LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS

My wife, Jenny gave me a new VISA card that was sent to us. I took it and proceeded to cut it up. Aleena (six years old at the time) was shocked and wanted me to stop. I told her, “Learn this well while you’re young.” I said, “If a man made only $300.00 a week, but spent $500.00 that week, what happens?” Aleena thought and said, “He had to steal.” I thought it was a good answer, but I explained how we couldn’t live beyond our means. We must spend only within what we make, not on what we borrow. Our society has allowed itself to fall into a trap. The trap is the debt system of purchasing our wants. I am sorry to say that Christians have not avoided this trap either.
We are constantly being tempted by advertisements showing us large selections of very appealing cars, home furnishings, vacations, and almost everything else we might want. We can have it with "easy payments" they advertise. We can see the world on a "buy now, pay later" plan. Our Lord was certainly aware of the problems of borrowing. So aware, in fact, in His charge to His people, God pleads with us to "listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God" (Deut. 15:5-6). What does He want us to hear? He is commanding us not to spend beyond our means. Why is it so important that God Himself commands His people to live within their means? He tells us in verse 6: so that (the lenders) "will not rule over you." It is not God's plan that we should become a slave to our debtors (Prov. 22:7).
A man is charged to love the Lord, his wife, and his family, then his neighbor as he loves himself. The love of money is the root of all evil. However, when a man is in debt he finds himself thinking too often of his money problems. I have been told that, for most of us, money occupies approximately 50 percent of our thoughts (Matt. 6:24). As our debt grows, our allegiance to debt increases, and our thought time for the Lord and family decreases. Our problems begin to compound and we wonder what has happened to the blessing of the Lord regarding our marriage and walk with God.
If one makes only $300.00 a week (net), he must plan a budget that spends only $280.00 a week, (less than what he makes). The greatest problem with far too many Christians who say they cannot afford to pay tithes is that they are living beyond their means. They invest in a debt more than they have the income to pay for it. If you only make $300.00 a week, you cannot pay tithes, offerings, rent, food, car, gas, utilities, phone, clothes, and then go out and buy on credit a new stereo, weight machine, vacation, and make application for a Master Card and VISA. If you borrow and live on $425.00 a week, while you’re only making $300.00, somewhere out there you’re going to have more bills than you can pay.
Our budget we make of spending must be below what we make if we are to ever stay above our debt. One of the greatest sins men and women make today is when they get a raise they instantly raise their cost of living higher. We cannot spend more than we make. And if we get a raise, we should never go out and plan to buy more and live higher. This “spend - get” craze has destroyed more marriages, homes and Christians than any other demon. Read up on budgeting and learn how to “Live within your means.”