Patience - Tip of the Week

Last week we reviewed God's teachings on patience found throughout the pages of the old and new testaments. Today, we will revisit it and apply it to our finances.

Yes, I know. I just made a lot of enemies. :o) But, this is where--more so than any area in our lives it seems--we lose patience like we lose that crazy sock that goes into the washer and never comes out. Where does that sock go anyway?

Patience, for me, is a lackluster, anxiety-ridden roller coaster. At times, I am very patient swooshing along the curves with ease. Other times, I am a screaming mess plummeting back to earth at 70 miles per hour. But with God's help (and tests), I am dealing with my patience better every day. (Thank you, God!)

Today, I will share a lesson I learned on impatient purchases-- those spontaneous "must-have" purchases that neither I, nor my budget, planned to make. The $8 perfect black shirt. The greatest skirt I have ever seen! That DVD that I must own and watch every day for a month.

Music. Gaming gear. Books (my favorite temptation). Lattes. We all have that thing we have to have right now. But, when your finances say no, and bills can't be paid because you had to have a latte every day, then patience must become our friend.

Patience is not a bad thing. We just don't like it. No one likes it. It means not having what we want exactly when we want it. But is that how God meant for it to be? Immediate gratification?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)

Apply patience to your finances. Set a time limit. A week. A month. Three months. However long you choose. And, wait. Does that new car with the high interest rate still seem like a good decision? Do you still need that new stereo system? Even though it is a great deal?

Or could that money be used elsewhere? Pay down a debt? Save for a rainy day? Or even to bless God's children? A little could mean a whole lot to your future or to someone else's.

Be patient with your money. And remember the old adage: If it's meant to be, it's meant to be.