Money is not the root of all evil. Really, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” (Paul of Tarsus, A.D. 60). Our family has found financial freedom not through large amounts of material wealth, but in the secret of learning how to master money, instead of being a slave to it. Everyone uses money, and while budgets may help, we have learned key values which influence how we budget and manage money.
The world around us is for our use, not our abuse. If we lose sight of this, our personal resources (including relationships and material goods) diminish without renewal. We have a divine charge to take dominion while replenishing – avoiding the extremes of absolute preservation and annihilation. We plant a garden almost every year. Even though it only supplements, with time we will be able to grow more and offset grocery costs and be healthier for it. We also have learned to be more creative – turning “trash into treasure”, avoiding waste, and also stretching our innovative and inventive capacities.
Giving and receiving is a better way to live than merely “buying and selling”. Merchandising is part of interaction in this world, but this can never replace genuine friendships and Mr. Roger-esque values of neighborliness. So much expense can be offset by living in a culture that gives away things they don’t need (excess) in the prospect of receiving something they do. Here are two great places to find a community who is already living this way:
Other social networks can provide a forum or shout-out for these exchanges. However, we have also seen the greater importance of giving to those truly in need, without any expectation for a return. We actually make room in our budget every month for this, so we don’t have an excuse when we see a need – the money is already set aside for this.
Living simply, with contentment, and a pure heart is great gain. We don’t weary ourselves to become rich, compare ourselves to other people, or try to keep up. We work honestly and diligently – producing something useful that others need and want, trusting that everything will be provided, just like for the birds and animals. At the core of our budget is peace. We resist laziness, covetousness, greed, lust, pride, and impatience, since all of these work against meeting our budget. Instead, we strive toward industry, contentment, thankfulness, humility and patience. There is profit in all labor, so we do what is in front of us, even if it has no apparent financial gain. If we can live without for a time, we do, until we can find it cheaper or can afford it. We love garage sales and have often found nice things deeply discounted. We have also learned to bargain and negotiate – even in unlikely places.
Financial benefits are extremely essential under such circumstances because budget constraints prevent us from buying the best products in town and we are left with no choice but to get used to second hand ones but PillarWM, an investment scheme management has turned out to be the savior of such people that can invest wisely for the future and reap its benefits in due course.
We pray. Some people underestimate the value of faith with regards to their finances. We pray over our finances, over our shopping lists, and against a spirit of poverty and worry. We thank God and seek Him for wisdom (since He knows all things) and provision (since He owns all things), asking Him to set us free and truly bless us. He has.
