"He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.' For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place...." Mark 6:31-32 (HCSB)
As we are looking at the epidemic of burnout in today's clime, we have sought ways from Dr. Richard Swenson's book Margin on how we can restore balance in our lives. we have mused over Emotional, Physical, and Time restoration, and today we will ponder Financial restoration. Again, Dr. Swenson lists 16 prescriptions, we will consider a couple of them.
We need to be people who are moving counter to our culture - the one that teaches us to spend and get. We need to learn to live within our harvest, in other words - make do with what we have. This is not easy, nor popular today. Consider all the ads designed to make us feel that we need the latest whatever to live a happy life. we have to discipline our desires and redefine what we see as needs.
So, what can we do? First we must either/or increase our income or decrease our spending. If we can't increase our income, we must "bite the bullet" and decrease our spending. This causes us to make a budget - and then stick to it. I have OCD tendencies and when I set up something like this I become very structured to do it - it is a compulsion. As a TV character Monk used to say - "It is a blessing and a curse." Budget in savings, discard use of credit cards, resist the impulses when watching TV or shopping. Consider the usefulness of what you are seeking to spend money on.
Most importantly, put the Kingdom first. We need to give tithes and offerings to God through His church and other Kingdom related enterprises. Matthew 6:33, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount reminds us to "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you."
Today, ponder over the needs you have in the financial realm, and then consider how you can gain control over these. When our finances are in balance, we reduce the possibility of burnout or restore our personal balance in life.
* Material used this week is from Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives. Published by NavPress:Colorado Springs CO. 1992
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