I enjoy listening to The Dave Ramsey Show on the radio. Dave’s philosophy is
pretty simple. Don’t borrow money EVER! And if you have debt, pay it off NOW!
(If you are interested in the process, click here.)
And yet, every day someone calls his radio show and says, “I know
you say not to borrow money, BUT…excuses, excuses, excuses.” Some people
find themselves up to their eyeballs in creditors. Others don’t want to miss
out on an investment deal (that has a 99% failure rate). Others
just really dislike the color of their bathroom tile, and can’t possibly wait 6
months and save the money for a home remodel. They need what they want NOW!
I usually roll my eyes at these callers. Don’t they get it?!?!
This is Dave Ramsey, best-selling author and shockingly brilliant financial adviser He’s not going to
change his mind because you have yet another sob story. Stop making excuses and
get with the program! (Or don’t call the show…)
Excuse, Excuses, Excuses…
The whole situation reminds me of a passage in Luke 16. Jesus was
preaching about being faithful with our money.
- We cannot lie and cheat way to wealth and expect not to get caught.
- We should not misuse what God has given us for selfish gain.
- We will not be trusted with true riches until we have proven ourselves faithful with money and material possessions.
- Scripture is abundantly clear: we cannot serve God and money.
You see in Deuteronomy when God told the people "you
shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your might” (6:5) the Pharisees weren't listening. Instead, they had
exchanged a love of God for a love of money.
The words of Jesus cut right to their core. "You are those
who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts."
Like the Pharisees, I sometimes find myself at odds with the Word
of God, but rather than confess my sin and repent, I justify my actions. I have
sound logical arguments about why I should spend money on things I don’t need,
should eat whatever I want, should not go to church, should gossip about my
neighbor, should say what I think, and should do what
I want.
However, those arguments which sound so good to my fleshly ears
fall short before the throne of God. God doesn't listen to
our arguments. He listens to our hearts. He sees my selfishness, my
materialism, my gluttony, my self-love, and those things which are exalted
among men are detestable in the sight of God.
There is a way that seems right unto a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12
I guess we could say there is a way (borrowing money) that seems right to men, but according to Dave Ramsey its end is the way of creditors, stress,
and financial ruin. People can argue and justify themselves all they want, but in the end Dave knows
more about this stuff than they do. Listen to his advice or hang up.
The same applies to God’s Word in our lives. We can waste our time
justifying ourselves before men, or we can follow God’s plan for our life. We can argue or reap the benefits of obedience. It’s
really all about where your heart is.
*I completely endorse Dave Ramsey and his teachings about money. I find them to be biblical and full of wisdom. Of course, you don’t have to agree with Dave’s teachings to love Jesus, even if he is right. You do, however, have to agree with Jesus.Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Thanks for this reminder. My husband and I are working to save (a HUGE to us) amount over the next year and it's easy to lose sight of the end goal. Just reading this post brought back the purpose. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's all about the heart. We have found some things are right for some and not right for others, because of the heart involved. Thanks for the reminder of no excuses in money and in life. Love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post & great reminder! I am a new follower. Would love to have you follow us along too!
ReplyDeleteBrachelBoulevard.com
Thanks Rach, I'll check out your site! Thanks for following.
DeleteHi Katherine, Great post. I love Dave Ramsey, always great advice. Many, self included, have had to travel through life's trials in order to learn some of the tougher lessons. But that's how we all become better Christians, by walking through those moments. God's grace helps us to overcome so much; finance and handling money is just another pitfall for so many young people. Thanks for stopping by my place (www.kimadamsmorgan.com) Kim
ReplyDeleteI love this parallel. :-) Dave is a huge deal in our home. Debt free for life! Visiting from Better Mom Monday.
ReplyDelete~Stacy @ Stacy Makes Cents
I've made those excuses. Probably today. But what a wonderful reminder that what man exalts, God cannot abide. Learning this more and more everyday (www.lindseypbrackett.com).
ReplyDeleteHello ! You are spot on. We make excuses for things that feel good to our flesh although they contradict God's Word and then when we reap the consequences try to blame it on the devil. Haha ! The devil is sure up to no good but a lot of stresses are simply fruits of decisions we have made in the past. Thank you for this powerful reminder. My name is Gertrude. I am visiting from a Better Mom Blog Link-up. I blog at www.achosenremnant.com.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your day !
You are so right! We can't blame everything on the devil! Sometimes it's just my good old fashioned sin nature that gets me in trouble.
DeleteThere is always a lesson behind every excuse, that is for sure.
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking to Raising Imperfection.
Please come back Friday to see if you were featured. :)
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(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
Raising-Reagan.com
Much wisdom here!
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