The simplest way to do this is to track every expense. You must become fully aware of where your money is going, and knowing what you're making and spending is the first step to financial well-being. Knowledge itself is not power it's applied knowledge that's powerful. You may have heard the phrase, "knowledge is power," but that's not entirely accurate. To join God in this work, you have to be a good steward of the resource God has put into your hands, and developing good money habits will help you become that faithful steward. It is God’s desire that we join Him in the good work he is doing in our communities and throughout the world. Wealth in the hands of a good steward who is fully committed to God will accomplish much good in the world. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is an excellent example of someone who had the compassion to help someone in need and the means (bandages, oil, wine, a donkey, and money) to get it done. The problem is that God's people often spend the money on themselves before God can steer it to his purpose. Sometimes, taking care of needs requires money. God provides every ministry opportunity and the resources to get it done. Now, if you think being wealthy or pursuing financial growth is somehow unspiritual, let me tell you, it's not. They simply learned or developed good money habits over time, and so can you. They don't possess supernatural abilities or have some secret knowledge that the rest of us can't get. There's nothing special about these people. A significant factor in their success is the consistent practice of these four money habits before they were wealthy. Most millionaires today are self-made, first-generation millionaires. It's important to note that most wealthy people in America didn't start out that way. They invest to grow their wealth - Ecclesiastes 11:2 They save for future needs - Proverbs 6:6-8 They avoid taking on debt on depreciating items - Proverbs 22:7 22:26 They spend less than they earn - Proverbs 21:20 Looking at the four money habits the wealthy consistently engage in, which lead to their success, you will find that they align with God's principles. God's financial principles contain the wisdom to grow and maintain wealth. Don't believe me? Remember the last time you bought something you really wanted? How did you feel? It felt incredible, right? How about when you got an unexpected bill in the mail? Remember that feeling? Yeah, me too! Not my best moment. This reality drives much of your spending. Humans gravitate toward anything that gives us pleasure and avoids anything that causes us pain. Our emotions are a crucial part of any habit. When we engage in a repeat activity, we develop a pattern, a series of thoughts and behaviors that increase our ability to do that activity over and over again more quickly and efficiently. How we manage our money is also driven by good and bad habits, and that's why developing good money habits and discarding the bad ones is essential. Eating, brushing teeth, and many parts of your job are just a few examples of habits driving your behavior. Most of the things you do are subconscious actions done out of habit. The same can be true about developing good money habits. It took intense focus, and having a drivers-ed teacher, or worse, a parent continually watching and judging your performance, it's a miracle you got through it! But you did get through it. After years of learning and gaining experience, you've developed a routine, a habit, that makes driving easy. Remember when you learned to drive? You had to concentrate constantly on your steering, the foot pressure on the accelerator, and how much pressure to apply when breaking while constantly scanning your mirrors.
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