Emergency Fund

"Is an emergency only an emergency

if it affects me and my immediate family?"

Francis Chan

I just finished reading Francis Chan's Forgotten God a few weeks ago. There hasn't been a book of his that I haven't walked away from the same. The above quote really hit me!

Josh and I have always had mixed feelings about certain financial advice. On one hand we know it is a good idea to have an emergency fund built up and to save for retirement and to put money toward life insurance and our next car and the roof that is caving in and the...well, the list just never ends. Where do you draw the line?

I know for us we don't nearly make enough money to designate for all these different categories. We don't even have a separate "envelope" for medical expenses, it comes out of our gas/spending money. We make just enough to pay our bills, give to our ministries and sometimes even save. As a matter of fact, when we went in to get some financial advice from the finance guy at our old church he said, "You guys are GREAT with your money, you keep excellent records of your spendings, you just need to make more money." Basically, if we want to save, we're gonna have to find some other ways to make money. Oh well.

I am a HUGE fan of Dave Ramsey and his financial advice. But for those of us who don't make enough to alot to all these different categories it can leave us frustrated and confused.

Josh and I KNOW we are doing what God has called us to do and we KNOW our financial status doesn't deem whether we are walking in God's will or not. We have learned that His blessing on the direction we are going is not always a financial one. So, when I read this quote it was almost a relief.

It put into perspective that God's people, whether lost or saved, are in need. If we truly believe that all we have is His I feel like we will obey Him and answer His calling to help and to give.

To further drive in this conviction Pastor Jimmy was speaking on the second coming of Jesus a couple of weeks ago and said, "If you truly believe that Jesus is coming again soon, then you will live differently." As that was soaking in, a thought crossed my mind. If you truly believe that Jesus is coming again soon, then you will give differently.

So, why do we feel the necessity to put that extra money in our own emergency fund for an emergency that MAY or MAY NOT happen one day, BEFORE we give to another need that God has laid on our hearts?

Side note: I am not saying we should never save. I think that would be foolish. But, I am suggesting that we search our hearts for any burden that God may be putting inside of us to see if there is a greater need to give toward first! Meanwhile, if that emergency does come up, trust that God will provide. I mean, don't you trust that God will lay on your needs on other's hearts?