Like most things in life, your investing plan requires balance to be effective. If it's too loose, you'll never hit your goals. But if it's too tight, you can miss the prompting of the Holy Spirit, or sacrifice the things in life that ultimately prove most important. If you're like me and lean to the "too tight" side with your plan, consider this true story.

Years ago, my parents felt led by God to give away the small sum they were planning to use as investment capital to start college funds for their three young children. While they didn't know where the money for college would come from if they did, they were obedient and gave it cheerfully. The years went by, and right up through the time that the youngest went away to school, it was never clear where the money would come from. Now and then events would allow them to save a little, and like many families, they took out a few small loans to make it work.

As the youngest prepared to graduate, Dad totalled all the items that had come up to help pay for college costs: taking a voluntary layoff and finding another good job quickly, scholarships, and so on. The final tally confirmed God's faithfulness. The total amount of unexpected college "help" was almost exactly one hundred times the original sum given away over 20 years before. Despite the change in plans that God orchestrated, everything worked out. God is faithful.

Having an investment plan is essential to meeting long-term financial goals. But we need to allow some flexibility within that investment plan. Sometimes God helps us reach our destinations using a different path than we'd naturally choose. That may be because He's not as interested in the destinations themselves as the journeys we take to get there. If you trust God and try to follow His lead, there's no need to worry — He will provide.

© Sound Mind Investing

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