget?”
Yes. Yes, we will be.
Do you know why?
Because on the other side of our debt is us. We’re there, and although we’ll have learned a lot, that seed of discontent that caused the trouble we had in the first place (sin!) is still going to be around (contentment, see 1 Timothy 6:6-11, sin, see 1 Peter 5:8). One major difference is that surpluses will go towards things that we want (building up our emergency fund (Proverbs 21:20, giving 2 Cor 9:7) versus satisfying our creditors.
Do you know what’s waiting on the other side of that consumer proposal, that debt consolidation loan, that mortgage refinance, your latest lease or loan, or, hopefully and rather, a debt-free journey and a transformed perception of money and borrowing?
You.
For us, it’s the healthy “you” on the other side of this thing.
We’re never going back.
Hopefully, you’ll find the same.
Comments