I recently came across this list of “The Financial Ten Commandments.”
They were taken from a message by Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Community Church (located in the Chicago area) in January of 1999.
The Financial Ten Commandments
- Thou shalt work hard.
- Thou shalt establish a plan.
- Thou shalt avoid debt like the plague.
- Thou shalt distinguish between needs and wants.
- Thou shalt determine when enough is enough.
- Thou shalt not seek after get-rich-quick schemes.
- Thou shalt not compete with the Jones.
- Thou shalt not make major decisions without wise counsel.
- Thou shalt not corrupt your children with money.
- Thou shalt not orient your life around money.
I can’t say that I disagree with any of these. But I haven’t always lived by them, either.
There’s a lot of wisdom here about maintaining balance in life, achieving financial freedom, living on-purpose, and the use of money as a tool instead of an end-goal.
Looking back on my life, I’ve definitely experienced a lot of financial frustration (and debt) when I haven’t followed commandment #2 and lived according to an established financial plan.
And really, now that I think about it, failing at any one of these Financial 10 Commandments can lead to an increasing burden of debt.
What’s your take on The Financial 10 Commandments? Which ones are easy, or difficult, for you to keep?
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