“The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts.” Proverbs 14:8 (TLB)
How do I manage money wisely? Whether you have a lot of money or a little, it’s a question you’ve probably asked—especially if you’re a follower of Jesus wanting to manage well the things he’s given you.
To manage your money wisely, you need to do three things.
First, you need to look ahead. The Living Bible paraphrase teaches, “The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts” (Proverbs 14:8).
It can be tempting to “live for today” with your finances and ignore what’s coming in the future—but that will lead to all kinds of problems. In fact, the number one reason people are in debt is that kind of short-term thinking. You fool yourself when you buy things you can’t afford instead of looking ahead and facing the facts about your financial situation.
Second, you need to make plans. Some people think that, instead of making plans, you should just trust the Holy Spirit to lead moment by moment. But that’s not right! In the Living Bible, Proverbs 16:9 says, “We should make plans—counting on God to direct us.”
When it comes to your finances, you should make a plan—a budget. A budget is simply planned spending. It’s telling your money where you want it to go, rather than wondering where it went once it’s gone.
So you rely on God to help you make a budget, and then you trust his Holy Spirit as you follow that plan. As Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will succeed” (CEB).
Third, you need to act quickly. When you realize it’s time to make a change in your finances, don’t procrastinate—do something about it. Did you buy a house that’s more than you can afford? Put it on the market now so you can downsize. Driving a car that’s out of your budget? Trade it in for a cheaper one. Been putting off making a budget? Use a few hours on your next day off to get it done.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “Whoever watches the wind will never plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will never harvest” (GW). If you’re always waiting for perfect conditions to get started, it’s never going to happen.
Go ahead and start making changes today so you can manage your money wisely.
In your finances, do you tend to look ahead or live for today?
Do you follow a budget? If so, take some time to review it and be sure it’s still what you need. If not, block off time on your calendar to create a budget this week.
What’s something in your finances that you need to act quickly on? Do you need to sell something you can’t afford? Do you need to give to someone in need? Make a plan today to take care of that.
