We want what we want

One of the tensions of living in a fast-paced world, is a desire to prioritize self-care while struggling to put it into practice. I found myself recognizing that despite having a more stable income I did not seem to be doing any better financially. It was easy to blame the rising cost of living, yet, I noticed others managing on what I perceived to be less income. I realized that while my income had increased I found myself more frequently purchasing unnecessary items simply because I could and “why not?” Have you ever found yourself in the same place? While treating oneself isn’t inherently wrong, it’s essential to be reflecting on whether our financial decisions align with our values and don’t overshadow our spiritual priorities. Neither wealth nor lack of wealth guarantees a closer walk with God, it is, however, essential to heed biblical warnings about prioritizing material possessions over our relationship with God (1 Timothy 6:17).
I discovered that I needed to reground myself financially. Although, my spending didn’t put me in financial risk, I also didn’t feel comfortable. It’s not that I was out of control but I also didn’t feel “in control” of my spending. I was lacking purpose and intentionality in my spending. I knew I could and should have more awareness around my finances. My finances were not a stumbling block to spiritual growth but I knew I wasn’t truly honoring God or being purposeful in my spending.

Intentional Financial Regrounding

I decided that I needed to increase my financial awareness be more intentional about my spending. Hence, I started what I call Intentional Financial Regrounding” (IFR). This is a period of time (a week or a month) where I revert back to a period of time in my life that was joyful but when money was a little tighter. This has helped me to increase my awareness of the blessings I have in my life and to be more intentional about the way I spend my money. It also has helped me to be more purposeful in how I spend my extra dollars.

How to engage in Intentional Financial Regrounding (IFR):

1. Define the purpose of your IFR Week/Month, such as curbing excessive spending, realigning priorities, or deepening spiritual connection.
2. Choose a specific point in your financial history,
   • a time period: 3, 5, 10 years ago OR
   • a life stage: first adulting, newly married, starting a family, etc. OR
   • income level: 1st “real job”, early employment history, pre-promotion, etc
3. Decide how often and for how long you want to do this- one time, annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, etc.,
4. During the IFR period, commit to living within the financial means of the period selected refraining from purchases that would not have been affordable during this period.
5. Upon completing the IFR period, evaluate your spending habits and adjust accordingly. This may lead to :
   • Increased awareness of financial responsibility which may result in more intentional spending. Often for the short-term but sometimes for the longer-term.
   • Return to “normal” spending but with a new awareness of how money is spent.
   • Increased spending in the short-term to make up for lost spending during the IFR.
     • This often correlates to an unhealthy relationship with finances. It may be helpful to discuss this with a professional. We will discuss this a bit more in a future blog.

THE WHY

By practicing intentional financial self-care, we honor God’s desire for us to live life abundantly (John 10:10) while ensuring our financial decisions align with our spiritual values.