STEWARDSHIP LOW BUY CHECK IN

Entering 2020 my focus word for the year was Stewardship.  I went through a major purging of things at the end of 2019 where I got rid of approximately 50 percent of my clothing.  I declared that I would be intentional about all purchases going forward in an attempt to be a better steward of the things God blessed me with, chief among those things being my finances.  I wrote all about it here in this blog post and talked about it in this video.   (Link videos here)

My focus shifted.  I was doing little to no shopping and was being more mindful of the things I already had. I was absolutely determined not to fall back into old patterns of spending and acquiring more  things.  My focus scripture for the year - Matthew 6:19-21 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

Then here comes Rona.  I was actually ill for about 10 days right before all of the mandatory business shut downs and stay at home orders.  I made the decision to stay at home and was out for about 20 days.  During that time of self quarantine I shopped.  I purchased groceries and other necessities which was fine. But then decided to purchase items that I had been meaning to add to my wardrobe.  They were on a list, so they were not haphazard purchases but they were also not things that qualified  for my new criteria for spending money.  They did not support my goal of attaining financial freedom so that I can have the freedom to retire early and to help others.  

It was shocking to me how easily I returned to my old habits.  When I came to myself I returned a large percentage of the items I ordered.  Thank God for the revelation of Matthew 6 screaming for me to remember that where my treasure is, there is my heart also.  Store up your treasures in Heaven!

Here is what I learned from failing to stay on my Stewardship track:

1. It is not healthy to beat yourself when you fail.  Recognize the error,  get back on the road to re-establishing good habits and do better.

2. You have to pray consistently if you are to be successful in the breaking of old habits.  Whenever you are trying to operate in God’s plan for your life an entire plan is put in motion by the adversary to stop it.  Don’t play yourself.  Stick to God’s plan for you.

3. Forming new habits takes repetition and commitment.  You do not wake up one day and do things differently without struggle.  It takes work and I lost sight of that.

4. “Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.” (Matt 13:5-7). Yeah, He is talking about me......

5. I still have an unhealthy relationship with things.

Listen, when you fall back into bad habits there is nothing good that comes out of beating yourself up about it.  You recognize the error, re-establish good habits and do better.  You cannot do any of it without the help of the Lord.  you can step out there and try it without Him if you want but I’m confident you will be unhappy with the result.  

I am on the road back to focusing on my goals and doing what is necessary to achieve them.  I am thankful for correction from a God that always has our best interest at heart and has the power to sustain us.

If your goals for this year have been derailed for whatever reason, remember that you can course correct. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.

SPENDING, LOW BUY & STEWARDSHIP

My focus for 2020 is stewardship.  In last week’s post (which I will link here) I made a commitment to the careful and responsible management of everything God has entrusted to my care.  One of the areas I am going to give special devotion and attention to in my all inclusive stewardship journey is finance.  I must admit that finance has always been something I struggled to properly manage.  I am blessed to make a good income that is sufficient to allow me to live a very comfortable life, enjoying the not only the things I need in the form of basic necessities, but also things I want.  That being said, I never really had an intentionally constructed plan for my earnings.  I basically took my income, paid bills, saved a little for a rainy day and spent the remainder on whatever I wanted. I’m here to tell you that this is not a sustainable plan.

I have been through many iterations of responsibility in my spending over the years.  As I have gotten older my spending has moved somewhat away from material possessions and more toward spending money on experiences that provide value that I can share with family and friends.   

I wrote a blog post about decluttering my life.  You can hear all about it here.   I shared that as I began the process I was faced with all the stuff I had accumulated over the years.   It was both overwhelming and revelational.  All of the stuff that I decided to purchase was weighing me down.  After getting rid of about 50% of my things and realizing that I still had a mountain of material possessions was shocking. I am still working on it.

As I embark upon this stewardship journey, I am approaching finance from a spiritual standpoint, and in so doing had to evaluate my heart as to the motivation of my spending.  Matthew 6:19-21 spoke to me so clearly: 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  -Matthew 6:19-21

I was consistently spending money on things, so what did that say about my heart?  I was so convicted about my spending to the point of action. For me, It was not about not having enough money to purchase an item.  It is more about assessing why I had a desire to spend money on something that does not ultimately provide any lasting impactful value to my life.

