Living Within Your Means in Dire Straits

In this day people who have lived beyond their means have a rude awakening. The government has nearly destroyed capitalism and the production market has been replaced by the service industry. Even those with good jobs are hurting because others loss of income hurts the economy. Adding to that is the tax load for the working man. With more people unemployed than working, the working man has to earn double to pay for those who cannot or will not work.

Socialism has sucked the life out of our once thriving economy and it's bad regardless of what party label is assigned to the socialism! The "Great Society" of Lyndon Johnson isn't so great after all! The "War on Poverty" has created a new class of poor. We now have the "working poor" to add to the list of have-nots.

Those in the "millennial generation" have now what it took years for the "baby boomers" to obtain by hard work, wise investments and saving. What they have accumulated has been purchased with "fake" money. Charge cards with their "stupid taxes" (high interest) have been used to procure and provide pleasure. Years can go by before it all catches up with the big-spender, but now it has! People now realize that someday they must pay for the artificial lifestyle to which they have become accustomed!  They have failed to be good stewards of the money God has provided!

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV) "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"

We're not to put our focus on money and what it will buy. The Lord will provide! However, he has little mercy on those who waste what he has so graciously provided. Yes, God is the one who makes jobs and prosperity. He made a deal with mankind! Do my will and you'll prosper. Disobey and you'll suffer the consequences. (Abrahamic Covenant in Millennial Generation English). We're suffering the consequences right now because God has not been our love. The idol of "things" providing immediate gratification to the god of "Self" is man's first love. Pleasure is a fruit of the evil tree! The root of that tree standing in the midst of the garden is what?

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows

The root of the tree is the "love of money". With that love comes those who "erred from the faith". They have placed money and pleasure over God. It has come to be their idol and is original sin.  With the worship of pleasure has come the consequences; "many sorrows". Are you having trouble providing for your family right now? That's a "sorrow" from the love of what money can buy... things!

Let's look at waste:

• An over-abundance of gifts to buy the love of your children (birthdays, Christmas and bribes to be good) - $1000 plus annually
• Cigarettes at 1-1/2 packs a day (365 x $5 x 1.5) = $5475
• Beer at 1 bottle a day, annually = $820
• Tattoo's one per year = $250
• Cost of eating out 188 meals in 365 days ($232 per month) = $5568 for a family of two
• Hair care at salons and beauty products ($70/Mo) = $840
• Paid Television - $1200/yr
• Netflix - $100 per year
• Movies for 2 (1 per wk @$10) = $1040
• Snacks for the "children" ($20/wk) =  $1040
• Vacations - 1 per year $500 (a cheap-skate vacation. Try $2000 plus which most spend)
• Cell phones compared to home (for 2) ($100 per month) = $1200

There is much more waste. For example: eating prepared meals rather than preparing. Wasted car trips. Using two vehicles rather than one. Having a new car rather than a clunker.Paying others to do what you can do yourself. The cost of borrowed money. Cost of a 30 year mortgage above and beyond a fifteen year. You get the idea... just look at the waste!  $17,993 dollars a year most of which can be done without!!!!

Oops! I forgot the pets! Add another $800 for the dog's food, treats and vet and $200 for the cat's! That's now a grand total of $18,993! That's a lot of pork for anyone to waste and the millennial generation spends as if they're the Federal Government.

From where do sorrows come? Of course, having too little for the poor, but spending too much for those who fail to be good stewards of God's money!

Perhaps if most people spent less on trivial things they would have more to help the less fortunate! Instead, they depend on the government to be charitable for them. We're to tithe our money. Some believe it should all go to the church. I disagree. We're to help the widows and orphans, and not even the young widows, but the elderly. All others are to be industrious and provide for themselves. I see seventy year-old people working at Wal-mart. Surely if they can, healthy young people can too! The able weren't meant to be helped. They were meant to toil.

Should we help those who get themselves in financial trouble? It depends on the degree of stupidity. Have they wasted what they have earned or been good stewards? Have been unwise in their lifestyle? (Perhaps the loss of what they have is a good lesson in life). It wasn't pleasant, but I watched my son's new car be repossessed lthough I had the money to help him, but he has never done that again! (Of course he probably thinks I'm selfish, but that wasn't my motive!)

When there's a need I'm always ready to help the needy! However, by helping those by being charitable, who have spent on extravagances, I'm in effect financing their extravagance. That's unfair to me  because I have always been thrifty with God's money which he allowed me to earn. I don't wish to use what I work hard for to be wasted by those who have their priorities out of order. I don't like paying for the pleasure of others.

Times will get more rough as we go along. The government has sapped the initiative of the entire nation and prophecy must be fulfilled. Be prepared for what's coming. Live within your means and live for God like you mean it!