The Joyful Steward: God's Sovereignty and Your 5 Year Plan
Your 5-Year Plan is Probably Wrong.
Many of us believe hard work guarantees our goals. We embrace the hustle: Work hard, play hard, and live the life you want. But if you’re honest, how many 5-year periods ended exactly where you thought they would? The common saying, “I made my plans, told them to God and he laughed,” often feels more fitting for life in the real world.
The core problem arises when we equate good stewardship with total control.
I recently had a conversation with a dear brother who excelled at managing his money but failed to allow for simple enjoyment. This caused strain on his family because he was so focused on future security that he wasn't allowing himself to truly enjoy the blessings he had already received.
The Bible offers a clear counterpoint to this anxiety, one that hit me profoundly:
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” — Ecclesiastes 7:14
God has ordained our days and our seasons. This verse reminds us that we are called to enjoy the life He has given us, right now. When the money is coming in well, enjoy it responsibly. When you're healthy, take advantage of the day. We shouldn't be miserly. We are free to enjoy life.
Other Good Resources:
- Life Financial Group: Stewardship Lessons from the Richest Man Ever
- Fidelity: How much to save for emergencies
- Investopedia: Essential Insurance Policies: Life, Health, Auto, and Disability
Why We Plan: Stewardship, Not Control
But should you plan financially for the time of adversity? That’s a definitive yes.
We plan not because we can control the future, but because good stewardship honors the One who does. Financial planning is simply the process of transferring risk away from your family's stability and into a manageable resource. This takes two primary forms:
Insurance: Transferring major, catastrophic risks (like health events or liability) to a third party.
Savings: Building up your own reserve, such as a 3-to-6-month emergency fund, to cover manageable setbacks (like a job loss or a large deductible).
I've been there—in the hospital unexpectedly, and laid off from a job. These times force you to rely on God and others. The realization that you are not the king of the world forces you to seek the One who is.
If you haven't yet, connect with a good insurance agent who can educate you and help you make the best decisions about your coverage: medical, auto, homeowner’s/renter’s, and long-term disability.
More Good Reads:
The Four Pillars of Personal Risk Transfer
Insurance is a simple, powerful financial tool: you pay a small, predictable amount (the premium) to avoid the possibility of a large, catastrophic, and unpredictable loss.
1. Medical Insurance (Health)
Purpose: To protect your savings and net worth from the staggering cost of health care, including illness, injury, and preventative care.
What it Covers: Costs related to doctors' visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, surgeries, and other medical services.
Key Terms:
Premium: The fixed monthly amount you pay to have the insurance.
Deductible: The amount you must pay out-of-pocket each year before your insurance company starts to pay for covered services.
Copayment/Coinsurance: The fixed dollar amount (copay) or percentage of the cost (coinsurance) you pay for covered services after meeting your deductible.
Why it Matters: A single major accident or illness can wipe out years of savings and put you deeply in debt. Health insurance acts as the ultimate shield for your financial stability.
2. Auto Insurance (Driver’s Insurance)
Purpose: To protect your assets and fulfill legal requirements if you cause an accident, and to protect your own vehicle.
Key Components:
Liability Coverage: This is the most crucial part, often required by law. It pays for damages and injuries you cause to other people and their property. If you are sued after an accident, this is the component that protects your personal net worth.
Collision Coverage: Pays to repair or replace your own vehicle if it is damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object.
Comprehensive Coverage: Covers damage to your car not caused by a collision, such as theft, fire, hail, or hitting an animal.
3. Homeowners/Renters Insurance (Property & Liability)
Why it Matters: A burst pipe or a small fire can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to your possessions and render your home unlivable overnight.
4. Long-Term Disability Insurance (Your Income)
Purpose: To replace a portion of your income (typically 50% to 70%) if you become unable to work for an extended period due to a serious injury or illness.
The Big Risk: Your ability to earn an income is your most valuable financial asset. While short-term disability covers a few weeks or months, long-term disability is the critical coverage that kicks in if you are out of work for years or until retirement age.
The Common Misconception: Many assume they're sufficiently covered by Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) alone. SSDI is often difficult to qualify for, has long waiting periods, and the benefit amount may be low.
Why it Matters: If you can’t work, who pays the mortgage, the groceries, and the other bills? This policy protects the entire structure of your household's finances, allowing you to focus on recovery without catastrophic financial stress.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of viewing insurance only as a cost. Instead, see it as a reflection of your commitment to responsible stewardship—a tangible way to prepare for the adversity you know will inevitably come, allowing you to enjoy the prosperity God has blessed you with today.
Related Podcasts:
- Unlocking God's Riches: Your Journey to Confident Biblical Stewardship
- Your Retirement Journey: Planning for a Life of Purpose and Peace
- Budgeting for Freedom: Your Roadmap to Financial Peace
The Ultimate Hedge Against Uncertainty: Joy
So, we have established that planning for adversity is essential. We transfer risk through insurance and build emergency funds because we are wise stewards of the resources God provides. We take responsibility for the things we can control.
But here is the beautiful freedom found in the wisdom of Ecclesiastes: once you have faithfully planned, your work is done. You are released from the anxiety of trying to control the future.
We must always return to the core instruction from Ecclesiastes 7:14: "In the day of prosperity be joyful..."
We started this journey by acknowledging that God has made one season as well as the other, and we are not meant to find out what will come after us. This uncertainty should lead not to paralysis, but to presence. It should compel us to embrace the life we have now.
This is why the Preacher gives us this powerful command, a final reminder to counter the grind and the worry:
“And I commend joy for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” — Ecclesiastes 8:15
Joy is not the opposite of planning; it is the reward for it.
Have a savings plan in place? Enjoy the current abundance.
Are you covered with long-term disability? Enjoy your health today.
Have insurance against the major risks? Enjoy the people God has placed in your life.
Don't be the dear brother who managed his money perfectly but failed to enjoy his life. Don't be so obsessed with the fear of a future hardship that you let the present joy—the blessing of today—slip away. The ability to “eat and drink and be joyful” is a gift from God, and it is the only thing that truly goes with you in your daily toil.
Trust that you have been faithful in your preparation, then intentionally find the joy in the small, beautiful details of the life God has given you under the sun.
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