When You Pray and Plan You Can Reach Your Financial Goals

Posted on Dec 04, 2018 Topic :
Posted by : Deborah Smith Pegues

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus taught the proper mind-set regarding the daily needs of life, such as food and clothing. He concludes His message in verse 34: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (NLT).

Some Christians find this confusing and often wonder, “Is there a way to reconcile planning and the Lord’s command to live by faith?”

Yes, most certainly.

When Jesus said, “Don’t worry,” He didn’t mean “don’t think about” or “don’t plan”—He simply meant “don’t worry.” The idea is not to be anxious about things you can’t control because God has promised to take care of our daily needs. But that doesn’t negate the need for planning.

For our part, we should do everything within our power and then recognize what is outside our control and leave it up to God. Pray and plan, but don’t fret. God “will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 ESV).

Consider the story of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. They went out to meet the bridegroom, all carrying lamps. Five virgins had the foresight to bring along extra oil and five did not. Eventually they all fell asleep waiting for the bridegroom.

At midnight, when the message rang out that he was nearby, the five “foolish” virgins found that their lamps were extinguishing, so they asked the “wise” virgins to share their oil. The wise virgins refused. “But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves,’” (Matthew 25:9 NKJV). So the foolish virgins left to go purchase some, but by the time they returned, the bridegroom had arrived and taken the wise virgins in with him to the wedding banquet.

When the foolish virgins tried to enter, it was too late. The door was shut tight. They could have easily avoided this problem. Lack of funds was not the issue—as evidenced by the fact that they went to buy more. So even though they had money to buy extra oil, they didn’t plan ahead to ensure their oil didn’t run out.

Setting goals is one of the most empowering acts you can perform to secure your financial future. You may have heard the saying, “Aim at nothing and you will hit it every time.” Setting goals simply means knowing where you want to go and having a plan for getting there. And be sure to assess the adequacy of your resources so you don’t end up like the foolish virgins. It is prudent to count the cost to ensure you have the resources and motivation necessary; otherwise, failure is imminent.

Three tips to get started planning your financial future:

Seek Counsel: There’s no shame in getting help. As Proverbs 12:15 reminds us, “The wise listen to advice.” No matter what your financial situation currently is, credit counseling agencies can provide help in a variety of ways.

Find Creative Solutions: Perhaps you don’t yet have the resources you need or you face a unique set of circumstances, whatever the problem, creative solutions can help provide the motivation to get started and the momentum to keep going.

Stay Balanced: Do not go to the extreme in trying to reach your financial goals. You don’t have to give up everything, so long as you prioritize.

You can do this. Embrace your goal with enthusiasm and good intentions, and before you know it you will arrive at your desired financial destination empowered and with great experience and wisdom to share with others.