Work and Income

Options
Work and income go hand in glove. Often when we run out of money before the end of the month we think that more money is the answer. Sometimes there is a different, better answer. To bring your budget into balance you have two options. The first and most obvious one is to make more money. This can mean working over-time or taking on a second job. However, the other, and sometimes easier, option is to spend less. Which one should you choose?

Earn More
Given the option to earn more or spend less, which one is better? Let's look at a couple of examples. For ease of calculation let's say that you earn $1 per hour and that your budget is $1 out of balance. You could work an hour extra to earn that extra $1. But wait a minute, taxes and withholding comes out of that income so you may have to work an hour and twenty minutes in order to bring home that $1. In addition, that is time away from your family and friends or time away from other pursuits. What is your time really worth?

Spend Less
Now lets look at reducing your spending by $1. Could you spend $1 less at the grocery store or spend $1 less on your phone bill? Could you turn the heat down by a degree or two or turn the thermostat up a degree or two for the air conditioning to save $1 per month on your utilities? Could you make some gifts for loved ones instead of spending a lot of cash to save some money? If you are able to save that $1 per month you get the full benefit of that $1 and all it took was a little imagination.

Another Option?
There is one other very rare option available to some people to help supplement their work and income. That is to generate income from a passive income opportunity. The truly passive income opportunities are very hard to find. But, when you do, it would be a good thing to jump on it right away. It might not last.

A Different View
Stepping away from income for a moment, as Christians we have a marvelous opportunity to show the love of Christ and be servants in our workplace; it doesn't matter what level of the organization you are in. But here is the rub, we can either choose to serve or we can choose to be servants and there is a very real difference.

Serving VS. Servanthood
When we choose to serve, we are in control. We can choose who to serve, when to serve and how to serve. When we choose to be servants we submit ourselves to those whom we are serving. This is hard because we fear being stepped on and taken advantage of. But when we surrender ourselves as Jesus Christ did; that fear goes away because we are serving the One who is worthy to receive all we have to offer. When we can serve with joy, people will notice and our Christian message will have a willing audience. Work and income are both important but let's not lose focus on our priorities. Work will generate income but our focus in our work ought to be winning souls to Christ.