Can You Get Too Caught Up In Making Good Money Decisions?

I was recently in a hit and run car accident that left my car totaled. Though I’m very sad about my car, I walked away mostly unharmed, which is something I praise God for every moment I remember his protection. 

But because my car was totaled, I was left without a car for almost 2 months. There were a number of different reasons why we didn’t buy a new car right away, but one of the main reasons we didn’t end up getting something quickly was due to us very seriously evaluating all of our options.

We were overwhelmed by how expensive cars have gotten in the last few years since we last bought a car that we even considered going without a second car. Inevitably we decided that we needed the second car. 

My husband and I had created this intense spreadsheet to compare and contrast different vehicles to one another. We buy used, so we compare things like the age of the car, the mileage, accident reports, how many times it was sold, and on and on. During our downtime we would take turns looking up cars and updating the spreadsheet. 

I think we were both pretty fizzled out after a couple of weeks of this and it became clear that neither one of us really wanted to pull the trigger and say “This is the car!” We both sort of feared that we could potentially make “the wrong” choice and end up making a really poor money decision. 

Finally, after sitting down with a friend from church, I received just the advice that I needed… 
MAKE A DECISION

She didn’t say it exactly like that. She actually told me a story where she and her husband needed to trust in God after making a big life decision that impacted their finances dramatically. The main thing that stood out to me was that when they made the decision, they knew that it could mean financial struggles and even extreme hardship. But they made the decision anyway, knowing that God would have their back either way. 

What I walked away with after our conversation was a deep conviction that I was getting so caught up in trying to make the best financial decision that I was totally forgetting that, even if right now I end up making a bad financial decision, God will work all things out for my good and more importantly for His glory. 

Sometimes I hear others compare following God as simply jumping off a cliff and hoping that he will catch us. Sure, that can happen at times. I think it looks like taking one small step forward knowing that the result could be good or it could be pretty bad, but trusting that God will work things out either way. 

Katie Jones