Financial Survival

Financial Survival after a separation or divorce is crucial. Your finances will undergo some major changes. For many it is a question of going from a two income household to a one income household. For others it may even mean going from a one income household to a household with no income. While your finances may seem like just one more thing you don’t want to deal with in the midst dealing with the emotional stages of divorce during your divorce recovery, ignoring them can spell disaster.

Let me begin by saying that God knows what your needs are and he wants to provide for you. My favorite Bible passage that helped me through many a difficult time in the early years after my own divorce is found in Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus tells us point blank not to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear – in essence do not worry about how you will be provided for. If you seek first his kingdom, God will provide for all your needs.

Now this does not mean you can curl up on the couch and do nothing and expect God to deliver everything to you. It means that you need to bring your needs to God, ask Him for help, trust Him to provide that help and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you. It means you put God’s interests first and live with eternal values in view instead of living for an uncertain future (Matthew 6:25-34).

One of the ways you put God’s interests first is through tithing. Perhaps you are thinking the last thing you can afford right now is to tithe? Before you make a snap decision on that, you may want to examine why you cannot afford to stop tithing.

What does God’s provision for financial survival look like? It will be different in each case. It may be a new job. It may be the wisdom to reduce spending and live within the parameters of a new and lower income level. It may be gifts of support from the family of God, from government programs or from family to get you through some difficult times. It may be an opportunity for retraining or additional education to open doors for a higher paying job. It may even be a way to work from home.

God is the only who knows the best way to meet your needs. Look to him to help and guide you as you make financial decisions. There are two methods to deal with financial difficulties – to spend less (and wisely) and to earn more. Before you know how to implement these two methods, you will need to have a clear picture of where you stand financially right now. Download the free Assets and Liabilities Spreadsheet or printable PDF now to get started.

We will use your Assets and Liabilities Spreadsheet to determine your net worth. You will begin by listing things you own of value (assets) like cash, real estate and vehicles. In the bottom section, you will list what you owe (liabilities). Your net worth is the value of your total assets minus your total liabilities.

With the information you now have on your income and debt payments, you can begin to build a budget and examine some simple ways to reduce spending right away. Then you can tackle some of the big issues that are essential to your financial survival like housing costs, employment, savings, pension, college for children, buying a vehicle and how to reduce debt.

Have A Great Story About Financial Survival?

Do you have a story about your struggle to survive financially? What about a great story of how God has provided for you against all odds? Share it!

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