A Lesson from the Garden
I love to garden. I start seeds indoors every February, mark my calendar for the year’s final frost, and wait in anticipation for the day when the ground is ready for sowing. When we first purchased our 12 acres, I had no idea where to begin. I spent an embarrasingly large amount of time reading, studying, and learning all things fruit and vegetable; how to build indoor grow lights, companion planting, to till or not to till, composting, soil manipulation. The resident fruit trees were in terrible shape and require their own spreadsheet with detailed spray schedules. I may have purchased a subscription to The Farmer’s Almanac online to build out our garden in a software program. The process got real serious, lol. But hey, I can show you how to perfectly prune tomatoes for optimum fruit and explain the nitrogen fixing cycle of peas. I have new goals for succession planting so we can serve up fall vegetables at Thanksgiving.
Each year, our garden gets better and better. I create a plan and reap the benefits of homegrown goodness. Without a plan, the garden could not reach it’s greatest potential. If I didn’t start tomatoes, peppers, and lavendar eight weeks early, they wouldn’t stand a chance. If I didn’t rotate crops every few years, the soil wouldn’t support healthy growth. Our garden thrives due to purposeful planning.
A Lesson from Scripture
In the Scripture above, Christ uses a parable to illustrate the importance of considerate planning. As He was traveling towards Jerusalem, large crowds started to follow. His teachings, healings, and presence acquired much attention. Yet, Jesus wanted to make sure the crowd carefully weighed the costs regarding discipleship and becoming a true follower of Christ.
He said to the crowd, “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish’.
I’m sure His listeners found this story silly. It’s obvious before starting a project, like building a tower, you would figure out what you wanted, how to do it, and how much it would cost. The amount of time and resources you wager should be motivating enough to have a plan in place. Jesus goes a step further and says it could be quite embarassing, too for others to take notice of your failure to plan responsibly. Jesus asks us to mindfully consider the cost of becoming His disciple. Following Him is free, though discipleship can be costly. Not doing so would inevitably cost us everything!
To successfully build wealth, you need a financial plan.
Our “towers” look a bit different today. When we get engaged, buy a vehicle, go on vacation, host parties or holiday gatherings, or see a positive pregnancy test, we come up with a plan. Why? Because planning is fun! Without a plan, those events would probably fail to meet our expectations. Without a plan, the vision for these events can’t be brought to life. Our finances should be no different. Our money needs a plan to reach it’s fullest potential. Unfortunately, studies have shown most of us lack a financial plan. One study by Fidelity shows only 8% of Americans have a written financial retirement plan.ยน
We have a choice to plan and manage our finances. Doing so requires responsible, mindful, and purposeful planning. Sure, there are costs associated with becoming financially stable: initial planning, diligent maintenance, personal sacrifices, etc. Yet, not doing so may leave us embarassed and unprepared for the future!
Next Steps helpful links to get started on a financial plan
