The Balancing Act
Theme / Financial Planning
Read Time / 3 Minutes
“Get me a banana, some super glue, and a rod” Andrey persisted, “I’ll show you how he’s doing it.”
Let me take a step back. The Boise Christian Faith Center worship team and I made our trek to Santa Cruz, California. Our plan? To watch our favorite worship team, Maverick City Music, perform in a nearby city. On our day off, we ventured to downtown Santa Cruz for breakfast and stumbled across something I’ve never seen before. There was a man staring straight up to heaven with concentration so thick you could cut it with a knife. Managing to balance a banana, by simply using the tip of his nose to hold up this awkwardly shaped fruit; this gentleman had finesse I could only dream of .
In life, balance is helpful. It allows us to ride bikes and go for walks with loved ones. It provides safety as we walk up flights of stairs. Balance is also necessary for our bodies to run properly. Anxiety increases as we inhale more oxygen than we need causing an imbalance in our bodies. Balance is important in all areas of our lives including, how we spend our money. See what I did there?
There are three main things we can do with each dollar earned, and I recommend budgeting them in this order: Giving, Saving, and Spending.
Giving. Breaking the power of money. By giving first, we are training our mind to understand we are contributors over consumers. This facilitates the dying of our flesh. We are losing our life, and in turn finding it. We are trading a rat race and monotony for significance and meaning. We experience freedom as we partner with Heaven by following the words of Paul in Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Saving. Valuing our future. By saving second, we place value on our future. We are learning discipline as we construct a healthy image of consumption. We place significance on the visions and dreams God has put in our heart, saving little by little. As Proverbs 13:11 says, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
Spending. Appreciating our present. Enjoying our money is a priority, and after giving and saving, this is where it falls. For some of us, this is our strength and for others (like me) this is our weakness. Regardless, it’s important to intentionally set aside money to spend on ourselves. We are reinforcing our value and worth. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 5:19, “Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.” I believe putting this as the last of three priorities puts wealth in perspective. Allowing us to recognize, we are wealthy regardless of how much money we have.
Giving, Saving, and Spending. For us to work on having a healthy relationship with money, we need to practice all three. Like the man balancing a banana, each season demands a shift in weight from one side to the other. This contradicts our human nature to look for a quick fix. You know, the job that finally pays enough. The investment strategy that provides all of our needs and meets our expectations. The perfect house. The perfect spouse (come on, now I’m preaching). Our human nature is constantly looking for external factors to be the solution.
Scripture instructs us in Matthew 7:13 to “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” May I pose the gate is narrow and the road is even narrower. On this road, balance is required. Attentiveness is demanded. It would be nice for the gate leading to human flourishing to be wide and the road wider. The work required to enter the narrow gate is intimidating. Yet, it’s an invitation. Not for performance, but to trust. Whether you are balancing a banana or a check book, it’s vital those tasks earn our attention and, like the man balancing the balance, our eyes remain upward.
Ryan De Amicis
Wealth Advisor
408.758.6413
ryan@christianwm.com
