March 19, 2008
“Economic Patience ”
Dear Friend,
We learned last Sunday that our English word “patience” originated in a Latin word meaning “suffering.” We struggle to be patient, because suffering is unpleasant. We quickly become impatient because it seems to alleviate the stress of the moment. I wonder if you are open to considering the importance of patience in your economic life.
Most of our bad economic choices originate in impatience. The cultural myths of “get rich quick” and “escape debt painlessly” fuel our impatience. To organize our economic lives correctly, we must accept the principle of economic patience. By economic patience I mean this: Get rich slowly and reduce debt painfully.
Now we have the truth before us:
- Get Rich Slowly – Compound interest and the miracle that it generates requires time. To get rich slowly, we must invest a portion of every paycheck and not expect to touch it for a long time.
- Reduce Debt Painfully – Commonly, we carry too much debt because we will not make the painful decision to deny ourselves luxuries and conveniences. We can patiently but painfully deny ourselves some things so that our economic futures are debt free.
Patience is a form of wisdom. Impatience is an ugly expression of ignorance. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:16:
“Do not claim to be wiser than you are.”
Most of us need to grow in the wisdom of economic patience. God bless you as you mature into God’s full potential.
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
