IMPULSIVENESS OR FORESIGHT

A person’s thoughts are demonstrated on a daily basis. The way that someone thinks eventually becomes apparent to all. There is no way of getting around this. The Lord Jesus Christ made this evident in Matthew 12:34, "...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Whatever is in a person’s heart will eventually come out of the mouth and then be demonstrated in one’s actions. This is another way of saying cause and effect or the spiritual precedes the physical.

Spirituality is characterized by thinking ahead and making appropriate plans. This is the wise approach to any situation. The alternative to this is to do things rashly or impulsively. Doing things in such a manner demonstrates a lack of thought and preplanning. Impulsiveness is doing things in the immediate moment without any understanding of the consequences of one’s actions. Impulsiveness is essentially mindlessness. It is the thought level of a very little child. Impulsiveness is foolishness.

Two examples will make the contrast between being impulsive and having foresight. A neighbor was helping another neighbor whose boyfriend had locked the keys in the car. They tried getting the door open using various methods with no avail. A locksmith had been called and he told her that it would cost $35. This lady told my neighbor that she did not have $35, so she took a brick and broke out a car window.

She wanted to get into the car without considering the ramifications of breaking the window. This demonstrates a lack of appreciating the consequences of her actions. This is mindlessness. It required no thought because she acted in the immediate moment. She does not plan ahead by having financial reserves in case of emergencies. She lives like an animal who does thing solely on instinct without reasoning.

If she does get the window fixed (highly unlikely or she may put a piece of plastic over it), it will cost her about $185, if not more. Not planning ahead is costly in the long run. She got what she wanted, her car open, but the price is high as compared to what it would have cost her had she paid the locksmith to open her door. These are the kind of people who live in poverty and survive on government assistance.

On the other hand, when I went to work, my car started hesitantly. I got to the place where I park my car and turned it off. I then started it up again and it did fine. At the end of the work day, I went to start my car but it would not start. I thought the battery was dead. So I took the work truck home and went out and did my daily run. All the while I was running, I was thinking about what I needed to do to get my car running again.

I weighed different options. In other words, I was thinking ahead and making plans before I acted. This is foresight. I had also prayed to the Lord about the situation. When I was doing my cool down, I saw my neighbor’s son’s pickup. I went over and talked to my neighbor’s son and he agreed to come and see what he could do to help. We were able to get the car running again by jumping it.

I knew that I was not going to drive it home and just assume that all would be well just because it started again. So I drove the car from where it was to an Advanced Auto Store by my house. An Advanced Auto Store clerk hooked up the battery to his tester and lo and behold the test said I had a bad battery. So I got the least expensive battery since my car is old and I use it mainly just to get around town. It cost me $76.53 for the battery plus tax.

I could have assumed that the battery would start again once I stopped the car, but I did not want to take that unnecessary risk. This is because I knew the consequences would be having a car that would not start again. When people do not have financial reserves for emergencies they do many foolish things, as the first example demonstrated. It is wise to save money for emergency purposes. This shows thinking ahead and making provision.

MAKING FUTURE PROVISION

Two things that will always characterize the frugal are foresight and self discipline. These two things are the epitome of wisdom. The frugal are wise. Thus, by definition, the spendthrift is foolish. The frugal are spiritual and future oriented and by contrast, the spendthrift lives in the immediate moment and is visibly oriented. One thinks ahead and the other acts upon impulse. One understands the consequences of his actions and makes appropriate plans, while the other is continually trapped by consequences and never comprehends cause and effect.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives us a parable that contrasts the wise and the foolish with regard to future provision in Matthew 25:3-4, "They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." We are not told why the foolish did not take any extra oil with them. It could be that they had made no provision for this future exigency. Since the foolish live in the present moment, it makes sense that they would not think of the future. Their lack of foresight prevents them from considering making present provision for the future.

The wise took extra oil with them because they had made provision. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines provision as "The act of providing or making previous preparation." This is the definition of foresight. To make previous preparations means one understands the spiritual term of preplanning. This can only be accomplished by the wise. This is the hallowed ground that the foolish never tread. The reason that the foolish do not tread here is because their minds do not think in spiritual terms. If they did, then they would no longer be foolish but wise.

