The following blog was written by More Than Enough Financial Coach and Mortgage Agent Bruce Osborne. His story is one that many of us can relate to. Please read and respond. We would love to hear from you.
I am constantly looking at motorcycles that I can’t afford to buy. But before I explain myself let me give you some context.
There are so many fabulous things in this world to see and do. Depending on your preferences and your interests, these fabulous things turn into hobbies that get us hooked.
I have two of these fabulous hobbies: I find great joy in taking photos, and I also find great joy in riding motorcycles. I collect vintage cameras, I have restored motorcycles, and have also had a dirt bike, and rode with my two grandsons. I now have a street bike and enjoy riding that.
These two hobbies often take me to online websites where I learn from other bike enthusiasts. I could spend hours watching videos and finding out what’s out there.
I do own a motorcycle – an older 1989 BMW K10. It’s a bike that was good enough to run well, but not in great condition and it needed a lot of cleaning up. However, it was a bike in my price range.
Here’s the thing.
The bike is older, and the local dealers do not carry a lot of parts in stock, but I need a small $5.00 part for the throttle which now must come from Germany, and it will take at least two weeks to deliver. So, while I am getting frustrated, I see motorcycle enthusiasts on the road, and I am pining to be on the road with them.
And then.
This is when my mind and my heart start meditating on a new motorcycle that I cannot afford – it’s a motorcycle I haven’t yet planned for. This is where my desire to ride my motorcycle became an expectation to be able to ride, even if that meant buying a newer motorcycle.
A Desire is a very strong feeling where you want something, or you wish something happens.
An Expectation is a belief that something would happen.
My desire to ride had turned into an expectation that I should be able to ride whenever I wanted, and that led to thoughts of spending money I didn’t have allocated to a newer motorbike.
Now, God doesn’t desire his people to suffer, in fact far from it. He loves us and has laid out a plan on how we are to spend our money. If I had gone into debt to buy a newer motorcycle, I would have been burdened with a debt that would have caused financial hardship.
Jeremiah 29:11 is a well-known verse and says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
If I know God has a good plan for me, why then did I turn to my own expectations? I know our Lord has a plan of hope for my future, and I also know my bike will get repaired and I will ride it a lot. It really is a great motorbike.
Choosing Gratitude
In all of this journey and learning, I am choosing to be grateful for what I have and not expecting something else. So “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:18
What desires have you turned into expectations with your own hobbies? How has it impacted your spending? Have you chosen a path of gratefulness in your life?
Let us know and tell us your story.