Do you know the Christmas story teaches us about personal finance? I only just realised that there are several financial lessons from the birth of Jesus.
One of my earliest memories of Christmas was when I was in primary school and the school hosted a Christmas concert. I had a part in the band and one of the songs that we performed was “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy”. My most vivid memory of this event is that I had to play the triangle and I was pissed. I was only five years old or so, but I felt that my talents could have been better utilised on the drums.
However, what I did not realise back then was that there was so much to learn from the birth of Jesus. In addition to lessons in humility, faith, and living our lives with positivity, there are several money lessons that we can gather from that night. Yes, Jesus was born in a barn surrounded by animals, but that situation was filled with so many symbols that we can apply to our lives today.
7 Financial Lessons From the Birth of Jesus
We can learn a lot from almost every aspect of life. There are even financial lessons from the birth of Jesus. Although I’m sure that there are several lessons, these are the ones that stand out for me. It’s amazing how this event continues to be a learning experience and challenges us to be better and do better.
1. Every Little Bit Counts
The stable was lowly but it was more than enough to ensure that Jesus came into this world. You see, his purpose was already decided, so the focus was not really on how he came, but when he came. If you know the story of Jesus’ birth, you would remember that Herod was acting up, and this added to the nervousness surrounding the situation. When I look at my salary, it may not be the biggest and I do think that I deserve a bigger pay cheque. But right now, I’m going to make every dollar count and use my money wisely until I get to a point where I’m earning what I truly deserve.
2. Share Good News
Unfortunately, there are some people who do not like to share information that could potentially help someone else. This is a selfish and sad act that I cannot support. This goes against one of the main lessons from Christmas. On the night Jesus was born, word went around that Jesus was going to be born soon. The wise men could have kept this news to themselves, but instead, they shared the good news with everyone. Sharing good news by sharing tips is a selfless act which can help others and will help you in the long run too.
3. Nothing Can Stop Your Purpose
I’ve heard too many stories of people being put in positions in order to stop their shine. Unfortunately for the oppressor, this is often only a temporary situation. On the night that Jesus was born, Herod put out a hit on all baby boys in an effort to get rid of Jesus. Unfortunately, he missed the memo that Jesus had a purpose and nothing he did could stop that. If you have a bigger goal in your financial life, and you’re fully committed to it, nothing can stop you from reaching it.
4. Timing Is Everything
There are so many examples around us which prove that timing is everything. It’s either that things align naturally on their own, or you take the steps to ensure that they align as they should. If we look at Jesus’ birth, everything aligned perfectly. Nobody (other than God) expected Jesus to be born in a stable. Herod’s band of hooligans who were sent to kill him, did not expect it either. That’s why they never found him. Sometimes changing one variable can make a difference in how your financial moves play out.
5. Don’t Ignore the Signs
The Star of Bethlehem, which is described as a celestial phenomenon, served many purposes the night that Jesus was born. One of its main purposes was to lead the wisemen from the East to Jesus, and it worked. When signs appear in our lives, we need to take heed and take action. Nobody wants to hear this, but there are good signs and bad signs. Although we want to embrace the good signs and keep moving forward, the bad signs are important too. They can help us to redirect and go again so that we can hit the targets that we’ve set.
6. Believe in Yourself
Believing in yourself is one of my favourite financial lessons from the birth of Jesus. Can you imagine what it was like for Mary and Joseph to be turned away from each place that they sought shelter? A pregnant woman who was expected to give birth at any moment needed to be in a comfortable space. But there she was, riding on a donkey. When the stable became available and they accepted it, it highlighted the fact that the couple believed that they could make it. They believed in themselves, because they knew all would be alright. This is the type of self-belief that we need when life and finances get rough and seem downright awful.
7. Don’t Give Up
Keeping the faith and staying committed to the course goes hand in hand with believing in yourself. Mary and Joseph did not give up when they were told that all of the inns were full. They did not give up and say that they could not give up. They kept on searching until they found the stable. The lesson here is that you have to keep fighting and not let your situation get the better of you. It’s hard when you are faced with financial challenges that leave you broke, miserable and dejected. But you cannot give up. There is always a way to fix it, you just have to keep digging.
Christmas is one of the cheeriest seasons of the year that seems to bring out the best in people. The music, movies and the joyous feeling in the air is like no other. From my family to you and yours, I am wishing you and your family a happy holiday season and a bountiful new year.