Can you believe it’s November? It’s less than 7 weeks till Christmas! But I’m not going to talk about Christmas, I’m going to talk about the new year.
Ecclesiastes 1:3 says ‘there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.’
The new year often brings with it changes – some big, some small. For some it can be a new stage of life. Maybe your kids are starting school or finishing school, maybe they’re looking to move out. Maybe you don’t have kids but your job is changing or you’re going on a big overseas holiday. Maybe you’re starting your first full-time job or, at the other end of the spectrum, maybe you’re retiring. If your circumstances are changing, can I encourage you to think about what impact that will have on your finances.
Be deliberate about your financial choices. Is your income changing? Are your expenses changing? Are you happy with how much you’re giving? And… pray about it. Jesus talks more about money than any other topic in the bible. It can certainly be a challenging topic. I hope that by getting up regularly on a Sunday to do the little ‘Finance Spots’ I’m slowly getting rid of the idea that talking about money is scary. But even if you find it difficult to talk about, God doesn’t. Talk to him about it. Pray for his guidance, pray for wisdom, be brave and ask him to reveal your idols in this area. Trust me, I know that last one can be tough, but we have a God who loves us so much that he delights in growing us to be more and more like his son.
I’ll also add that during the holidays James did a couple of great talks on finance so if you weren’t here for them you might like to go onto our website and have a listen (links below).
So, what does next year look like for you? Don’t wait until you’re in the thick of the change, plan for it now.
