I once chatted up an older man who told me he does not use the ATM card. I was like; “How possible is this?” His response drove home a point; “I plan my finances. Most ATM usages are what come up that I don’t have in my plan. I discipline myself to say no to such, and I find a way to deal with necessary emergencies.” I was inspired.
Friend, there are money rules for wealth creation. There are habits of financial success. Your habits are what determine your future. You don’t choose your future, you choose your habits, and your habits decide your future. Financial habits are the structures you put around your financial life that help you to carry the weight of the blessings of God.
While you are praying for the blessing, learn to put the right structures in place (2 Kings 4:6, Isaiah 54:1-3). Fragments remain fragments when they are still fragmented; the moment they are put together, they are no longer fragments (John 6:12-13). One of the financial practices you can have is to have an account for fragments, be it at home or in the bank.
What do you do with unexpected income (Luke 5:6)? Never upgrade your lifestyle, or be under the pressure of impulse buying when you have unexpected income. You need to have a financial plan and policy. People live fine, not because they earn more, but because they are planned. Whoever fails to plan has already planned to fail (Luke 14:28-31).
Financial habits would help you to structure your spending. You need to have a plan (budget) before money comes (Proverbs 6:6-8). What is your financial policy? Your financial policy can be that you don’t buy stuff on credit. Another policy can be that any money you cannot afford to give freely, you would not borrow anybody.
Embrace documentation. Any money you cannot track, you have given permission to disappear (Proverbs 23:5). If you run a business, have a financial policy that drives the business. Separate your capital from your profit or personal income. You should be able to give an overview of your financial life for the previous week. Don’t forget this: we form habits, then habits form us.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria