Wednesday 3 June 2015

Are You Using Your Financial Intelligence?

I've been reading a number of books about finances lately, including Rich Dad, Poor Dad and I believe he talks about using your financial intelligence to move figures around in your head to achieve whatever goal it is you are trying achieve.    As such, I’d been going through a season of looking at our budget and trying to figure out how we could put money away so that the next house we lived in would be our own, and you know what it wasn’t really working.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m very careful with our money and how much we spend on everything.
I’ve looked at all sorts of budget courses and there are some great ones out there for people who really need to get grounded in where their finances are coming and going, even if you do have enough. 
The Christians Against Poverty course is a great free course that many local churches around the world offer to teach people how to manage their money, and also help people get out of huge debt if they can’t even afford groceries or are becoming homeless.  I’ve heard countless stories of the people they’ve helped and read the story of how the whole thing got started.
Another amazing course is Dani Johnson’s War Against Debt.  This is a fantastic resource to help you get out of debt, whilst on the same income and then turn your income around.  In fact Dani Johnson has a free 300+ page e-book, First Steps to Wealth, that you should definitely read.
In the natural these are some steps you can take, but sometimes I think we forget that we don’t just live in the natural, but in the supernatural realm as well.   I eventually got so fed up, that I said to God,  I don't have enough financial intelligence so You've going to have to use yours!
He started showing me His provision and I’ve been reading about Joseph and how he rose from slavery to favour and then crashed back down into prison and rose into wealth.   That was not a planned financial strategy.  God made him a success, in fact God called him a success even before all the amazing stuff had happened, while he was still struggling away, and God has favour on all His kids, thank Him for it and start seeing the difference it makes to walk with an awareness of His favour.
“His favour is for LIFE.  Weeping may endure for a night but JOY comes in the morning.”  Psalm 30:5
I’m inspired by stories of God’s miraculous provision, and how God wants to bless us so we can be a blessing to others.  Did you know that many inventors and great business men around the world claim their ideas have come from God?   
In Dani Johnson’s book ‘Grooming the Next Generation for Success’, although she is a millionaire and could easily buy her kids whatever they wanted, she actually tells them to go talk to God first. Before Mum buys a brand new guitar, go talk to God first and ask Him, and wait and see whether one turns up, and it did, because God was raising up one of her children as a worshipper.    Sometimes we do not receive because we do not ask. 
A lady in our church is currently teaching a Bible Study series and has shared a few stories with us lately of God’s provision.  One time when she was getting dressed the thought popped into her mind that she really needed some new underwear, and immediately the phone rang.   A lady in her church had called to say that during her prayer time God had shown her to give $20 for the purpose of buying new underwear.    Another time after having made the calculations that they still had 15 years to pay off on their home loan, our Bible Study teacher went into the bank, only to be told that she was making her last payment on the loan.     Wow.  God’s provision.
A huge part of God’s provision is giving, because when we give it will be given back to us, pressed down and shaken together.    Sometimes our financial intelligence needs to revaluated in the light of God’s financial intelligence, because remember, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
When I finally realised that although I did need to be diligent in how I used and saved our money, but that it didn’t all depend on me, whew, I felt like I could breathe again.
How about you?  What has God shown you about your money?
Linking up at Arabah Joy

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