Being unprepared for financial emergencies is like leaving home without an umbrella on a cloudy day.
Have you ever been caught in a downpour and got soaked from head to toe? It’s miserable to walk around in wet clothes, especially if you can’t change into something dry.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit, but this used to happen to me a lot. In my 20s, I never carried an umbrella and rarely checked the forecast before leaving home. As a result, I got caught in the rain much more often than I should have.
Today, things are different — I’ve learned to keep an eye on the weather and prepare for what’s coming. Sometimes, I carry an umbrella all day, and then it never rains. But I’d rather have that umbrella on hand than find myself unprepared in a storm.
Bad weather can wreak havoc on your day, but other storms can wreak havoc on your life. Financial emergencies, mistakes and unforeseen challenges happen to everybody. But some people come through them better than others. And God wants you to be one of those people.
Let’s look at something Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:12 —
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
The way problems impact you depends on how prudent you are in preparing for them. Bad things are going to happen from time to time, but they don’t have to derail you on your journey to financial freedom. God promises that you can survive the storm by exercising wisdom, and we’re going to unpack what that looks like.
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Now, back to the topic at hand:
This proverb is short on words but long on wisdom. Let’s highlight three things it teaches us about handling financial emergencies.
1) You can anticipate your problems.
The proverb says a prudent person foresees danger. You should be aware of the risks that exist in life. A fool thinks, “something like that will never happen to me.” But a wise person knows it can. Seeing problems before they occur is crucial to living through them successfully.
2) You can prepare your protection.
Some people live in constant fear of the world’s dangers. But wise people don’t let fear paralyze them. Instead, they steer clear of danger when they can, and they take steps to protect themselves from storms they can’t avoid.
3) You can limit your pain.
Some bad things are entirely outside of your control. But if you’re prepared for them, you can reduce the amount of suffering they cause. Wisdom and preparation can make the difference between experiences being merely painful and absolutely devastating.
You can’t change the weather, but you can check the forecast and prepare yourself before the storm arrives. And when it does, you won’t just survive — you’ll be able to walk through it in peace.
