Don’t Live Within Your Means.

    It doesn’t happen often, but one time in the middle of the night I believe the Lord awakened me.  I felt Him leading me to write a nugget titled, “Don’t live within your means.” He began to speak to me about this idea. Even though it was 4:50 a.m., I was so excited about this; I awoke my wife and began to “preach” to her about it for several minutes. (She said the idea was great, but she really needed her sleep!).

    What do I believe God meant when he showed me, “Don’t live within your means”?  I believe He wants us to act bigger, believe larger, associate higher, and (with God’s help) do more than we can ask or think.  Your outlook determines your outcome.  If God is your partner…make your plans BIG.

    I’m not encouraging you to go wild, have no boundaries or to be reckless.  Certainly we should spend within our means—but not live there.  Talk with people smarter than you. Listen to those more spiritual than you.  Ask questions of those more successful than you. Lend a hand to those less fortunate than you.  Don’t stay where you are.

    I sincerely believe many people who think they’re frugal aren’t really frugal.  Rather, they’re full of fear.  The label of frugality, balance of conservativeness is often a mask to cover up a deep-rooted fear in their lives. Don’t make such thorough plans for rainy days you don’t enjoy today’s sunshine.

    When you only live with your means, you can’t live by faith.  If you aren’t living by faith, you can’t please God for “without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Heb 11:6). Abandon altogether the search for security.  “Only the insecure strive for security” (Wayne Dyer). If you’re just trying to earn a living, you’ll forget how to live.

    I’ve heard this saying most of my life…"Who God calls; He equips.  Who he equips, He anoints to do the job.”  Not matter what level of your ability; God has equipped you with more potential than you can possibly use in your lifetime. Don’t let the future be a time when you wish you’d done what you aren’t doing now.

    If the shoe fits…don’t wear it. If you do, you’re not allowing room for growth.  Webster knew all about the ineffectiveness of “living within your means.”  When you look up the “means” in his dictionary, it tells you to see the word “average”. So, when you decide to “live within your means”, you’re deciding to live an average life.