John D. Rockefeller was the wealthiest man of his time. He’s famous for having been asked multiple times about the secret of his wealth. His answer became known as his 10-10-80 principle. He’d tell people that he got wealthy by giving the first 10 percent of whatever he made back to God. The second 10 percent went into savings, and he learned to live on the remaining 80 percent.
Proverbs 21:20 says, “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (TLB).
Saving is one way that God tests you in your finances, to see if you will be responsible with what he’s given you. If you’re saving for the future right now, that’s smart. If you’re not saving anything, that’s just foolish. God wants you to tithe, and then he wants you to save for the future.
You may think you can’t live on 80 percent, but that just means you are living beyond your means. You’re not managing your money well. You are spending more than you actually have. Remember, this is a test. Do you want God to find you faithful with your money?
The 10-10-80 principle is the exact opposite of what our culture teaches. Culture says to pay all your bills first—but then you don’t have any money for saving and tithing. God says, “Pay me first, then pay yourself second (savings), and then pay your bills after that.” That is the order God blesses.
If you’re not saving anything, you have a “live for today” mentality. This is where you think, “I’ve got it now, so I’ll spend it now. Forget about tomorrow!”
God doesn’t just want you to think about tomorrow. He wants you to plan for tomorrow so that you have enough to do the things he wants you to do. It’s smart to put off a purchase today that will better allow you to live your purpose tomorrow.
And you can do it! Saving is a spiritual discipline, and God will give you all the grace you need to take the hard steps.
Don’t live just for today. Learn to do whatever it takes to be able to save some of your money for the future. This is God’s way of doing things. When you ignore God’s principles, you’re asking for financial stress.
When you do it God’s way, it always works.
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