The Great Recession that has financially hammered so many millions of Americans has provided a compelling reminder of the need for a Plan B mindset.
In fact, countless people have already burned through Plans B, C, D and working on Plan E just now.
It’s been SO difficult for so many.
A silver lining to this enduring season of dark clouds is that the financial management DNA of countless people has been altered.
The percentage of people adding to their credit card debt is plummeting.
The number of people taking out mortgages to buy houses is dropping.
The number of people actually putting money into savings accounts is increasing.
And the percentage of people paying for purchases with cash or with debit cards is at record levels.
Why the changes? These people want to exit from their status as slaves to debt and are working toward that end.
Wisdom says it is better to be prepared in advance for when tough financial times come along.
Many of you were and are making it through this Great Recession without filing bankruptcy. It hasn’t been easy, of course, as many spending patterns have been changed or simply scrapped.
But you’ve paid your bills and hopefully you’ve trusted the Lord with your tithe offerings.
If you haven’t, you’ll need to do the math and to play catch-up in order to show God that you’re more loyal to Him than to the thing or trip that you’ve put off purchasing until you had more money.
Why this topic today? I read this morning in Genesis 41 about God’s inspiration to Joseph regarding the seven years of abundance in Egypt that preceded the seven years of famine.
Because of Joseph’s wisdom regarding putting a 20 percent portion into savings during the good times, millions of people were able to survive during seven years of famine.
No, it wasn’t easy, this time that was SO much more difficult than our Great Recession.
But the people made it through to the other side of the famine.
There are so many stories in the Bible that can help us to make practical decisions that can greatly improve our lives.
This is one of those stories.
As you are able and disciplined, increase the amount of money you save monthly. You might not reach 20 percent of your gross income as did Pharoah’s kingdom during Joseph’s supervision, but any increase will be an improvement.
The more you save, the less likely you’ll be a slave.
I’m working — and cutting — toward this end. And I’m striving to remember my tithe check when I head out the door each Sunday morning.
I pray that you will, too.
As always, I love you
Martin