Now I know some of you are thinking,  “I can purchase things and still have a heart for serving others”.  You may be correct, but after careful consideration of my motivation, I am committing to an intentional turning away of purchasing material things and toward spending to providing resources to help others.

While in general, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with spending on yourself and buying things you want in moderation if you can afford it. But this commitment I’ve made to living a life within an overall context of stewardship has caused me to take a deeper, more introspective look into why I desire to purchase things in the first place.  I am committed to moving away from a what can I purchase next for myself mindset towards who can I help next with what God has blessed me with.  

I am doing the following to reach my goal of stewardship in the area of finance:

1. Being grateful for what I already have - When I take stock of what I already have in my possession I find that it is enough and it will minimize the obsession with wanting more.

2. I compiled a list of what I value and then looked at that list through the lens of the Gospel. I started with that Matthew scripture I referenced earlier.

3. I’ve committed to a “Low Buy” practice by being intentional about every purchase I consider making. No more mindless spending.  I am now asking myself is the purchase I’m making adding real value to my life and is it in line with the goals I’ve set for my life?  If the answer is no, I am not making the purchase.

4. I am making a commitment to honor the budget I’ve created for myself. Operating within a budget is a powerful tool to keep spending in perspective.  Prayerfully considered line items in outside of the necessities, I believe, will prove to be useful in 

I pray that sharing my commitment to being a better steward in the area of finance encourages you to do the same.  If you are on a similar journey please share in the comments so that we can all grow together.

STEWARDSHIP - NEW YEAR FOCUS 2020

Every year I like to choose a focus word that helps me frame my habits and practices in the new year.  Most are things I have already started working on but want to drill down on ensuring my success in those areas.  While you don’t have to wait for a new year to embark on something new, it is nice to take a retrospective look at the past year’s lessons and look forward to what is to come in the new year.

2019 was a rough year for me.  It was full of revelation, disappointment, self discovery and pain - all of which I am thankful for because all of it  paved the road back to joy and peace in my life.  Tried in the fire, out as pure gold as they say.  If I am honest, I still regret some of the life decisions I’ve made, but one will go insane constantly looking back(just ask Lot’s wife) and longing for what was missing.  So, I have learned to focus on the things I do have as opposed to the things I don’t, and while I have made vast improvements in this area I am nowhere close to where I need to be.  The journey continues.

In an attempt to move toward my goal of living a life of gratitude, my focus word for 2020 is stewardship.  I commit to the  careful and responsible management of what God has entrusted to my care.  It is my desire to live an all inclusive life of stewardship.  I have been blessed with so much and realize that dwelling on what I don’t have is ingratitude.  When I say, “things” I am not speaking of material things.  I strive to be a better steward focussing more closely on the following areas:  Finance, Spiritual Gifts, Service to Others, and Gratitude.

Finance - I commit to being a better steward of the monetary resources God has blessed me with so that I can do more for those who have been cast aside, overlooked and marginalized by society.  I don’t know about you but I want to do more.  

Spiritual Gifts - I commit to using the gifts of the spirit that God has bestowed upon me to bless others, lift up the name of Jesus and prayerfully lead folk to Christ.  I need to do more.

Service to Others - I commit to spend more time in service to others.  Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and actively engaging in mission work on a consistent basis.  I know I can do more and commit to doing so.

Gratitude - I commit to an intentional mind shift away from regret and towards gratitude.  Whatever state I am in, I will meditate on the enormous blessings God has afforded me.  

Matthew 25:14-30 is the passage of scripture I will be focusing on to be a constant reminder of tending to the blessed resources God has provided.  Reexamining the parable of the talents has been a sobering reminder of the consequence of idleness in the kingdom.  You can read the passage here. 

What is your focus word for the coming year? What call to action have you made for your life?  I would love for you to share so that we might encourage one another in our pursuits.  It is my prayer that we all grow, reach set goals and take care of one another. 

May God continue to bless and keep you.