‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[a] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? …..And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?….. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin….
It sounds almost idyllic to have no worries about the matter of fact things of life, particularly when we know how many challenges are being faced at this time by many. Very few in life are protected from such worries at any time, but while there are pressing financial forces affecting all, there are some who feel this the most.
Financial wellbeing may sound like a pipe-dream for some. However, those with the least resources often find simple tools can help with budgets and planning, while those with more resources may take less active oversight over financial matters. Sometimes worry can lead to avoidance rather than action, and yet avoidance rarely leads to resolving any problems that may exist.
From weekly budget planning to longer term savings plans, there is a wealth of resources that can benefit financial wellbeing, increase knowledge and understanding, and help to plan for the future with more confidence.
Many people often put off thinking about things like pensions and savings too, thinking it’s something for the future rather than the present, while others can benefit by taking advice and action earlier to benefit their future years.
Supporting others while we are also worrying about our own finances may not be so easy either. Knowing we have some good practices embedded ourselves, can be beneficial to the signposting we might offer to others who might be seeking help.
It is also good to remember how even the deepest faith can find well-loved Biblical texts hard to hear at times. How we bring and share Scripture into any context can present a need for pastoral sensitivity.
These few words for Ascend cannot solve any financial crisis, nor ease the distress that might be being felt by many. Like many things in life though, when we take the measure of control that we can in a situation, we can find that worry might lessen in the process.
Giving some time to review and act to enhance our own financial wellbeing can be a good thing to do at any time, but perhaps even more so as we begin this new year.
Here are some helpful sites with lots of different tools that you might find helpful yourself, or to point others towards:
HM Government Money & Pensions advice
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en
Mental Health & Money Advice
https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/scot/
Christians Against Poverty