Lent began February 18th, so we are in full swing with a little less than a month to go. What does Lent have to do with sacrifice? Well, everything. Lent is a time where Christians remember the sacrifice that God made of his son Jesus for our sins. What is a way that Christians remember this? Well, many Christians give up something during the Lent season like chocolate or junk food, for example, as a way of honoring Jesus's sacrifice. It should be something that's hard to give up. Also, instead of giving up some "thing", you can "do" something like extra bible study or going to a daily church service in addition to Sundays, which sacrifices personal time for time with God. Catholics also give up meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays after that til Easter Sunday. Those of good health & age also fast, which means eating 1 big meal with 2 small meals & no snacking in between.
What does Lent have to with finance? The Dave Ramsey plan teaches you contentment with what you have. A big problem in this society & the reason so many people get into debt in the first place is that people want what they want when they want it fast. According to infowars.com, today, 46% of all Americans carry a credit card . Approximately 70 percent of all car purchases in the United States involve an auto loan. Total home mortgage debt in the United States is now about 5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
What do all these types of debt have in common? They are all consumer debt. They are debt that people go into to buy stuff they don't need to impress people they don't like. Instead of saving up for the things we want, as a society we go into debt to have them now. If we were all more content with what we have, there wouldn't be a need to do this. There's nothing wrong with stuff. Hi! My name's Michele, and I like stuff. However, there is something wrong with putting your family at financial risk in order to buy stuff. You're also not teaching your kids responsibility. What are they going to learn watching mommy & daddy use debt to buy stuff instead of saving responsibility and paying for it in cash? What a missed opportunity to teach valuable life lessons!
I encourage everyone to take this season of Lent to make financial sacrifices and really examine how that sacrifice effects your life. Can you go without cable for 40 days? What about Starbucks? I bet you can. I bet you will find that time spent with your family can replace time in front of the TV, and you will find new ways to reconnect with your loved ones. What would you be able to pay off with that savings? Maybe you can use that money to save up for your daughter's prom dress instead of putting it on a credit card. Imagine how you would feel to make that sacrifice and do something good for others.
How you spend your money is a measure of your values. You can tell where your priorities lie by how you spend your money. Lent is the perfect time of year to reevaluate those proprieties.
