Here’s why finances don’t have to be fearful

Sitting in my “Tuesday Spot” on the church patio I was treated to a rare sight today.

On the light fixture above the exit doors a bird’s nest has been growing since late March. For the last couple weeks, I’ve listened to the chatter of excited baby bird voices from within the nest while Mom and Dad would swoop up with food to pacify them. Today I saw Momma bird fly up to the nest and then I saw the rare sight: 3 baby birds, one by one, leaving the nest.  The first jumped out boldly and landed on the back of a chair. It took a big breath of fresh air, shook out its wings, and launched off to a new adventure; it was ready to leave the nest. The second bird, about a minute later, also left the nest; but it wasn’t so confident. It chose the large table for its landing point instead of the narrow rail of the chair’s backrest. Number 2 looked out at the parking lot…then back at the nest…then out and back and out and back…it began chirping loudly, perhaps asking for help or direction, but none came. Number 2 was not ready to leave the nest. Finally spotting its sibling in the garden, it flew over to be with Number 1.  Number 3 took its own path. Instead of flying down to patio furniture, it flew up! Perched on the edge of the roof, Number 3 adjusted itself to the air outside the nest and surveyed the options before it. Perhaps spying Number 1 and 2 in the garden on the right, it decided to fly off to the left.

This week we close the book on our financial series. The goal of doing this series has not been (nor will ever be) to make you panicked or fearful about your finances. Our hope has been (and will continue to be) that we are giving you all tools and resources to be spiritually ready to handle whatever life throws at you. We can rush head-long into life like Number 1 and (hopefully) look great doing it. But those of us who have lived past our 20’s have come to realize this can cause a lot of problems down the road. Others, perhaps, relate to Number 2 and waffle between security and adventure and ultimately end up following the crowd. Few live like Number 3 who stepped back, observed, made a plan and charted a new course. Ultimately birds don’t set long-term goals. They aren’t capable of it. They have their spot on the food chain and react to life as they can and then life is over. Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 6:26

The overlooked or perhaps undervalued portion of this passage is YOU ARE MUCH MORE VALUABLE. We are also a part of the circle of life, but we have a higher seat. We are able to set goals and work to achieve them. We also feed not only bellies but souls as well! We were not made to wake up, fight to survive, go back to sleep, repeat. And when the end does come for us here on Earth, life doesn’t come to a screeching stop. Actions we have made will live on in the lives of others; are we leaving blessings or curses? We can use up all our resources on having fun now and growing more and more attached to this world; how much harder will it be, then, to be looking forward to the eternal life to come? for us and our children?

As we close out this series, I pray that you are not fearful but hopeful! I hope you are becoming excited to have an impact beyond your walls! Financial freedom, like Spiritual freedom, is SIMPLE but it is not EASY. Dave Ramsey, a Christian financial advisor like Ron Bleu, says “If getting rich was easy, everyone would be rich. It’s not easy…it’s just worth it.”

Our spiritual life is no different. We all know the things useful in building up our hearts in the Lord: Pray, read your Bible, be in fellowship with other Christians. It’s not easy…it’s just worth it.