Build your income before you build a bigger house. This sounds obvious, but so many today start by getting deep in debt in order to have a bigger house “now” rather than waiting until they can wisely afford it. Then they say “It is ok, because everyone else is doing it. It is normal.” or “A mortgage is good debt, an investment.”

The advice comes from God in Proverbs 24:27.

  27Prepare your work outside
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.

God is not telling us to go to work while we have no shelter to protect our family. God is telling us to build our income stream through diligence before we focus on more spending and get deep in debt. That way we know what we can wisely afford while stewarding what He provides.

The truth is that you pay a lot of interest on what you may consider “good debt”. The truth is that many people you look to as “normal” are poorly prepared for the future and living beyond their means thanks to high debt load they assume they can pay back later. They are not ready for retirement. They are not even ready for small emergencies like appliances needing replacement or car repairs. They are really living month-to-month despite income that would be considered in the top 10% of the world.

Do not look to the people around you to determine what your standards should be. They may be drowning in debt and high spending. They may simply have a greater ability to generate high income.  Whatever the reason, don’t look to other people as your example but rather look to God and build your own plan based on lifetime objectives, not month-to-month spending. Be content with what you can wisely afford. As you build your income, establish savings, and establish a credible financial plan for your future you will be better prepared to make wise decisions around if/when you can afford to buy more expensive house, car, boat, etc.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .