Monumental Peace

Leadership

It was a massive project, and they had been working on it for about six years. Intending to be a symbol of American strength and courage, honoring one of the country's most revered leaders, the Washington Monument stood unfinished for more than two decades. They ran out of money, and after building about 150 ft of the 550 ft design, it sat in the middle of a cow pasture as a reminder of how important it is to properly budget and plan before starting a project.

When the federal government finally stepped in, bailed out the project, and funded its completion, it took seven more years and had budget overruns of about 30% from initial estimates.

So often we get excited about something, jump in, get running, and don't realize what it truly takes to get over the finish line.

"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?" (Luke 14:28)

When it comes to your finances, have a budget and base it on facts, not hope. The group that started the Washington Monument was not too far off on their initial estimates. The problem was, they didn't have the money. They hoped it would come in, but never did. With your budget, hope is not a good strategy.

A few tips on budgeting. Start with giving, and then savings. Follow that up with shelter, food, and transportation, then everything else as you can. This will make sure that you are taking care of what is most important first. Over my lifetime, I have found that when I faithfully gave and saved, paying God and my family first, the rest fell in line, especially in the leanest of years. If you need help with this (which most of us do), Ramsey Solutions' "Every Dollar" app is an extraordinary tool.

When it comes to your faith, there is also a cost.

In the above passage, Jesus was reminding his followers that it's not all sunshine and rainbows to follow Him. Know the cost and be prepared for the work, the haters, and the mockers. You will have some tough times to endure, so make some deposits into your perseverance account.

Avoid making monumental mistakes with your money, waiting for a government bailout. You might survive, but it will feel like you are out to pasture, wandering around for a while. Instead, have a reality-based budget, employ discipline, work hard, and have peace.

The same is true with your faith. Have a plan. Make regular deposits by reading God's word and meditating on it daily. Invest in prayer and have peace.

Neither is easy, but monumental peace is worth it.