So today I’m going to combine a review of a talk from the October 2013 General Conference with some of my financial advice. I loved Elder Bednar’s talk about the Windows of Heaven. He gives us two promises (well, at least two, but two that I wanted to mention quickly).
Two quick bits of financial wisdom that Elder Bednar shares are these “In that first council meeting I was impressed by the simplicity of the principles that guided our deliberations and decisions. In the financial operations of the Church, two basic and fixed principles are observed. First, the Church lives within its means and does not spend more than it receives. Second, a portion of the annual income is set aside as a reserve for contingencies and unanticipated needs.”
How simple it is to be able to put ourselves on the right path with some good basic financial practices. 1. We don’t spend more than we earn. 2. We set aside a safety net of resources to prepare for the future. Can you just imagine what would happen if we all lived this way?!
Elder Bednar also makes us a few promises that go along with paying tithing and following good financial practices.
The first promise is that “as you and I observe and keep the law of tithing, indeed the windows of heaven will be opened and spiritual and temporal blessings will be poured out such that there shall not be room enough to receive them (see Malachi 3:10).”
In our church we believe in paying tithing and fast offering. I know that this is a struggle for a lot of people. I can also testify that what Elder Bednar is saying is true. Although we may not receive a golden lottery ticket when we pay tithing we will always have the things that we need (usually more) and that other blessings will come into our lives.
Part of the blessing that I’ve had in paying tithing is learning to budget. I know I keep coming back to this but it is so important. I have been blessed that as I’ve paid my tithing and planned out a budget I have been able to make my money go further than I would have dreamed and received peace of mind in knowing that I can plan for the future as well.
The second promise that Elder Bednar made is that “as we are spiritually attentive and observant, we will be blessed with eyes that see more clearly, ears that hear more consistently, and hearts that understand more fully the significance and subtlety of His ways, His thoughts, and His blessings in our lives.”
I heard someone once say that we shouldn’t do things expecting blessings. I don’t think that this is necessarily true. Heavenly Father has made many promises to us. Many of those promises relate to blessings that He wants to give us when we make good choices. Knowing that He is who He is - we can expect those blessings to be fulfilled.
Elder Bednar is promising us (on behalf of Heavenly Father) that even though the blessings come in Heavenly Father’s own way and time (that usually work out much better than our own) the blessings will come. We just have to be observant and aware.
I think that those are important because if Heavenly Father blesses us and we aren’t watching and expecting - or we are watching and expecting it to happen in our way instead of His we might miss them and miss the opportunity to show gratitude for them and when we are aware and we can show gratitude we can keep the cycle of blessings going.
We all want to be able to be financially on sure ground. Most of us would love to be able to give to others and share in ways that would help lift the poor and suffering around us. I believe that these things can happen if we follow the counsel given to us and decide today to take control of our finances - beginning with gratitude for the One who has given us all we have in the first place.
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