Packing
January 5, 2009
It is unbelievable how quickly “stuff” accumulates. I have become acutely aware of that once again over the last couple weeks as we garage sale, give away, and throw away “stuff” to get down to the things we really want to pack up and haul across the country to Denver. As we are packing up our “stuff” and preparing to move, Andy started a new sermon series on finances here at North Point yesterday called Balanced.
In the first week of the series, Andy introduced the concepts he will elaborate upon over the next few weeks of the series. I won’t try to give you all the notes that I took, but there were a couple things that really struck me. I’ve already blogged about my perspective on finances, so this wasn’t new information. But this was another great example that most of us don’t need more information, we need to be more responsible in applying what we already know.
The first thing from this message that struck me was Andy’s assertion that the more you have or the more you manage, the easier it is to be undisciplined and irresponsible. Ouch. As I think about all the “stuff” we’re clearing out, I had to wonder if some of that represented undisciplined management of our finances.
The second point he made that has really stuck with me was that if you are out of balance with your personal finances, it is a reflection that you are out of balance spiritually somehow. He backed it up with this verse:
“Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 12:33-34
The way we manage our personal finances is a reflection of the values in our heart. How we spend our money reveals what we truly value.
So as we start this new year, I’m taking a closer look at how I manage the money God has entrusted to me. I want to find the places that I may be out of balance and opening those areas up to God to help me make some course corrections. Kate and I are going to start by tracking where our money goes more diligently and nailing down the areas that we’ve slipped outside our budget.
How about you? As we start this new year, are there any areas of your personal finances that need some attention?
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