 "Managing
Our Means" begins with understanding that:
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein" (Psalms
24:1). The world does not belong to us; it belongs
to God and He delights to bless us. Next, we must believe
that we will be blessed according to how much we give.
"It is more blessed to give than to receive"
(Acts 20:35). If we care for God's other children,
He will care for us. If we had all of the world's wealth,
which children would we want to give it to? Wouldn't
it be to those who care enough to share? It also helps
to ponder two points:
-
God
loves all of His children alike.
- He
delights in prospering those who share.
Once
our hearts are charitable, we are ready to build our faith.
We must believe that God is waiting to pour down blessings
from Heaven upon us. We should visualize ourselves prospering
and sharing. How will the sweet fruits of charity taste?
Memorize scriptures on faith, internalize precious promises,
think positively, and expect success.
 But
we might ask: "What about these good people who try
hard and still struggle to exist?" If they have done
all He asks and yet do not prosper, then there is a good
reason. It is vital for us to understand that "Suffering
Sanctifies the Spirit." Struggles help us conquer
pride and become more Christ-like. It may be more important
to be meek than to be gratified. Our hardships may prove
to be assets. When the Lord deprives us of our wants,
He may actually be blessing us. Every possession requires
care; do we have extra time? space? Let us learn to simplify
and purify our lives because "Stuff &
Things Stifle the Spirit."
 Time:
As it is with God's health laws (D&C 89), so it is
with God's temporal laws: we must walk in obedience to
all of God's commandments if we expect the blessings.
For example, in D&C 88:124, the Lord admonishes us
to arise early. Getting up even one hour earlier
will add 30 working hours to each month . . . just think
of that! When I first took an interest in managing my
time, I quizzed older women who I felt had control of
their lives. Without exception, they arose before the
rest of their family. When I finally achieved "mind
over mattress," I too, accomplished much more.
 Stewards:
Being good stewards is an important facet of managing
our means; it demonstrates our gratitude to God. If we
do not care for what we already have, why should He give
us more? I also find that as I care for my possessions,
they, in turn, care for me. Through the years, I have
observed that my parents and in-laws had but little and
yet, because they were fine stewards, they not only lived
well, but were also able to save money. One of my favorite
sayings is: "People afford what they really want
to afford." Are we not amazed to see what some
people treasure? And they are surprised at what we prize!
For example, I do not invest in expensive tours, but I
drive a fine vehicle. I have friends who have old cars,
but travel the world over. So I say: "To Each
His Own."
Discern:
Another skill we ought to develop is being able to discern
between wants and needs. Wants are natural, especially
for children. Once we understand that their wanting is
part of growing, we relax and allow our offspring to want
the same thing for a long time. And we can have most everything
we want if we keep our wants within our means. During
World War II, I found that money was not happiness as
we experienced some of our most enjoyable years living
on about $50 per month as I saved every hairpin.
 Debt:
I believe in staying out of debt, and that spending funds
that are due others is the same as stealing. Interest
and debts are heavy burdens we should not have to carry.
It is consoling to me to be able to say I have not paid
one cent of interest in 40 years.
Control:
Let me now share the steps I took to gain financial control:
- Take
a sheet of blank paper and draw a line down the middle.
- Post
the word "income" at the top of the
left column.
- Post
the word "outgo" at the top of the
right column.
(Keep
it simple by using dollar accounting and round figures.)
- Income:
Post income at the minimum figure.
- Enter
income showing amounts and from whom.
- Total
income amount.
- Outgo:
Post outgo at the maximum figure.
- Enter
outgo showing amounts due and to whom.
- Lord:
Enter 10% for the Lord.
- Tax:
Enter ?% for taxes.
- Self:
Enter 10% for savings/self.
- Fixed:
Enter fixed expenses (payments, etc.).
- Variable:
Enter variable expenses (food, clothing, etc.).
- Total
outgo amount.
- Subtract
total outgo from total income.
- If
we need more $:
- Decrease
outgo: Eliminate interest and decrease expenses.
- Increase
income: Increase income via these five steps:
- Goal:
Post amount needed as a goal to focus on.
- Tithe:
Trust God: tithe amount needed in advance.
- Work:
Serve, work & pray harder than ever before.
- Care:
Preserve our stewardships/possessions.
- Share:
Share with others as we prosper.
Note
from Elma: Follow this outline and if it is God's will,
we shall prosper.
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