By C.J. Lloyd, May 24, 2024

While the Bible does not explicitly state one must budget, God provides clear instructions to be planful. “The plans of the diligent certainly lead to advantage, But everyone who is in a hurry certainly, comes to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5 NASB20). Based on this verse from the book of Proverbs, we can infer that God desires us to be diligent in planning rather than shooting from the hip. 

Proverbs also warns against being in a hurry rather than being planful. What does hurry do for us? In spending, hurry can lead to convenient purchases, emotional expenses, and short-term satisfaction. In society, we are consistently met with messages telling us to hurry and garner success quickly, making it hard to slow down for intentionality. Thankfully, we have a God who speaks intentionality over us through the gospel. “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This person began to build and was not able to finish!” (Luke 14:28-30). 

If a family were to run out of capital during a home build today, there could be many implications, such as incurring more debt through additional financing or even placing a lien on the newly purchased land. This is just one example of a financial pitfall that can be faced. However, accumulating more debt can hinder our ability to serve God to the best of our ability. As Christ-followers, we are commanded to repay our debts, Romans 13:7. 

We must understand that not all expenses are controllable, and emergencies do occur. However, proactively creating a budget may lessen a family’s financial burden. 

Just as we can face hurry in our personal lives, it also occurs in the marketplace. Some negative issues hurry causes in the workplace include reduced thoughtfulness, poor decision-making, and reduced collaboration. In this instance, hurrying again creates potential pitfalls that impact the financial bottom line and, if bad enough, can affect clients when services must be reduced or eliminated because the company is going out of business.  

We are to bring the same diligence into our workplace as we do into our homes and churches. By entering into a time of planning and budgeting, we can honor God and not squander the blessings he gives. “A prudent person sees evil andhides himself; But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 12:17).

Budgeting and financial planning are about more than what we need to avoid. They also involve the fruit that can be produced through planning and seeking wise counsel. Next week, in Part Two, we will explore how a budget can be a beautiful tool for glorifying God.

This week, I urge everyone to make time for planning. The book of Proverbs advises, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).  By dedicating time to thoughtful planning, we equip ourselves for success and align our efforts with God’s will. Through intentional preparation and dedication, we honor God and demonstrate our commitment to excellence. Let’s make planning and seeking His wisdom and guidance a priority in all we do to ensure our work brings glory to Him and positively impacts those around us.