Living to the Fullest…
Recently I’ve had two different friends share with me about their struggles with money. One lives in America while the other lives in Korea. My friend in the America had a very well-paying job and lived pretty extravagantly. My friend in Korea has a basic teaching job and had been spending nearly every cent of his monthly salary, enjoying whatever he wanted. But then my friend in America lost her job and is now working at another place at a much reduced salary. And my friend in Korea, because of some different issues, had to take only half his salary for three months. For both, their lifestyles altered quite a bit. Neither had saved much at all, so their monthly budgets shrank considerably. They’re not poor, they just don’t have as much as before. And both, separately, shared with me that they feel “choked” by their lack of spending money. They used the exact same word: “choked.”
Our generation is spending more than any generation before, despite the world’s economy struggling. And I’m okay with spending because it helps the economy and we should be able to treat ourselves, but there has to be moderation. I’ve discovered more and more that people my age aren’t saving. Many of them have college debt and credit card debt, and they are only putting down the minimum monthly payments, meaning it will likely take years and decades for the debts to be paid. Many of my friends have learned how to tithe and some are giving generously to missions or charities, which is excellent, but they are living off of the rest and aren’t saving anything. Because they haven’t met their spouse yet, or because they aren’t considering having kids yet, saving isn’t a priority.
Here is a verse to chew on though…
Proverbs 13:22 – A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
They say that one of the best cures for someone who is depressed is to have them serve the needy, such as elderly people, the mentally disabled, or the homeless. Usually when the person begins to do good deeds and invest in others’ lives, not only does their condition not seem so bad anymore but they also find more joy and purpose in life. There is a truth that by investing in others we are filled up the most. And it’s the same with money.
Jesus came to die for others. He came to take up His Cross. He came to live life to the fullest, even though that meant death. And He told us to do the exact same. He commanded us to also take up our cross. 1John 3:16 says we also should lay down our lives for others, because that is what love is. And in doing so, we too would be living life to the fullest.
I’ve seen families struggle to get by at times and have to live frugally. But I’ve never heard a loving parent say they feel “choked” by their lack of spending money because of their kids. Rather, they have so much more joy in their children that they’re willing to make more sacrifices than they were before they were parents.
Saving becomes easier when you’re doing it for someone else’s sake. I’ve witnessed guys who had lived extravagantly with no savings suddenly live frugally in order to save up for an engagement ring, and I never heard them complain during the process. Life is truly lived to the fullest when its lived for others.
Save up. Save up for your spouse, your kids, and even your grandchildren. No longer will you feel “choked” by your budget, even if it means not eating out as much or shopping as much. The joy you will have in thinking of the ones you are saving up for will outweigh the desires for just spending it all now. You won’t regret it. =)
God bless!
