Last week we examined how we are to earn all we can. We are called to earn a living in order to properly care for ourselves and our families, be a productive citizen in our society, and the please God. Certainly, many of us don’t have a problem with not earning money, but we often have a problem in making that the primary focus of our lives. We are to earn a living, not to surround ourselves with comfort or to find meaning and significance in life, but instead to please God.
Now, this week we turn our attention to one of the greatest issues of our day: saving money. Everyone from those with low income to those with high income, from the local government to the federal government, from those in undeveloped countries to those in developed countries struggles to save money appropriately.
25% of Americans have no savings at all. That means ¼ of all Americans are literally living paycheck to paycheck and if an emergency arises they will not be able to pay their bills. Likewise, those who do have a savings account often do not have enough saved. The average American savings account is only $3,800. For most people that will not cover two months’ worth of expenses. All this is occurring in one of the strongest overall national economies in history. The average household income in Oklahoma City is $26,275. That puts the average household in Oklahoma City in the top 2% in the world in income, but even though we are in the top 2% in the world in income we aren’t saving as we should.
