10 Days of Financial Wisdom: Day 7

Working Together 
 
When I read Psalm 31: 10-31 I feel like God is talking directly to me. I replace she and her with my name as a way to motivate myself to be the women God has given me the potential to be. The only thing I need is to value the words of my King over the words of my flesh. Easier said then done right? Does the wife in this passage have a name? NO, and I think the reason is because it can be applied to every wife. The verse says she's a diamond in the rough and I know this to be true but it doesn't mean that every day when I wake I can't pursue this goal. All the things in this passage are the qualities God admires.

Today's verse focuses on Psalm 31:10. When you read this verse you can either A: feel like you're not anything like this gal or B: think of it as a way to humble yourself and ask your spouse some hard questions. Do you possess any of the characteristics of this wife? How will he answer? Don't be offended, look at it as a way to grow in your marriage and in your walk with Christ.

Now on to the Dave Ramsey lesson:

I'm a financial person. My wife, Sharon, is not. So maybe you can imagine my surprise several years ago when I discovered that she actually had some opinions about money. But what really got me was how often I was wrong and she was right!

Sharon fits all the ideals of a genteel Southern woman. She never pushes to get her way, but she does tend to have "feeeeeelings" when it comes to big decisions. At first, I never paid much attention to those feeeeeelings. But after my personal pride left our family bankrupt, I learned to trust them.

Now, I won't make a major move without Sharon's insight. For example, in the early days of my company, I wouldn't hire anyone before they had dinner with Sharon and me because I needed to hear her input and wisdom. That's something I've passed down to my leadership team today. Our company doesn't hire anybody until they've completed a spousal interview with the department leader and his or her spouse.

I really believe Proverbs 31:10–11 is a prescription for wise financial decisions. If you're married, you and your spouse are one. If you run off and make a huge purchase or sink money into an investment without talking with your spouse, you're only operating with half your brain!
And the results are rarely a blessing. Every time I've made a major decision without Sharon's advice, it's caused me huge amounts of heartache - and cost me lots of money!

If you're single, you can rely on your accountability partner to play that role in your life. Either way, the point is to get outside your own head, share the plan out loud, and let others tell you if they think it's a bad idea.

I'll admit that talking about money can cause some disagreements, but that's normal and healthy in a marriage. Just remember that your spouse is not the enemy. In fact, God has placed the two of you on the same team to make each other better. And who knows - if you can agree on the checkbook, the only real fight left may be over who gets the remote.
 
 This is really encouraging for me. I need to stop looking to myself for financial advice because hey let's face it, I'm not doing so well. However, having conversations about money is a commonly procrastinated topic until just the last few months. Luckily my hubby and I agree that we need to talk about money and start telling it where to go but like everything it's gonna take practice. We aren't going to wake up tomorrow and become penny-pinchers but my goal is that as I grow and learn about money then I can baby-step my way into becoming totally healthy with money alongside my spouse. 

If you like this reading plan so far, feel free to join in with YouVersion. It's an app Bible for your devices and in addition to keeping your Bible with you anywhere you can read this and many other great short reading plans. Just go to www.youversion.com and look up Bible reading plans.

Grace to You,
Jenna   

10 Days of Financial Wisdon: Day 6

Secret to Success
On the first day of every year, people make resolutions about how things are going to be different this time around. Unfortunately, few of those resolutions ever make it to January 7.

For example, polls consistently tell us that two of the top resolutions involve losing weight and managing money. But every year, the results are the opposite of what we hoped for: Our waistlines get bigger, and our net worths gets smaller!

To be honest, resolutions are a joke! We know life would be better without extra pounds and credit cards, but we just can't say no. Why can't we follow through with our January 1 resolutions? Because without teeth, resolutions are nothing more than wishes we make to ourselves.

We can give them teeth by sharing them with someone else. It's called accountability, and it's one of the most powerful motivators for change you can imagine. In Proverbs 15:22, Solomon challenged his readers to build accountability into their lives. He understood that the worst crashes often happen when we're flying solo. We can make a lot of plans, but the chances of failure increase when we try to go it alone.

On the other hand, "many advisers" (otherwise known as accountability partners) lead to success. When we are willing to hear and heed the advice of others, we can prevent a landslide of future headaches.

Of course, that doesn't mean we let someone else run our lives or that we have to follow through with every suggestion. But it does mean that we let others speak into our lives and - for a moment, at least - entertain the idea that we don't know everything about every situation. We're teachable.

Who are some people you trust? Family members, lifelong friends, pastors, fellow church members, leaders and co-workers can all serve as guides for your money questions. Find a few key people and let them help you reach your financial goals.
Don't set yourself up for failure. Accountability is biblical … and it works!
By: Dave Ramsey

I struggle with this kind of accountability but know that ultimately it is exactly what I need. There is no veil when it comes to being accountable for your actions when spending money. Sometimes I have anxiety about sharing where I am really at with other women but it always surprises me when they either understand exactly where I'm coming from or they've already been there and can offer great words of wisdom. I found the key to these kind of relationships is really to trust people and combine that trust with wisdom to know when to follow their advice or maybe just a piece of it. 

If you would like a short and simple study like this one but not related to money, but other main mom topics YouVersion offers a wide array of reading plans for your Bible.  
Plus...
Here are just a few of the new Reading Plans you might want to try:

• The Overflow presents new video devotionals from artists such as Casting Crowns, Matthew West, Rhett Walker Band, RED, Sho Baraka, and more! Various lengths
• Dave Ramsey’s Financial Wisdom from Proverbs takes you through ten practical, biblical steps to help you start getting your finances in order. From trusted voice on money and business, Dave Ramsey. 10 days
• New City Catechism video series offers a collection of questions and answers teaching foundational theological principles. Designed to serve both children and adults. From The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. 20 days

Follow along with me as I discover knew things about God's word every day!
Blessings,
Jenna