Celebrate Successes
If you are slogging through a plan to build an emergency fund, save for the future and pay off debt, you may feel like it will take forever. And if you are married, it may get to the point where it seems like every conversation about money management issues turns into a small-scale nuclear war, or at least an argument. Any way you look at it, saving money and paying off debt is a difficult challenge to face, and one that requires many small steps in order to achieve ultimate success. In order to keep yourself motivated, it’s important to celebrate each small success.
On the surface, celebrating success may seem counterintuitive. Won’t a celebration just mean more spending, putting you back to square one? Obviously, celebrating by taking a trip to Paris goes against the biblical money management principles you’re learning. But using small celebrations on your journey to true financial freedom is actually an important key to arriving there. You are much more likely to reach your final destination if you celebrate your success when you conquer each small milestone.
At Compass Catholic, we understand the need to balance our financial challenges by celebrating when positive things happen. God understands this too. The Bible is full of examples of celebrating God’s goodness. Just take a look at Deuteronomy 16:13-14: “You shall celebrate the feast of Booths for seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and wine press. You shall rejoice at your feast, together with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, and also the Levite, the resident alien, the orphan and the widow within your gates.” The Lord calls for all of the people to celebrate the harvest, the gathering of produce and the fruits of hard labor. You, too, should recognize your financial achievements as spiritual “harvests,” and celebrate them accordingly.
So, since going to Paris or buying a yacht is out of the question, how should you celebrate? Think of some simple, inexpensive activity that you haven’t had time to enjoy lately, then make a plan to do it. It may be a visit to a favorite ice cream parlor, taking an afternoon off to read a book, planning a picnic in the park, or even trying a new recipe. Celebrating your success gives you the boost required to stay focused and continue on your journey. If you are married, it is especially important to celebrate as a couple, since money challenges can often drive a wedge between you.
If you want to start on your financial freedom journey but don’t know where to begin, use the Compass Map, which you can find under “Week 3” of the Participants’ page on the Financial Bible Study link of the Compass Catholic website. This map provides you with a step-by-step guide for getting your finances in order.
As you continue along your path toward biblical money management success, take the time to stop and smell the roses at each new destination. Celebrate each small victory, and your goal of reaching true financial freedom will become even more attainable than ever before. Then you can truly celebrate God’s goodness as it says in Psalm 68:4 “Then the just will be glad; they will rejoice before God; they will celebrate with great joy.”
To get started on your Journey to Financial Freedom, contact Compass Catholic at (844) 447-6263 today.
