Daily Prayer ©2005

I do like to look a statistics and have often quoted them to back up a point I was trying to stress. Below you see some of the stats that interested me about Americans and money.

• Eight out of 10 people spend more than they make.
• In the year 2000, people in America spent $1.17 for every $1.00 they earned.
• Nine out of 10 people have no consistent savings plan.
• 80% of Americans owe more than they own.
• Seven out of 10 people will live in debt and die in debt.

• Only 2% are financially free of debt.
• 23% must continue to work.
• 45% of retirees depend on relatives for subsidy.
• 30% depend on charity.

• $15,000-&20,000 on family loans
• $17,000-$19,000 on credit cards
• $20,000 on two car payments
• $120,000 on a mortgage

More than 60% of failed marriages cite money problems as the root cause of divorce, and 63% cite credit card abuse as the root cause of bankruptcy.
(Reggie McNeal, 2000)

So what’s my point to all of this? It is better said by a scripture verse from Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Judging by the stats, many people have become a slave to money and have become devoted and serve it instead of God. That is why so many of our churches, organizations, and other charities are suffering from the lack of funds. Many people have no choice; they have to meet their financial commitments and have none left to give away. So what is the answer? You need to serve God, and follow His plan for financial aid which we will cover in some of our readings this week.