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know it may sound like a dirty word, but budgeting could be your ticket to financial freedom and increase. It doesn’t sound spiritual; however, I want to show you, from the Word of God, how God expects us to be stewards over the resources and projects that He gives us. Many people, particularly Christians, start things without finishing them, and too often it is because they haven’t counted the cost of what they have undertaken. But when you get understanding about the importance of counting the cost, you can be a finisher, just like Jesus.
Whether you are seeking to build a relationship with God, a marriage or a business, you are going to have to consider what it will take to complete it. Luke 14:28 says, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” What is it you are intending to build in life? You must calculate, evaluate, assess and figure out what it will take to build and develop your project. A strong foundation will support a successful project, but it won’t be complete unless you keep building. Don’t be a person who has many foundations laid in your life, and nothing finished!
Take, for example, the institution of marriage. If you are seriously interested in building a successful marriage, have you counted the cost of what it will take? Marriage is more than having sex and skipping through the tulips; it takes work! Have you considered if you are willing to sacrifice your feelings for the sake of your relationship with your spouse? Have you factored in the truth that hard times will hit your marriage, and how you will handle those situations? Have you counted the cost of what it will take to prepare yourself as a single person for marriage, spiritually, financially and emotionally? All of these things must be considered.
Perhaps you desire to go to another level in your relationship with God, and really experience the ability to walk in His power, with manifestations following. If so, have you counted the cost where your prayer life, study of God’s Word and decision to live holy before Him are concerned? People see great men and women of God operating in a high level of God’s power and think they can automatically do the same thing, but they don’t know the price that was paid to reach that level. Unless you are willing to pay that price, you’ll never walk in that type of anointing. If you count the cost and make a decision to do what it takes to be Christ’s disciple (Luke 14:25-30), you will see manifestation of God’s power in your life.
Outside of the spiritual aspect of counting the cost, there is a practical side as well; it’s called a budget. A budget is simply a written statement of how much money you will spend on certain items. If you have one unmet financial goal, you have a reason to have a budget. Budgets can apply to anything you are undertaking.
Think about it, it’s going to take money to build a business, invest in a relationship with God and develop a strong marital relationship. Yes, money is a critical component to the success of any project. Knowing this, you would do well to write down your financial goals and projections for whatever you are doing, and itemize everything.
Start today by creating a financial goal sheet along with daily and monthly expense sheets that record exactly what you spend money on, and how much it costs. Date it, and at the end of the month, tally up how much money you have spent and on what you spent it. This will give you a clear picture of where your money is going and show you where you need to make adjustments to reach your goals and meet your project objectives.
Don’t let another day go by without seriously considering what you must do to finish what you start. Become known as a person who finishes, no matter what it takes. Do the practical things necessary to reach the finish line, and stick to the budget you make.
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Creflo Dollar
