Christian Financial Counseling Page | The Financial Page | Inspiration Corner | Eclecticsite Home
Visit Keith's Financial Page on Facebook
Why You Should Get Financial Counseling
By Keith Rawlinson
Volunteer Budget Counselor
Many people think that financial counseling is for those who are in financial trouble. Well, it is
for people in trouble, but it's for everyone else too. Getting
out of trouble is not the only reason for getting financial counseling;
in fact, getting out of trouble is only the first step to a better
financial future. Once the financial problems are dealt with and
under control, it is then time to start saving, investing,
planning, buying things and building wealth. So, financial counseling
is not only a tool for dealing with problems and getting out of debt,
it is also a way of gaining the knowledge and techniques you will need
to use your money wisely and make it grow.
To gain further understanding of God's perspective, let's see what the Bible has to say about the subject of counseling:
Why we should get counseling.
Listen to counsel and accept
discipline that
you may be wise the rest of your days. Prov. 19:20
This
verse tells us that getting counseling is a way to be wise for the rest
of your days. It doesn't say that counseling is for getting you
out of a current problem or bad situation, it says that counseling
leads to lifelong wisdom. So, the first reason to get counseling
is so that we can be wise.
Without counsel, plans go
awry. But in
the multitude of counselors they are established. Prov. 15:22
This
verse tells us that getting counsel is a powerful way of giving our
plans a good chance to succeed. It doesn't say "immediate plans,"
it just says "plans." That's because we are always going to have
things in our lives for which we are striving, financial or otherwise;
thus, we will always have plans that we want to see succeed.
There's the second reason for getting counseling--if we don't,
our plans will likely fail. If we do, our plans will likely
succeed.
He who ignores discipline
comes to poverty and
shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. Prov. 13:18
Here
is a very good reason for getting counseling--it is a very good source
of wisdom. Counseling teaches you not only techniques, but
also the discipline to apply them. This verse clearly states
that without discipline, we come to poverty. It goes on to say
that if we "heed correction," that is, listen to counsel, God will
honor that effort. So, this verse gives us another very good
reason to get counseling--counseling teaches discipline and without
discipline we will become poor. Further, getting counseling will
be honored by God Himself.
...by knowledge the rooms [of a house] are filled with precious and
pleasant riches. Prov. 24:4
This
verse couldn't be more to the point when it comes to financial
counseling. Counseling is a source of knowledge, and knowledge
helps us to become wealthy. I don't believe that this verse is
only talking about financial wealth; I think it is referring to other forms of wealth as well.
A couple of warnings.
Without
counseling of some sort, be it personal one-on-one counseling or be it
counseling in some other form, we are simply following our own ideas
and nothing else. God instructs us to get counsel. We can
get counsel in more than one way: by finding reliable sources on the
Internet, reading books, listening to audio programs, or talking
with a live counselor. In the Bible, God clearly tells us how He regards people who are following their own ideas and not getting some form of counseling:
The way of a fool is right in
his own eyes, but he who hears counsel is wise. Prov. 12:15
Plain
and simple--if you are choosing to follow only your own ideas and are
not seeking wise, godly counsel, you are a fool! Don't get angry
with me. I didn't say it--God did!
Along
those same lines is this direction from the Bible--make sure you are
getting your advice from reliable, sound, godly sources.
He who walks with the wise
grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Prov. 13:20
If
you hang around with, and take advice from, fools, you will end up
getting hurt. It may be financially, physically, spiritually or
even emotionally, but you will end up getting hurt. On the other
hand, if you hang around with, and learn from, wise godly people who
are knowledgeable about God's ways, you will become more wise yourself.
Conclusion.
I
hope it is now clear that counseling is not just for getting out of trouble
or dealing with a current problem. Yes, counseling does do those
things, but it also keeps you headed in the right direction afterwards.
The Bible clearly teaches that getting counseling helps us to
become wealthy, wise, make good decisions, do things God's way, and
have a good chance of succeeding. The Bible also clearly teaches
that if we go through life without wise counsel, then we are a fool!
Be wise, or be a fool--your choice.
Visit Keith's Financial Page on Facebook
This article copyright © 2009 by Keith C. Rawlinson
(Eclecticsite.com). All rights reserved.
This article may be copied for non-profit use including newsletters,
bulletins, etc.
as long as you
first get written permission from the author
and full credit is given
which includes the author's name
and the name of this website.