This week we are preparing to celebrate July 4th—our country’s Independence Day. On this day in 1776 the original 13 colonies declared separation and independence from Great Britain.
As citizens of the United States we are politically free, but Compass Catholic promotes another type of freedom—financial freedom. The idea of financial freedom may mean different things to different people. The Compass Catholic definition of financial freedom is having:
- No debt—the credit cards, student loans, car loans, consumer debt and mortgage all have a balance of zero.
- An emergency savings fund of one-year income—the emergency fund savings starts at $1,000 and is gradually increased to one-year of income.
- College funded—savings for college are adequate to pay for the estimated cost of a college degree for you, your spouse or your children.
- Retirement funded—your retirement savings will fund your lifestyle for your estimated remaining lifespan.
Picture your life if you complete all the financial goals listed above. You may dream about golfing everyday or traveling to exotic locations. But for the follower of Christ, there’s a much bigger perspective. Though God cares deeply about our financial well-being, he wants our focus–and our financial freedom–to have a much greater impact than simply amusing ourselves.
Financial pressures often distract us from serving the Lord and getting to know Him better. In Matthew 13:22, we hear the parable of the sower: “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the words and understands it, but the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.”
So many times the worries of the world distract us from serving the Lord and many times those worries concern finances. True financial freedom breaks the bonds of those worries and allows us to have more time available to serve God and his people. It means the ability to give more generously and to live as a faithful steward of the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.
Compass Catholic has a heart to encourage God’s people to reduce and finally eliminate their debt, increase their generosity, save more and be in a financial position where they can have a greater impact to spread the word of God.
Imagine how your parish would change if 10 people became financially free and were able to serve as full-time volunteers. What would happen if that manpower were available to serve in our churches, the inner city, our jails and schools? What kind of impact could we have on our country?
It is difficult to adequately express our appreciation for the original founders of the United States who struggled against a much stronger nation to gain our freedom … and here we are, more than 240 years later, still enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice.
It does not matter if you are Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, whether you agree with our present government or are adamantly opposed to it, we all need to pray for our country and those who serve us as leaders. But our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.“
Our country remains free due to the diligence and sacrifice of those original founders. This week we pray that you will spend some time reflecting on the gift of living in a free country and that as a citizen of heaven you will reach the point of financial freedom so you are able to fulfill the unique purpose God has for your life.
