Christians live their lives not just for the present but also in anticipation of the future which very often is uncertain. Erika F. Puni

Walking in God’s Favor: There is desirable treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise. But a foolish man squanders it. Proverbs 21:20 NKJV

Many of us only dream of saving money.  Here’s a quick  snapshot of America’s finances.  The Wall Street Journal indicates that 70%  of all Americans  live from paycheck to paycheck. The  Oprah Winfrey Show indicated on an online survey that 70% of responders has no savings anywhere.  You almost have to pull a gun on Americans to get them to save.

We learned from Dave Ramsey (3) key reasons to save money; for emergencies, for purchases and to build wealth.

Working in the risk management and academic arena for over 25 years, we label emergencies in 5 categories we call the 5 storms of life or the 5D’s.

1Disasters – Car accidents, weather related perils, any unexpected incidents.

2Disability – Any physical condition that prevents your daily living activities.

3Downsized – Loss of employment, bankruptcy or divorce.

4Death – The loss of a  person who contributes to your financial well being

5Deployment- Active& reserve military called to serve 6 or more months away

If you want to become a faithful  steward you must begin the process of saving money. Moving to a higher level of stewardship requires dedication, discipline and diligence. Living the life of surplus and overflow takes wisdom.

Many of us have struggled so long in our financial lives we get comfortable with a life of stability.  Many of us think as long as we can make the monthly payments “Life is Good”.  Now is not the time to rest, keep moving. There is so much God have for you to learn, experience and become. You must choose to make saving a  top priority.  The choice is up to you.

Prayer of Blessing: Father God, we trust you. Take us to the next level.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and five  grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.