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins is a parable about provision. The wise take present action with an eye toward the future. The foolish have no concept of the future. They are bound in the present moment. The wise are busy making provision for the future while the foolish are making no provision for the future but spending everything they have and going into debt. The foolish are reactive. They act upon impulse and the wise act upon planning.

Knowing this beforehand means that the wise have an emergency fund. This emergency fund is in a highly liquid form. Even the wise can lose a job or have an unexpected car repair or some other emergency. By having an emergency fund, the wise will be able to smooth over these rough financial spots. The foolish have no emergency fund. When the unexpected comes, the foolish are not prepared for it. They will either have to borrow to pay off the bill or they will end up declaring bankruptcy.

Most of all, the foolish will vote for the government to provide them with emergency funds. When this happens the opposite principle of what the Lord Jesus was seeking to teach in this parable takes place. The government takes from the provisions of the wise by force and gives them to the foolish. All that this does is allow the foolish to continue to be foolish. This moral inversion penalizes the wise and rewards the foolish. Despite the government’s efforts, the moral of the story is, it is always wise to make future provision.

MENU PLANNING

The frugal are forever thinking ahead. They are led by foresight. Foresight is based upon thinking in terms of principles. Foresight is first and foremost a spiritual enterprise. Foresight by itself is of no value unless it can be put into practice. This is where self discipline takes over. Foresight is the subjective and self discipline makes the plan come to fruition. It requires both to be successful.

The frugal make plans concerning all of their lives. They are goal oriented. They know that if you do not plan, then by default you are planning to fail. Frugality is about being successful in managing of one’s resources. Management requires forethought. To be able to manage anything requires that you understand the principles of management. One of the definitions that Noah Webster uses for manager is "a person who conducts business with economy and frugality." Learning to manage our resources is wisdom in practice.

One of the major events of our daily living is eating. Most people in America eat three meals a day. Food is required to sustain our physical life. Food is essential to being productive. Our energy comes from the food that we eat. Knowing that each of us have budget constraints, it is wise to put into practice a system of menu planning. By knowing what meals you are preparing in advance, you will cut down on the time necessary for preparation and this also requires having on hand those items that are necessary for the making of the meal.

When you do not have a system in place when it comes to meal preparation, you will be wasting time and finances. Some people go to the grocery store and buy something and throw it together not caring how much money and time they are wasting. Frugality is all about doing things in an orderly fashion. By planning ahead, you generally will go to the grocery store on an infrequent basis. You buy in advance what you will need that particular week and because you know what you need, you will have it on a list.

Those individuals who do not shop with lists are not wise. Lists are designed to prevent impulse buying. Impulse buying is what drives up the expense of shopping. People without lists will be generally ones that do not have a budget. They do no prior planning and it shows. Menu planning and making a shopping list go hand in hand. This is a demonstration of understanding the situation when it comes to eating meals. It is always wise to save as much money and time as you possibly can. We are biblically enjoined to redeem the time. Menu planning is one way to redeem the time.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION MEANS DEBT

Once you understand operating principles, they do not change. The law has been predetermined. It does not change or vary. This makes life predictable and livable. Once we possess the truth of a matter, we do not need to relearn it. It is set in the proverbial stone. Paraphrasing Cornelius Van Til, "We do not need exhaustive knowledge, we require true knowledge." Understanding the principles of God’s law is all that matters in the final analysis.

Thinking in terms of the law requires thinking spiritually. No spiritual thought is possible without the law. Paul stated this principle in Romans 7:14, "For we know that the law is spiritual..." A spiritual characteristic is foresight. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines foresight as, "...the act of foreseeing. Provident care of futurity; foreknowledge accompanied with prudence in guarding against evil."

To foresee means that one possesses foreknowledge that is, knowledge of God’s law and the consequences, both for obedience to God’s law and disobedience. Showing prudent concern about the future is something that the spiritual demonstrate in making financial decisions. The spiritual man understands the principle of delayed gratification. He understands what the Bible has to say about being in debt in Romans 13:8 which says in part, "Owe no man anything..." The spiritual man has evaluated the future and does not want to sell himself into slavery. He desires his freedom more than material possessions.

