God has a powerful way of announcing the change of season from winter to spring. The scent of lilacs fills the air. Warm breezes invite us to throw open our windows. Parks turn pink with blooming azaleas. Tulips and daffodils push their heads out of the unthawed ground.
Spring is the time of year that women traditionally think about giving their houses a thorough cleaning and making everything fresh and new. Some of us look forward to it, while others loathe the prospect and seek help. The types of spring-cleaning we can embark upon in our day are nearly endless: cleaning computer hard drives, emptying e-mail boxes, decluttering everything and anything in summer homes, parents’ homes and garages.
However, I seldom hear anyone talk about spring-cleaning her finances. Few conversations focus on taking inventory of bank accounts; looking over credit card statements and credit reports; assessing investments, including IRA, 401(k), and 403(b) accounts; or reviewing wills, estate plans, beneficiaries, and insurance limits and deductions.
We rarely spend a season of time and energy refreshing assets that are depreciating or marginally appreciating. Some of us would do well this spring to leave the cobwebs in the house up a little while longer and allow the Holy Spirit to help us get a fresh new start financially.
Spring-cleaning our finances is a key to financial success. When the money is not “right,” we get out our kneepads and instead of using them to plant tulip bulbs in our gardens, we use them to stay on our knees before God crying out for financial breakthroughs. I learned a long time ago that God would bless the work of my hands and open up His good treasure to pour out blessings on me if I would be a doer and not just a hearer (see Deut. 28:12; James 1:22).
As a result of applying the Word of God and being a good steward at each financial level, I have been blessed by God with tremendous financial success, and I am now passing the information on through my ministry via The Wealthy Women Club, teleseminars and international conferences.
But it wasn’t always that way. I constantly faced financial challenges until I got a revelation from God that He had given me the power to get wealth (see Deut. 8:18). Being in the financial world does not necessarily make one rich. I worked with multimillions of dollars but none of them belonged to me—then.
It was through the Word of God that I found out wealth and riches could be in my house. I came to know that I have the financial blueprint, DNA and gifting from God for financial success.
However, such revelation alone did not change my financial circumstances. My bills still took the little money I had and I was struggling financially.
A SIX-DAY PLAN
I thanked God for the revelation but hungered for more. As I fasted and prayed, God spoke. He said, “If you will be faithful over the very little money that you have now, I will establish you in places of financial authority. In fact, I will allow your faithfulness over very little money to be converted into other currencies and transactions which money cannot buy” (see Luke 19:17). I felt blessed, so not surprisingly I got excited.
Still there was no change. And then it happened for me: a circumstance-changing Scripture, a God-moment when everything that could change, did. A financial opportunity was released through a rhema word from God.
“Get organized and stay organized because I am a God of order. Anywhere there is disorder, I am limited in My work. Seek first the kingdom of God (which is My way of doing things), and all these things will be added unto you” (see Matt. 6:33).
My response was, “Show me, Lord, what and where.” And He said, “Spring-cleaning.”
Spring-cleaning your finances is mandatory if you want God to move. As women, we have so many household responsibilities that we can become overwhelmed trying to single-handedly serve God; help our husbands, kids and parents, whether young or old; manage homes; and still have the clarity of mind to organize our money.
But spring-cleaning your finances isn’t difficult. Here’s how to do it in six days.
Day 1: Take inventory of your assets and liabilities. This involves four steps: (1) completing a financial statement; (2) reviewing all assets and confirming current values; (3) listing all liabilities, including debts, obligations, loans and notes; and (4) determining your net worth.
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