Self-Control

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

 

The good news is that in spite of all our imperfections God has blessed the United States of America. We are the wealthiest nation ever, and we are also the most giving nation in the world. We are so wealthy and are so giving that more than a million people come through our borders every year by air, sea, and land to take advantage of our generosity. Many of them and perhaps in some ways, all of them immediately become beneficiaries of the many social benefits our country offers. The bad news is that for all that wealth you would never imagine that the United States is one of the most indebted nations in the world. We have a national debt approaching $21 trillion and the average household credit card debt, excluding mortgages, car loans, and student loans, is approaching $17,000. More than 70% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings and 50% of Americans cannot come up with $400.00 in case of an emergency. How can it be that we are the most financially blessed nation ever and at the same time we are also so deeply in debt?

 

The reason why so many people in America are in debt and have little to no savings is because they lack self-control. In any area of life in which we lack self-control the result is that we have to surrender control to someone else. The problem in the United States is that we have not exhibited self-control with our finances and without realizing it we have surrendered control to a culture and a system that prioritizes spending over saving. Notice that every time a new gadget comes out or a new designer launches their latest design how people line up to spend money. Have you ever seen people on long lines waiting to deposit money into the newest savings account? Not in our culture, because we have surrendered our financial control to others and have prioritized spending over saving.

 

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. 

 – Proverbs 25:28 NIV

 

Solomon compares a person who lacks self-control to a city whose walls are broken down. In Biblical times, any city without walls was a vulnerable city and susceptible to being attacked from all sides. There was a time when the walls of the city of Jerusalem had been burned down and for many years the people in the city lived in fear. When it was time to harvest the crops, which were the blessings that God gave them, other nations would gather around to penetrate their city from the North, South, East and West and take their blessings. They had no walls and no way to protect themselves from evildoers. That is until Nehemiah and a group of men and women decided to rebuild the walls and exert control over their city and protect the blessings that God would continuously give them.

 

In any area of life where we lack self-control, the same happens to us. God blesses us but someone else takes our blessing away. In the financial area, God blesses us and the retail industry takes our blessing. Or worse, God blesses us and the banks and credit card companies come in from the North, South, East, and West and take our blessing away. We need to rebuild the financial walls of our lives, we need to take back control of our finances so that we can truly appreciate and enjoy the many blessings that God continuously grants us. How do we do that?

 

We must first practice giving to God what belongs to God. Second, we need to prioritize saving over spending. And then third, learn to be content with and live off the rest of our monies.

 

Questions

1. If you were able to add up all your present assets and debts, would you have more assets or debt?
2. How many months could you live off of your savings account in case of an emergency?
3. Do you prioritize spending over savings or savings over spending and why?
4. Being totally honest, would you say that you lack self-control in your finances?
5. What can you begin doing today that would help you regain control over your finances?

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today I purpose to exercise self-control over my desires, which lead me to prioritize spending over saving and to rob you of that which belongs to you. Please help me to put you first, help me to save and give more, and help me to be a good steward of the many blessings you have given me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.