Stay Motivated With Rewards

Have you rewarded yourself lately?

The Lord understands that we’re motivated by rewards. In fact, the entire Christian life holds out the promise of the reward of eternal life. In addition, He promises to reward us openly for praying in secret, giving in secret, and fasting in secret. So use your natural desire for rewards to set up a system that’s attached to a financial goal. Start with the basics.  How would it feel to have $1,000 in an Emergency Savings Account – just sitting there whenever an unexpected bill arrives? And if you have $1,000 in an Emergency Savings Account you’ll be better off than half the American population.

Want to make that your goal? Or perhaps another? It needs to be specific. How much will you save each month? How many months will it take? Write it down and post it in a place to remind yourself every day, but add one more component. Pick a reward that motivates you. Would taking your spouse or a friend to lunch at your favorite restaurant work for you? How about a fun day trip, a movie, or something you’ve sacrificed in order to achieve your goal? The important part is to realize that financial discipline requires hard work – and a reward system will motivate you and keep you on track. Once you achieve the first goal, set another one, and then another one. God wants you to be free from financial bondage. Let this be the day of taking that first step in the right direction.

Now one of the biggest expenses in the American budget is interest expense. and rates on credit card balances are ridiculously high! I suggest you set a goal to get out of credit card debt. Christian Credit Counselors are experts at creating a debt management plan to ethically and efficiently pay off consumer debt. For more information call the Crown Helpline: 800-722-1976 or visit online at crown.org/ccc.