Are You a Tortoise or a Hare?

Remember the story about the tortoise and the hare? They decide to race: rabbit sprints ahead, assumes he’ll win and decides to take a nap. But the tortoise s.l.o.w.l.y. perseveres and beats the hare to the finish line.

We all face financial finish lines but will we imitate the tortoise or the hare?

The race to accumulate usually ends at a different finish line than what we expect.  Advertising promises a finish line of wealth and happiness. But reality delivers a finish line of stress, a crater of debt, and often the loss of the very things we worked so hard to get. Don’t be the rabbit, postponing responsibilities till tomorrow, then sprinting to try and catch up.

Instead, be the tortoise, content to make slow, steady progress toward your goals. It’s not difficult – just counter-cultural – God’s way.

The Living Bible translates Proverbs 21:5 this way: Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.

The 1828 Webster dictionary defines ‘steady’ as firm, fixed, constant in mind, purpose or pursuit; not fickle, changeable or wavering; not easily moved or persuaded to alter a purpose. Regular, constant, undeviating, uniform.

This kind of steady plodding is the consistent stewardship of God’s money over a long period of time. Self-controlled, we block out the distractions and temptations of the world, spending less than we earn year after year.

We guard our hearts, recognizing that Biblical stewardship is ordering our lives in such a way that God can spend us however He wants.

Content to plod along, we keep the desire to hear Him say: Well Done, good and faithful servant! above all other earthly desires.

Soon, we’ll reach the finish line.

If you need a steady, trustworthy plan to help you get out of overwhelming credit card debt, get in touch with Christian Credit Counselors. I highly recommend them – and you can start with a free debt analysis today. Call the Crown Help Line at 800 722-1976 or visit Crown.org/ccc