Speaking this verse over and over changed my mind and my finances.
Photo Credit – Unsplash, Aaron Burden
Beware of little expenses, a small leak will sink a great ship.– Benjamin Franklin
THE BIBLE VERSE THAT CHANGED OUR FINANCES
I was at the store looking for an item I needed when I passed by the sunglass display. I’m not sure why I stopped but…. there….. she…. was!
Unsplash -Annie Theby
I didn’t plan on buying sunglasses that day.
I didn’t need sunglasses…BUT those glasses! They were looking so cute and calling my name. They had a pink tone in the best…… possible….. way!
Immediately I thought, these would be fun for the summer.
AND because I was at a discount store the price was R.I.G.H.T……$13.99!
Some thoughts dancing around in my head……
- Some people spend $50 on a pair.
- The last sunglasses I got were $5.
- Even if I had both I still would be around $20.
- That’s not a bad deal.
Don’t you love being inside my mind?
Cough* Cough* Justification
You know it’s bad when you are trying to convince yourself, right?
And the bible verse that changed my finances that day, and many others?
THE VERSE…
“Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6
For some, this might be ridiculous.
What’s the big deal? It’s not like you are buying a Mercedes.
The only problem?
After The Mister lost his job a couple of years back, right after we took our summer vacation, we acquired quite a bit of debt. In fact, truth be told after over a year unemployed plus a move for a new job, our debt grew to 14+k. That was not typical for us or where we wanted to be. A few years earlier, we had no credit card debt.
Now, almost three years later the debt is down to just under $5k and no car debt. This is all while making less than 60k a year for a family of 4 (two teen boys).
And putting down pink sunglasses and reflecting on this verse is one of the major ways it’s been done.
Is it easy?……NO! It can be a lot easier talking yourself out ONE huge purchase than a ton of little ones….day in day out.
Plus, the sunglasses were adorable.
But it was better for me to have tranquility (peace) than to toil (work more hours) and worry about debt (paying bills) for what?
UPDATE – WE DID IT! We have paid off all debt except for the house!!!! Our Story: Paying Off Debt on a Modest Income & Tips
MORE TIPS TO PAY DOWN DEBT~
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- Asking, How many hours will I have to work to pay this off?
- Setting a goal. We would love to be out of debt this year however with our son starting college, and I had to leave my day job (decreasing our income even more) to school our youngest at home, we are placing our goal to pay it off in 3 years. We also have smaller goals.
- Reexamining “good deals”. If we put it on the credit card, there’s interest. Is it still a bargain?
- We love estate sales for bargains but you also get a glimpse of what will happen to all that stuff eventually.
- Lists. If we didn’t plan on buying it, do we really need it?
- Sometimes the most inexpensive things are the costliest as they add up quicker than we think. How many people go to that store with a dollar area and end up with a cart full of stuff they didn’t plan on buying?
Of course, there are many books and resources to help one get out of debt, like THIS. In the end, you have to find what works for you.
Whether you are in debt, feeling overwhelmed by stuff, or want to examine your priorities, this verse can be a helpful tool to access if it’s worth the two handfuls or if one handful is enough.
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Don’t forget to let us know what has worked for you, or what you struggle with, in the comments below.
I love this verse and I am writing it down as a daily reminder!
Lisa,
It really is such a easy verse to remember and it sure does help.
Oh my that hit me. I’m such a small spender and so I justify it all the time. I’m in debt and it’s not a lot but still in slavery for it. Thanks for sharing I will remember this verse. God wants me to be free and I’m so thankful he has others share that we are not alone and with God’s truth he can set us free.
April, I hear ya. It’s a journey for sure. Yes, we are so blessed to have each other to lean on for support. God doesn’t want us in bondage to our debt. It takes time, but the reward is so worth it.
I really needed this! I use to have a terrible shopping problem that I have slowly gotten under control. One thing that has helped me when I feel tempted to spend money on something I do not need is to tell my self, “ I can not take this to heaven with me, it’s just a worldly possession.” Or Is this honoring to God? How could I spend this money in a way that would glorify Jesus? This helps me talk myself out of buying a lot of things I don’t need but have the selfish desire to want anyways.
Joelle, What great questions to ask and great reminders to think through those purchases.
I was browsing Pinterest and this headline screamed for attention. I believe the Lord wanted me to take a pause here because I can relate to this and I’m going to set this reminder to overcome any small temptations in spending. Thank you for graciously sharing this verse.
Priscilla, I am so happy this post spoke to you. There are so many things that scream for our attention, but just having a verse to remind me is so helpful.
There is much wisdom in what you wrote. I’m excited for you that you’ve been able to pay off a lot of your debt, always a good feeling. Thanks for sharing this verse!! I’m in the middle of decluttering and working through my junk stash at a rigorous rate, so this is very timely and definitely very encouraging/motivating.
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I certainly needed this and today. Of course it was known I ‘d come across it,. I took the time to read it and think about it. It was just what I needed! God is so cool he will put what you need in front of you and you just have to take it!
Laura,
I am so glad this was an encouragement to you today. God is faithful!
Twenty years ago we made two cross country moves in one year. Talk about debt building. And we never really got off of that debt cycle until a few years ago. Our church offered a course on Financial Peace University and it changed or lives! I had a good job at the time and and we were both making good money so we were able to buckle down and get ourselves out of debt within 1 year. I was a spender for sure but it really changed my thought process about little purchases and how much damage they can do to our bottom line.
Getting out of debt allowed us to redirect that money towards our mortgage and we were able to get our home paid off a few years ago. That was timely because I am now unemployed.
Learning how to be good stewards of our money and resources is something I can’t recommend enough to other people.
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Toni, That is so awesome. I have never done Financial Peace but have seen and heard great things about it. I am a spender too but that is great you were able to get your home paid off.
This. Yes! Thank you for sharing this verse- I will be writing it down to keep before my eyes daily!
Amanda, I literally used it today when Christmas shopping. I happened upon something inexpensive and thought how many inexpensive things add up and put it back.
Thank you!! It was definitely God ordained that I stumbled upon this this morning. After another argument about finances and clutter last night , I was distraught this morning about my twenty year battle with this, my horrible distractability and minute progress. I’ve read the verse before but this morning it jumped out to me. I truly desire peace and the love of my husband more than this stuff!
Please pray that I can concentrate this morning on purging, enough that a visible difference is made.
Jen, So glad this post spoke to you. I will be praying for you as well!!!!! Please don’t be too hard on yourself and realize we are all TRULY a work in progress. If we could do this without Him, we would have never needed His ultimate sacrifice. If you can, grab a friend who can help you purge. Where two or more are gathered He will be there and it helps to have a friend to keep you motivated. Blessings to you and here’s to a blessed 2017!
Jen it’s been a few years since this post. It touched me in such a heartfelt way. How are you with your journey. Praying for you even today!
Thank you I needed this…
Mandla, So glad it was helpful!!! Have a great day!
Wow, I love this story. You’re so right about not needing two pairs of sunglasses. I struggle with little things like this too. Thanks for the inspiration. I will subscrible and look forward to more of your posts!
Barb,
It’s the little things that can truly add up that’s for sure! Thanks for stopping by Barb!
This was God’s timing. I just finished my Bible study and had prayed that God would teach me to do better with our money, and then I came across this article. That k you.
I’m so glad. Isn’t it awesome how He works through each other.
That’s amazing ,I’m going to be writing this down and carrying it my my wallet as a permanent reminder.
Thanks for sharing..
That’s awesome Parker. I’m glad it encouraged you.
Thank you so much for this…..I am in love with all things fashion and am truly a shopper! I have recently been trying to curtail the urges. I have recently paid off credit cards though and it feels so good!! I am going to write this verse down where I can see it but I think it will stick in my mind whenever I start to shop! Lol
Patricia
That is awesome Patricia! Keep at it! You’ll be amazed at the freedom you find.
Thanks,I spotted this and wasn’t going to click on it but did. I’m glad now. We’ In debt one of our sons has just started university and I’ve just been told today that I’m getting made redundant at Christmas. So I definitely need to take this verse to heart.
Oh wow Lisa. I’m so glad you clicked on it and it encouraged you.
Thank you for this verse. Working on decluttering and being debt free. Peace is priceless.
You are welcome Maria. I’m so glad it encouraged you. Way to go at working on the decluttering and being debt free. It’ll happen.
thanks for this post. This verse was my first verse I used in my prayer journal. Money issues are scary and believing God is there for you during those scary times is hard. That is something I’m working on. Thanks for being honest with your post and allowing people to not feel alone in their situations.
Julie, So glad you found this post useful. The verse is something super easy to remember and I often refer to it when I am tempted to buy things I probably shouldn’t. Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Thank you for this. I am a spender trying to mend my ways. This post helps a lot. I recently paid off 17,000 in cr card debt. But still have 4000 to go. I am beginning to realize my sanity is more important than stuff. And, you are right about the antique/flea markets. A lot of my stuff has already ended up there.
Lisa
That’s great Lisa.
What I do to save myself spending money is to write a list of the things (on a Word Document) I want (what I think I need); search on the internet to see where I can buy them – cut and paste pictures to show what I want and put the prices next to them. I will window shop but not buy until I have asked the question, “Do I really need this right now?” If the answer is no, well, then I don’t buy it. Thereby I put off spending until it is necessary. If yes, does someone who knows me well (husband/fiance/close friend) know I am looking for the particular item and approve of me buying it? If they say no, will I fight it or accept the no? If I cannot accept the no, then it’s not the right time to buy it.
Great ideas Shane
Thanks I really never thought of it that way. It will be interesting to see how much I can save instead of spending.
I hope it works for you Judith.
I must say thank you thank you thank you for being such an inspiration to many especially to me… last year i lost my job and couldn’t believe after so many years of been able to work this was it, I tried and tried and tried to get employment and nothing was other there… it has brought me so much more closer to God and I am so grateful to my fiance for been there financially for me and my son’s. Blessed is what I am even though I miss having my own salary and yes it has taken a to me on me but God has bigger better plans for us this I know and trust only in Him. Stay blessed people of the most high and continue inspiring others. I absolutely love that verse and are thankful to You both for sharing Your life story.
Blessings to you marylyn.