Heading past the middle of May with the half-way point of 2008 insight, I just wanted to perform a quick check-in with the whole Dave Ramsey budget radical life-changing stuff.
First off, I’m still following it. Second, it really has been life-changing.
I once heard someone talk about what they referred to as “spiritual mathematics” meaning that, when it comes to money, somehow God enables you to do more with less when you’re following His guidelines and principles. In other words, being a good steward or “manager” of what we’re given.
I am here to tell you that this is absolutely true…not only that, but I’ve found similar stories out there as well which helps to keep me from feeling like I must be crazy.
I’m still not exactly sure HOW this works, but since I have been following the budgeting principles, etc. as taught by God (via Dave Ramsey), I have watched this happen…and it’s been a little bizarre to say the least. Certainly the fact that I’m spending less has something to do with it, but it’s more than that. I may be spending less, but I’m also giving more, yet seem to always end up with more as well. One of the happy effects of this is that I’m paying down my debt faster than I would have originally thought possible.
Just to try and put this in some quantifiable terms… To date, I have paid off roughly 30% of the outstanding debt I started off with in January, and yet my net worth (which I’m calculating monthly as a way to help me see the progress I’m making) has increased by 102% in that same amount of time. What the…?! How the…?! It makes no sense.
It makes even less sense when you consider that I put a hault on all savings plans when I kicked my debt snowball into gear. So how on earth has my net worth more than doubled when I haven’t even been doing anything to make that happen? On top of which, the stock markets have been doing pretty poorly this year as well, so it’s not like the mutual funds in my 401(k) are just rocketing my account values up – in fact, it’s pretty much the opposite.
Would someone care to explain that to me?
Aside from all this, I find myself continuing to revisit what the Bible says about money. God talked about money a lot. I mean a LOT a lot – to the tune of more than 800 references. And when God talks, I listen…especially when He has something to say in an area where I haven’t always made the best decisions. As it turns out, God’s smarter than I am. Go figure!
Anyway, I just wanted to take a second and check-in and throw that encouragement out there for anyone doing FPU or following a budget but who might be getting tired or discouraged. Hang in there – it’s worth it! God’s principles for managing money are the only ones worth applying. And take it from me – although I couldn’t begin to explain the math of it to you, I know they work.
