comprehend incorporating God
In my meeting with Ann, I would help her comprehend incorporating God in her dreams, goals, and obligations. The church has offered insights in financial ministry which captures the conflicts between ethical issues and desire for economic success. When helping Anna as a Christian counselor, I will aid her carry out the clarification and analysis of the essentials to ensure that she achieves her goals. The inclusion of spiritual practices in financial matters will make her understand her spiritual self. In this case, I will quote for her Philippians 4:19 (NIV) “and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. At present, Anna is in a difficult situation since she lacks a permanent residence, as shelter is included in the list of basic necessities. Thus, religious beliefs have a significant impact on the choices made by a person since they factor a higher deity which has more powers compared to humans.
One of the key concepts I will cover with her is education. For this item, I would suggest various financial idea which will keep her on the track as per her goals. For instance, I would advise her to reach to her student loan company and request for student loan repayments that are based on income. A repayment plan that is driven by income helps in achieving a monthly payment plan that one can afford. Also, I would direct her to inquire her employer whether they have schemes that offers education assistance or reimbursement so that she can enroll as it helps individuals service their loans. In events that her current employment does not have such, I would advise her to include it as one of the qualities when locating an employer of full-time basis.
Apart from education, I would address the issue of credit history. I would advise her to extract her credit information from credit bureaus as she complained of insufficient credit history. Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax are some of the offices that are involved in the collection of information concerning loans from the private sector. Pulling the credit information will aid her know the current position of her credit file and the efforts required. Besides, she can use mobile applications in her phone to soft pull her files. For a perfect credit history, she should embark on a revolving credit card and keep a certain account balance such as a third to build a robust credit file. In this regard, I would take her through the different types of credit cards so that she can settle on the appropriate one.
Another key items would be future budgeting, whereby in our discussion, I would take her through the various ways that she can use to manage her finances. For example, I would suggest to her a budgeting spreadsheet whereby she can calculate her bills and compare them to the income. I would guide her in making her personalized budget by listing her values and setting goals by deciding what she desires to accomplish financially. I would them guide her in figuring the available income and then determining the expenses. Next, I would discuss how she can control her budget by creating a spending plan to avoid overspending. In this scenario, I would refer her to financial advisors money management tutors or financial classes.
I would touch on the issue of home by advising her against living together with her boyfriend. Hebrews 13:4 (NIV) records that “let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for the God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous”. Instead of renting a room together, I would advise her to search for a private renter, who is a person renting his/her own property with an intent of making money from it. Incase dealing with a private renter is not one of her options, I would connect her with individuals that can offer her assistance in a home buying journey after she secures employment on full time basis. This option is still in line with her prospects since she had interests in future investments.
Spiritual integration would be another key concept I would address. There exists various arguments that provides a link between behaviors and beliefs and their association with theological frameworks that relates work and financial success. For instance, there are beliefs that work is one way of honoring God and that God has promised believers prosperity. For example, Malachi 3:10 (NIV) records that “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need”. When winding up the session, I will remind her that pressing forward while keeping her faith is of important. Tackling the three points will help her make decisions as per physical, emotional, spiritual, and personal needs.