Understand Your Financial Seasons

“…. Winter is coming, how prepared are you? Because after that the sun will shine again to give us hope to get out once more and do a lot more before another winter season…”

Life has its cycles and it is true that you have to go through them. It is written that there is seed and harvest time. There is night and day, rain and sunshine. To you my dear reader, you are probably getting out of one season and getting into another.

I have heard this statement countless times, “There is a time for everything”. Now let’s talk about financial seasons. We need to know how our economy runs, and one of the ways we can know is when there are a few disruptions to the norm of life, one of the clearest indicators is when the price of fuel is sky rocketing, this has an impact on almost everything we purchase. There is a time I lamented why I did not buy Sugar in bulk yet that is what we normally did, the price went up so high that making juice at home was becoming a night mare, however the wholesaler we always buy from gave us sugar at a discount, I told myself that, “it is good to plan ahead because of a lot of uncertainty.”

Joseph and Egypt’s Story

Pharaoh had a dream and it was about the 7 years of plenty and the 7 years of famine. While listening to James Abola, co-author of “Make Sense of Your Money” and “Money and Marriage” he said that with the wisdom God had given Joseph, he made a 14 year budget. That budget was to take into account the 7 years of famine as well as the 14 years of plenty. We all know from the story of Joseph, the wisdom to store 20% of grain did not only save Egypt but also his family and neighboring countries (Even when money couldn’t buy they were GIVEN, eventually putting resources a side also help us give and support the needy). The grain was not to be touched until the 7 years of famine was to start, every saving plan we have should have a clear goal or higher purpose.

The question is what do we do in times of plenty? There are people who feel like a budget will restrict their lifestyle and rob them of pleasure. People are normally encouraged to budget even for pleasure. When you start budgeting, it helps you PRIORITIZE, you stop spending life and start living. It takes wisdom to discern and envision the end from the beginning. I hope we can start doing these uncomfortable things (making a budget) so that we can we can create comfort tomorrow. You will realize that stress starts dropping because you have started planning.

So many of us have probably been in that time frame where everything else was going well, if you are the type who is in formal employment, sometimes you might think that this job will take care of me forever, forgetting that entrenchment can happen, a company can choose to downsize or even terminate your services or you can choose to resign and venture into your own business. Even as business people, plan, businesses have cycles, when things are going well and when they aren't.

James said that, “The biggest challenge is, we don’t plan enough in times of plenty.” He also said that, “In your time of plenty save, whenever you are earning that’s when you save”. He then cautioned us and said if God can plan, why shouldn’t we plan? He quoted Jeremiah 29:11 where God says, … “I know the plans I have for you, plans to……”.

Take a lesson from the ants

It has been said and written that Ants have no ruler, no leader, no council or government but they work together to gather in harvest because they know that winter is coming. Ants have a clear purpose of why they gather, if they don’t do so, they will die of hunger. Ants are a clear example of how we should handle our lives, with little strength and strength in their unity and numbers, they are one of the most productive creations of God.

The truth about life is this, hard times will come, a time when you don’t have enough, to avoid lack, we need to be as strategic as Joseph and the Ants. It is an act of faith. James mentioned in his sermon that hadn’t there been a boy with two fish and five loaves that he had saved, then how would have God multiplied what wasn’t there, the story basically tells us that God will use what is in our hands, it is written that he guarantees a blessing on our store houses. So what do you have in your hand to start whatever you want to do – ask yourself and examine and act?

My Story

I remember gathering coins that would be left after the purchase of an item or payment of a service. I happened to save close to 500,000 Ugx ($ 138), this money helped in many ways, this made my resolve to use the times of earning wisely and till to date, the principle of putting a side a proportion of my income from my salary or businesses I do, has helped greatly in everyday life.

There is a time at my workplace, something happened to my salary. For almost 2-3 months I was not getting paid yet others were, there was something wrong with my account details and it took time to get it sorted out, the coins I had been putting a side took my family and I through some of the tough days. I did not have to beg for anything because we also had other savings. We decided that we needed to also increase our income at that time and the same money helped us do a few things here and there. Around this time, I learnt the importance of building an emergency fund, this is good wisdom I learned from Dave Ramsey. He recommends starting with $ 1000 (3,600,000 Ugx). You can be helped in uncertain times when you take such simple acts seriously.

James’ Points to a good saving plan

1. Be wise and have discernment
2. Save proportion of your income
3. Save in a secure place
4. Have a Purpose

James concluded his talk by saying, “We don’t save because we are wasteful”. This reminds me of a scripture I have always shared, Proverbs 21:20 “The wise have wealth and luxury but fools spend whatever they get”. If Joseph did not take heed to the instructions of God concerning that dream, generations would have been killed, but I learn from this that one act of wisdom will not only save an individual but nations at large. Let us be wise in the way we handle the resources given to us by God.

#Impact #Empower #Transform