Refund Season: Let God Set Straight Your Paths

It's officially refund season, and that's a good thing for most of us.  Eight out of 10 filers receive a ​tax ​refund, and the average refund for eligible filers ​is ​$2,8​00.​  That is more money than most of us ever have during the year, and for that very reason, we must be very careful and discerning.The enemy has schemes to trip us up as when we get large sums of money.  We don't intend to be tripped up, but it ends up happening more often than it should.  To counteract this from happening, we need these three things: prayer, a plan, and people of wisdom.

Related Post: For the Love of Money

Prayer

Let's be real here.  We know in our busy lives we sometimes forget to have regular conversations with Our Heavenly Father through prayer.  When dealing with a sizable amount of money though, we need to create time for God's presence to influence our financial decision-making.  Not only does this make decisions easier, but it takes away a lot of the guilt or buyer's remorse that often comes with big purchases.

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (ESV)

Plan

The biggest mistake people make with money is not having a plan.  Only 1 in 3 households even prepare a detailed written or computerized budget each month.  As followers of Jesus, we have to be better stewards than that.  When we don't plan, we don't have margin.  And when we don't have margin, we miss opportunities for ministry.  That's not how God wants us to live.   He wants us to be intentional beings just as He is intentional.

Proverbs 29:18 - Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (KJV)

People of Wisdom

Most of us have friends and family who love us very much.  That doesn't, however, mean we always have friends and family who can help us make wise financial decisions.  If we don't have financially wise loved ones, we should seek wisdom from a mentor at church or from a vetted financial coach.  It may not seem obvious now, but we will be very thankful we sought counsel now as opposed to decades down the road.

Proverbs 15:22 - Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.  (ESV)

So as you're executing your February budget and prepping for March's budget, be intentional and prayerful about what you do with your tax refund.  Please keep Proverbs 3:6 at heart which says, ​"​In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.​"​