January-March, 2015
This is written for anyone who wants to learn something more about money. It’s not about the barter system, or the Federal Reserve, or how to make the paper money or coin. It’s not even ideas about how to create an income (well, maybe a couple of ideas will be thrown in). It’s about managing the money you have, even if it’s only two cents (which doesn’t even apply anymore in my homeland of Canada). This is about how to make your money grow without a financial planner.
This is written primarily for the young, but if you don’t fit in that category, we can qualify by being young at heart or young in the experience necessary to manage our cents correctly.
This is written because we see a great need all around us. We live in a time of history when credit is the norm, debt is abundant, and people are frustrated with their lack of the money needed for what they want in life. Can this be changed? I think so.
If it couldn’t be changed, then we could all just give up, go sit in a corner, and whine. But not everyone is frustrated, not everyone is in debt, not everyone isn’t having his or her needs met. So what is the difference? I am glad you asked.
I have found in our own experience that there are some basic principles of law of sense that help with cents. These are the things that I will seek to share with you. Because I am a Christian and because I have found all of these principles in the greatest Manual ever read, I will include them here. You will recognize, if you follow them, that they are wisdom, and they are helpful, and that by God’s help your life will be different because of them. So ready or not, here they come.
Money, in different forms, is actually a medium of value, something that can be traded for goods or services. In earlier times, things were traded for things. For example, you might trade fabric for an animal, oil for salt, metals for land. To make things simpler, it was devised to create something with a “consistent” value that could be carried easily and traded for items that were needed.
Money is simply a tool to be used in a world of commerce to pay for those things that are needed in life. Have you ever thought that money was actually a gift?
First, it is a gift, because if we have some, we are among the world’s monetarily richest people, even if it is only some loose change in your pocket. Two thirds of the world don’t have that.
Second, it is a gift, because it can enable you to have what you NEED in life, even if it will only meet the small needs at first.
Third, it is a gift, because it can enable you to help others with what they NEED in life. You will be blessed as you share with others.
There is a Bible principle that should be stated right away. Money will only be a gift and a blessing if it is used in the right way. Money will be used to its noble purpose only as we use it for the glory of God.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corin–thians 10:31).
In this world, in the church, and in the family, the proper use or misuse of money can be at the top of reasons why or why not something doesn’t work. What do I mean? In the family setting, the lack of money or the improper management of money is often listed as a top reason why marriage relationships break down. In the church setting, often the reason why there are not more outreach projects can be the same—lack of funds. In our world, a great amount of suffering and despair can be attributed to lack of funds.
So when and where are we to learn about how to make and use money? You guessed it! In the home and even at a very young age.
Well, that depends on who you are, where you are, and what age you are. As was mentioned earlier, money is something given for something. Sometimes children receive money as a gift from relatives, or they find coins on the street, or they do some work and get paid, or their parents give them an allowance.
If you are older, you may be working at a job and creating an income. No matter what the amount, the principles of managing your cents will help. If you can learn how to take care of the pennies, the nickels, and the dimes, the dollars will take care of themselves, or so the saying goes.
But it’s true, if you learn how to take care of the littles, you will know how to take care of larger amounts, and the principles that you practice when young will help you all through your life. It’s worth the effort and will pay off!
So what will help me to get some more of it?
a. Work hard—be diligent
“Study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing” (1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12).
b. Don’t be lazy
Want because of laziness is sin. It means that we are not taking the responsibility to work very seriously. The biblical book of Proverbs has much instruction on this subject. It is interesting to read through this book and mark each verse that has to do the subject of work and finances. It is a wealthy find.
“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man” (Proverbs 6:9–11).
c. Don’t get rid of it all!
There is another saying—it’s not how much you make, it’s how much you have left! It is the principle of not going wild trying to buy everything you want now or ever wanted. We will go over more about this in the next section. Just remember not to let the money in your pocket or wallet or purse or wherever cry out to you to spend it all. It will be wise to make a list of where and how much money should go to different places. This is known as a budget.
d. Don’t borrow!
This is really important. Don’t borrow from others if at all possible. Don’t get in the habit of using someone else’s money for your needs. This only grows worse, and the amount owed becomes greater. There are exceptions, but counsel with someone that you trust to help determine when that is. The better habit is to make income by working, then save for the things that you need or want, and save something for those times of emergency that always come in life. Remember, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).