The spiritual man therefore will seek to save for the purchases that he makes that are beyond his immediate resources. He will do without until he can afford to make a major purchase. If something is true, the opposite will also be true. The spiritual man uses wisdom. The carnal minded man is foolish. Romans 8:7 reads, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

The carnal minded man is led by whims. Therefore, he lives for the immediate moment without considering the consequences of his present actions. The idea of delayed gratification is anathema to the carnal minded man. He sees what he wants and he wants his desire instantly gratified. Even if it means putting his entire financial life at severe risk, he will do what it takes to get what he desires. He has no thought about the consequences nor the future. Since he is spiritually dead, he has no future. This is why he is reckless.

The carnal minded man does not think in spiritual terms. He sells his soul into slavery by the way of debt because he is already a slave in his heart. He is merely following the dictates of the principle that controls him when he sells his future to being a slave. He does not consider his ways. He lacks any remorse or any ability of reflection. It should be obvious that we not learn the ways of the foolish. Wisdom pays dividends. Learn the principle of delayed gratification. You will never regret it.

OIL CHANGE

It is time to change the oil in the cars. Oil is a necessary component in keeping an engine running optimally. The main function of oil in an engine is for lubrication. It keeps friction at a minimum. It also keeps the motor from overheating and has other functions within the engine. In other words, without oil in the engine there would be a horrendous sound from the friction within the moving parts and the engine would burn up.

Over a period of time and mileage, oil begins to break down and to accumulate waste. It becomes less effective in performing its vital function. It is therefore necessary to replace your oil at regular intervals. Most of the lube express businesses will put a sticker in your window and tell you to replace your oil every 3,000 miles or every three months, whichever comes first. According to a recent report, this may be a waste. Most oils today are of a better quality and can go for more miles than just 3,000.

I have religiously replaced my oil every 3,000 miles. I own two cars each with about 135,000 miles. What begins to happen when cars accumulate high mileage is that they tend to develop oil leaks and are subject to oil burn off. What this means is that your engine is not going to be as protected as it should when you have a high mileage vehicle. There is a service that lube express businesses offer that help with this problem. It costs more than the standard oil change will but if it helps to keep your oil doing its job, the extra money will pay for itself in the long run.

When you are not in debt, you have more options. One of those options is to upgrade service when necessary. When your budget is so limited that it allows for no options, you are skating on financial thin ice. When your only option is to purchase whatever is the cheapest without considering the quality, then you are in financial trouble. It is always wise to consider the quality of the product or service you are purchasing. If you pay for the cheap, then the quality will also be cheap.

In our present world, a car is a necessity. Therefore, its maintenance is vital. Keeping it running in good condition requires thinking ahead. It should be forever etched in your mind to have your oil replaced at regular intervals. If every 3,000 miles works for you, then do it. Cars can be expensive, especially if they are a new purchase. Being frugal teaches us that we should do our best to maintain our assets in good working condition.

When choosing a lube express place for service, there are a few things to consider. If you go to Wal-Mart, the earlier that you get in the shorter time that you will have to wait. Wal-Mart has a lube express hoping that you will go inside their store and make some purchases. While you shop you get your car’s oil changed. For me, I have to adjust my schedule to go get my oil changed at Wal-Mart. Usually, Wal-Mart’s price will be less than their competition.

I took one of my car’s to Wal-Mart yesterday. I knew that if I wanted to get in and get out (which is always my modus operandi) I had to be there by 7:00 a.m. I took my other car to a local lube express closer to my house in the afternoon. I got my car in right away. There was no wait. The price for the service was about $4 more than Wal-Mart but I did not have to spend time waiting for my oil to be changed. Besides all that, my wife works at the VA Hospital and she has a discount card for local businesses and the lube express gave me a $5 discount which made the service even less than Wal-Mart’s. Lesson learned, it pays to shop for the best value. Time sometimes means more than money.