COMMON SENSE FINANCIAL STRATEGY FOR GODLY LIFE

Gen 47:11-15,27, 1Tim 5:1-16 (vs.8)

Faith and fear don't work together.

Goshen was a country within a country (Egypt), how come there was abundance in Goshen and scarcity in the other part?

Your financial prosperity is not determined by the country you live in but in your faith in God.

HARD FACTS

• We live in an economically challenging times.

• Economic crises (famine) is not new - Heroes of faith survived in famine, likewise a man of faith will sail within the famine.

• In times of economic crisis, the strength of your strategy will determine weather you thrive, survive, float or sink - sometimes poverty could be self inflicted, therefore, you must listen to what the spirit is saying and not on your own expertise in economics and finance.

• You can't prevent the economic whirlwind from coming into your house to smash one or two windows. You can't control which direction the economic whirlwind will blow - you can build your own financial house to withstand the wind of economic crisis.

You must develop what is called, WISE FINANCIAL PRACTICES. That is, having a good leadership quality to drive your life/home. That is what guarantees your financial success.

There are four (4) basic principles for financial success but there are some truths about this four basic principles that I believe you must know.

TRUTHS ABOUT THE FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL SUCCESS

• They are so simple and can be overlooked.
• They work rather the economy is in boom or doom, inflation or deflation.
• Best time to apply this four (4) principles is before the economic crisis, but if you are already hit, the only way out is to apply this principles.
• It would also prevent future crises.

FOUR (4) BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS

▪ Think long term with goals and investing:
What you do in times of economic boom will determine what you will do during economic crunch.
Set goals in writing for the future
Invest and plan for long terms and not short terms
Goal setting is a faith process.

▪ Our yearnings are usually more than our earnings:
Spend less than you earn (financial discipline).
Make a spending plan, that is, a budget.
Like you do a medical check up, like wise always do a financial check up - (a) what do I owe (b) what do I own (c) how much am I spending (d) how strong is my safety net (savings).
Develop spend control to avoid overspending
If you consistently spend less than you earn, you will do fine financially.

▪ Maintain liquidity and emergency saving:
A reserve set aside will help you ride the surprises life throw at you.
Savings will help to avoid debt
Spending less is better than earning more
Don't use your health to get your wealth by overworking so that you don't use your wealth to fix your health
Being frugal is the cornerstone of wealth building

▪ Minimise the use of debt:
Debt increases risk
It may allow you to have more now but it will not allow you to have more in the future.
Stop unneccessary 'aso ebi' purchases if it does not fit into your budget.

NOTE: The first thing Joseph did in order to salvage the intending doom of famine was to do a financial check up. Thereafter, he set goals and he had a plan. He built store houses to save during the boom period. In order words, he maintained a disciplined attitude by not utilising every of the resources of the boom period, rather he saved a percentage in the store houses that he built.

Have you taken time to wonder how come other people within the same nation were coming to Joseph during the famine for food? Everybody had a seven (7) years of abundance, how come Joseph had savings and others didn't have? Gen 47:15.

….to be continued

© Kayode Adebiyi (Kay Lord)