I have a confession to make.

We have fallen off the wagon.

Yes. It does happen.

And no I am not talking about alcohol or drugs or overeating.

I am talking finances.

And yes…your financial coach doesn’t always get it right.

 

Shocking, I know.

 

Okay. No sarcasm allowed.

But think about it.

Don’t you always wonder how the advisors in your life do it?

Does your fitness coach ever just sit down and eat a great big cheeseburger, fries and cheesecake, with an extra large Coke on the side? Does she stop exercising because she just doesn’t want to get out of bed?

Does your pastor ever lie intentionally or fail at some other “horrible” sin? Does he ever just get tired of being kind and “shepherdly” in his heart and want to move to somewhere where he doesn’t have to serve God’s people?

Does your financial coach or mentor ever make abad financial decision and buy something on credit that he can’t pay back immediately? Does he have anyone he is accountable to?

In other words, do they really practise what they preach? Or do they struggle? Just like you.

To be honest, being a coach or teacher or advisor isn’t easy. You want to live what you teach and know is right, but none of us are perfect and we fall short. The Bible actually tells us in James 3 that teachers receive a “stricter judgment.”

Where does the judgment come from? I am not sure what James is referring to exactly, but I can see that as teachers and coaches we are judged more severely and watched more closely because of what we teach.

Do our words line up with our lifestyle?

The answer this week is no, not always.

And this is where my confession comes in.

Dave and I have slipped in our intentional financial living. With increased costs, a busy and growing family and our own fatigue, we have made decisions in our home that have not lined up with what we teach, and now find ourselves wondering how we got here.

Actually, that is not true.

We don’t have to wonder long.

We know.

1. We have made decisions without prayer.
2. We have made decisions without staring our financial situation in the face.
3. We have let the world’s way of doing finances become ours.

But guess what?

There is something we also know.

We know how to get back on track and we know how to help you get back on track too.

We know it is never too late.

We know that unlike Alice in Wonderland falling into the rabbit’s hole without hope or help, we just simply need to lift up our hand and find the mercy of God extended to us through Jesus Christ.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15, 16)

In Jesus you are More than Enough and have More than Enough.

We stand in His finished work of the Cross and that is why we are going to be better than okay.

And so are you.

So, let’s be intentional.

1. Tell God your trouble. Confess the mistakes and stand in the truth that He forgives. He rescues. His grace is sufficient.
2. Look honestly at your finances. Be honest with yourself and your spouse if you have one. Give yourself grace and mercy. Give others that same grace and mercy. But don’t let your imperfections become an excuse for doing it the wrong way again. His grace and mercy isn’t cheap. (See Romans 6)
3. Find someone to help you if that’s what you need, and come up with a plan to get your finances back on track. Coaches, accountability partners and mentors help us more than we realize. If you don’t know where to start, call More Than Enough and we can help  you find who or what you need.
4. Thank God. Be grateful. That attitude goes a long way to changing your life and your circumstances.
5. Help someone who is in worse shape than you. Look beyond yourself. You may be surprised how helping others empowers you to live intentionally, selflessly and courageously.

And when you are finding yourself getting back on track? Celebrate. Tell someone. Praise God and rejoice. The pit is never too deep that He can’t pull you out.