I realized this week that if I am going to survive financially I need to change some things in my life, right now.
I admit it’s hard for me to imagine how I’ll earn or save more money. I don’t make a lot of money and I already work too many hours. Employment is down around our country and the options seem few.
I’ve been contemplating what I must do. In my contemplation I’ve concluded some things I suspect you will appreciate me sharing.
John Wesley on Giving wrote “Serving God with Mammon (money) requires that you earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.” These are the principals I believe will financially save those who are tough enough to follow them.
Earn All You Can
I did a quick evaluation of what I would have to do to earn more money. I am a minister and before concerns about a recession came about, our church worked hard to remain debt free. Because of being debt free, we will be able to help people when other churches have no resources left.
To help keep the church out of debt I’ve taken very little pay. It will be the survival of the church but the job can easily reach more then 40 hours a week. So, I don’t right now have a lot of extra time. I have to start by making hard choices about what not to do. This is hard in ministry because everything seems so important.
I decided to invite my church into the process. It is also a valuable process for organizations to cut back. So as a church we have talked about “what we should not be doing?”
This process has helped to narrow down those things that may eat time, money, personnel and property. To cut back in all those things frees the church up for better ministry and also helps me as the leader. I will now have fewer things I need to cut out.
How are we going to earn more money? With employment being low, where are those money earning opportunities?
One of the things I will emphasis again and again in this article is, “it’s not time to get comfortable.” You are not looking for the job that best fits your comfortable life. You will not find that kind of job in this economy.
You will do best in the jobs no one else wants to do. Consider it necessary or you will not have the motivation to do it. When others are clambering for the easy jobs and the best schedule and security that won’t really exist, you should bypass words like “easy” and “comfortable” and “optional.” Thinking this way is what got us into this predicament to begin with. Those kinds of thought about the job market may be one of the hard changes have to make.
Add to your vocabulary words like “necessary,” “preemptive,” and “discipline.” You might have to start reciting them. If you can get a job that will earn you more money, figure out how to obtain it, a way to get there, a way to schedule it and how to keep it. Figure it out. Add that phrase, “figure it out” to the list of things you need to memorize.
You may have a skill and hobby that can help. I will reiterate that ease is not the point. If those things you enjoy doing won’t earn the income you need, this is the kind of time when you should look elsewhere for employment.
But in many cases, what you already enjoy can help you earn money. My kids have learned how to build guitars. As long as there is a market for guitars that matches the earnings they need, they can make guitars to earn their extra money.
They can do it on their own time and enjoy it. But if they were to get carried away spending more time then the earnings return, it would be time for them to stop or at least cut back. Jobs you enjoy can become occupations that swallow up money earning opportunities.
Earn all you can. I guess I have to suggest one more phrase for your list, “Don’t make excuses.” You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. Now is a time when it is important to earn what you can earn.
It may not feel essential right now. When it starts to feel important it may be too late. If you do not approach this time with the seriousness that it calls for, you will be one of those who needs help, not one of those who can help. I will make some arguments later as to why you want to help.
