Creating a Gospel-Centered Marriage: Finances - Part 1

Imagine you’re on the Family Feud game show. The host comes to you and says, “We’ve surveyed 100 families and asked what they believe is a good idea, but still don’t do. Can you give us one of the top five answers?” There is a good chance if you answered, “Budgeting,” you would have the #1 answer.

There is no one who really believes, “You can neglect paying attention to your finances and expect everything to turn out fine. Spend what you want, when you want, try not to be excessive (but don’t define “excessive”), and you should be alright.” We would roll our eyes and laugh as we read this if it were not the reality in which so many people tried to live.

There are many reasons why families don’t use a budget. Unless we examine these “reasons” (a.k.a. excuses) they will either seem valid or insurmountable. Until we debunk or re-frame these “reasons” all of the practical advice provided in the rest of this seminar will just be “good ideas” that we “should do” and feel guilty not doing. Then we would just try not to think about it in order to avoid the guilt until we have our next “marital money fight” or a financial crisis.

That is the purpose of this first chapter – we want to address the reasons we don’t have or follow a budget so that we are ready to implement the things that we all know we should do. As you read this chapter be honest with yourself and your spouse. Allow this chapter to generate important conversations that are usually only engaged defensively during a money problem or disagreement.

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