Day 1

Twenty-One Daysto Financial Freedom

Main Point: We need to be set free from thebondage spending holds on our lives.

My Pledge: For the next twenty-one days, I willbe on a spending diet. I will not shop for anythingexcept necessities. I will not use my credit card. Iwill limit or eliminate the use of my debit card. I will use cash for purchases Imake during the fast. In this way, I will strive to break the chains that keep mefrom achieving financial freedom.

"I hated the fast!"

That's what Terri, a federal government worker, said after she finishedher first financial fast.

How's that for an opening line?

What you probably expected was a glowing testimony of someonewho has gotten out of debt, or saved some amount of money for thefirst time in his or her life. I do have lots of those stories. In fact, onewoman got rid of more than $100,000 in debt. You'll read more abouther story later. But for now, I don't want to sugarcoat this process.

You need to know that this isn't going to be an easy journey. The21-day financial fast is not a quick-fix, microwavable promise ofinstant prosperity. You will have to work for your financial freedom.

At times, you may want to quit. You may want to scream. You mayeven break the fast at some point during the twenty-one days. But nomatter how many times you falter, make the commitment to get rightback on track. Terri did. Here's more of her testimony:

Trying to figure out what I could and could not spend money onwas a nuisance. Every day I had conversations with myself that wentsomething like this:

Me: I'm hungry. What can I eat for dinner?

Other me: Umm ... Chinese food sounds good. Call that placethat does takeout.

Me: Oh shucks, I can't. I'm on that crazy financial fast. Sowhat's in the house?

Other me: But I'm too tired to cook.

Me: Well, you promised you would stick to the fast. (All along,I'm hearing Michelle's voice in my head asking, "Is this a wantor a need?")

Other me: It's a need to eat. Ya think?

Me: Yeah, but you don't need to buy food if you already havefood at home.

Other me: Oh, right.

Me: Why did I agree to this?

I'd search the fridge and cabinets for something to cook despitethe fact that I was tired after a long commute from work. Every dayfor twenty-one days, I thought, "How am I gonna survive this?" Ontop of making dinner, I had to pack a lunch for the next day. Whofeels like making lunch after cooking dinner?

Trying to keep my family on track was another challenge, especiallymy husband, Larry, who is obsessed with going to the market.Prior to the financial fast, he never took a list to the store or stuckto a budget. He believed that because food is a necessity, it's okay tospend whatever you want at the market.

But all that work did pay off—literally. I saved $140 that monthon lunch money alone.

The fast really made me think about how I spend.

Consider her words. The fast made her think about how she spends.

When was the last time you really, truly thought about how youspend? When was the last time you looked at your budget, or evenattempted to put one down on paper? When was the last time youlooked at how much you give to your church or to charity?

This fast will make you reexamine your spending habits—andyou may not like what you see. But you can't change that which youhave not acknowledged. It's funny how I can sit down with someone,look at their budget, and immediately see what's been holding themback financially or why they are in so much debt. But they can't see itbecause they're too busy shopping or spending.

For example, Terri said her husband constantly exceeded theirfood budget. Through one-on-one counseling sessions and the fast,Larry realized why he overspent at the grocery store. As a child, hecouldn't have certain foods because they were too expensive. The fastmade Larry examine why he felt entitled to buy whatever he wantedwhen he went grocery shopping. Now that he's aware of what driveshim to overspend at the market, he can rein in his spending and staywithin their family's grocery budget.

You've probably heard that one definition of the word crazy isdoing the same thing over and over again and expecting differentresults. Yet that's how many people handle their money, or should Isay, mishandle their money. They never take the time to examine whythey are spending the way they do. As a result, they can't rob Peterto pay Paul anymore because Peter is so broke, there isn't any moneyleft to steal. Their finances are "tore up from the floor up"—meaningtheir finances are a wreck—but they persist in the same destructivehabits. The problem for too many people is that they don't know theirfinances are jacked-up crazy.

WHAT IS A FINANCIAL FAST?

This isn't some gimmick. It is a God-inspired way for you to findfinancial freedom. The 21-day financial fast has been field-tested forseveral years in my home church, First Baptist Church of Glenardenin Prince George's County, Maryland.

I first introduced the fast as part of a volunteer program calledProsperity Partners Ministry. In this ministry, men and womenwho are good stewards over their personal finances (Senior Partners)become accountability partners for members who are havingfinancial challenges (Junior Partners). As part of the ministry, allmembers—even those serving as Senior Partners—are asked toparticipate in the fast.

The concept of the fast is similar to the one the prophet Danieltook, in which he "ate no choice food; no meat or wine" and "usedno lotions at all until the three weeks were over" (Dan. 10:3). Danielfasted as a way to draw closer to God. Similarly, the principle of thisfinancial fast is to deny your flesh so that you can become closer toGod. Instead of relying on an emotional rush from shopping or pursuingthe latest sale or discount, this fast...