It would be quite difficult for me to write about this without a look into the Bible.
“The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender”.
– Prov 22:7 Bible
It’s is true that money is not everything. It can buy a good bed but not sleep. It can buy food but definitely not appetite. It can get you a beautiful spouse but not love. I can go on and on but you know what money answers everything.
There is noting we want it require to live on earth that money does not have a hold on. In the above quote from the Bible, it says the borrower is servant to the lender. And even stronger is what says about the rich ruling over the poor.
When your finances fail, you loose your freedom. Nothing in my view reduces a man as his ability or failure to meet his basic needs.
Most of life’s challenges especially in our relationships has to do with money one way or the other; either the lack of money or the unequal distribution of the same.
So if you ask me I will say ensure you secure your finances before you turn fifty. Never allow yourself to grow old depending on others for your sustenance.
This is not rocket science and I’m not even asking you to become the richest man on earth. I’m only asking you to live in a way that guarantees you a future with divinity.
Securing your finances will follow three basic principle if I may call it such. The first is to learn to creat wealth. The second is gaining understanding on how to manage your resources. Finally you need to know how to multiply or make your money grow.
To create wealth:
1. Define your motive – what’s your why when it comes to acquiring wealth. If your motive is wrong motivation will go down. You need a string enough reason to experience any rising.
2. Clarify your options – there are several ways to attract or produce wealth. There are wrong and right paths you can take for money to come your way. What would be your path. Are you going to work for others or work for yourself? Even if you choose to work for others, how long would that be. What I’m saying here is be intentional about it. Accidents destroy things, it does not create.
3. Understand the principles of exchange – money is what you get in exchange for the value you provide. What value are you going to bring to the table? What would you do to add value to humanity. The more value you add the more value you are given. This also means you must never under value your service. If all you produce is given free, soon you will be broke and angry.
4. Learn to market and negotiate – as a rule negotiate everything. This way you money is able to do more for you.
5. Increase your value – make yourself difficult to replace. To scale up, you need to skill up. Bitterness is the result of refusing to get better. So develop what you have, get to do better.
Money Management as I see it
The challenge for many is to manage what they’ve earned so it becomes greater. What you can’t manage you will either damage or it will cause you damage. Many have been drowned by the money they made.
1. Develop a good maintainable culture – learn to maintain things so they last long enough for you. If you keep replacing stuff or repairing them you are loosing money.
2. Don’t give your valuables to people who don’t care for their own – how people treat what they have is how they will treat yours. If you notice a careless fellow why allow them mess up what you cherish.
3. Always buy the best quality you can afford – the more your goods last the better your finances.
4. Save for investment – it’s good to have a savings culture but it’s better to save for a reason. Keeping money idea is not a good way to secure your finances.
5. Avoid waste and wasters – I have set a goal for how many parties I will attend each year. I don’t have to be everywhere. My time is too valuable to just be in every place. For me even as a Pastor in Nigeria I attend 4 burial ceremonies, 4 weddings, 8 birthdays and fir the essentials I spend an hour and I’m gone. I plan my fun and recreation so I don’t get drawn into the non essentials.
You also need to multiply what you’ve earned. As a person of faith, I noticed that the garden of eden which was created by God was fed by four rivers. You can’t afford to rely on one. Planning on other people is never wise. Hoping that your children will take care of you is not a financial plan. It’s not in your control.
To multiply your wealth
1. Be financially literate – you may need to get someone who understand money to help you. You may need the services if a money coach.
2. Create multiple streams of income – make your money work for you. Be sure you are fed financially by more sources than one. Write books if you can, produce movies or invest in their who can. Stretch your products. Make it in diverse ways. Do what you can to reach more people through other means
Do not make light of the issue of money. It can make or mar you. It’s absence can silence you and refuse your influence. When it comes to money matters, the more you have or the more you can assess the better.
Secure your finances so you can live free in the true sense of the word.