Too Close to the Margin
Why do we have margins on our paper and in our books?
I first thought it might be so that my teachers would have plenty of room to add their red ink comments. It turns out, according to Google, books needed margins in the old days because mice like to eat paper. Since they start on the edges, any words written to the edge would have been lost. So, margins were intentional for paper records and books to make sure nothing important was lost!
Should we intentionally have margins in other areas of our lives?
It is clear that God wants us to have a rhythm to our lives – 6 days of work and a day of sabbath rest. It gives us not only time to physically rest, but to gather as a community of faith, worship, feast, remember, and be grateful.
“Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6
My observation though is more often than not, we fill our personal, church, and family calendars, intentionally or unintentionally, to the very edge.
But what about our professional lives? Effective pastors need to intentionally have a weekly rhythm of prayer, devotions, rest, and study. You, your family, and your congregation will benefit from having an occasional guest speaker or missionary share the teaching time. MB Foundation representatives are available!
There are also seasons when we may need to have an extended time of study. Hopefully, part of your “pay package” includes both financial and time budgeted for at least continuing education and more ideally, a sabbatical break. Grants for sabbaticals are available by participating in MB Foundation’s Financial Health program. Click here for details.
In our personal and church finances we need to intentionally include a financial margin to buffer us from the unexpected or to prepare us for a known purpose. But to create a margin we need to hold to the practice of spending less than we make. The ideal margin for churches and pastors created over time should be a 3-6-month reserve available for not only transitions and emergencies but also for opportunities of generosity. If we consume all of our income to the very edge, we have nothing to share!
According to recent studies reported by Tithely, 57% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings and 78% are living paycheck-to-paycheck. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and strained relationships. It also makes it difficult to be generous.
“Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.” Proverbs 21:20
We may not need physical margins to protect important papers from the hungry mice, but margin is needed nonetheless.
Rick Eshbaugh, Director of Financial Stewardship
Are you thinking you or your church can’t afford a sabbatical?
At MB Foundation we have partnered with NAE to provide online financial training for pastors and churches. Completion of these courses qualifies you for up to $3,000 towards a sabbatical or retirement. We can help make this happen! Click here to learn more.