Key Bible Verse: "Don't begin until you count the cost.…checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills" (Luke 14:28). Bonus Reading: Luke 14:28-30

I was seduced by the aisles of gleaming new cars in the huge warehouse. My wife and I were expecting our second baby, and our old two-door was awkward enough with one child. Finances were tight. We were surviving on a bit of savings, a student loan, and a stipend from my role as interim pastor at a small church. But I was sick of scrimping. Our growing family needed a more adequate ride, I reasoned. Soon I'd have a salary again, anyway. I signed the deal. It was Saturday; our friendly salesman would call on Monday to confirm that our credit rating was adequate.

Driving the expressway back to our miniature duplex, I began having second thoughts. The closer to home we got, the farther from reality the new car seemed. I'd created the need out of my want. My reason had given way to lust. Humbled, I phoned the salesman and explained apologetically that I couldn't afford the purchase. Within months we bought a used station wagon for a price we could pay in cash. The Lord honored our decision to avoid unnecessary debt. Within a year, we used the savings bonds we would have used as security for a depreciating new car as down payment for a house.

My Response: A time when I regretted a purchase I made was…

Thought to Apply: The art of living easily as to money is to pitch your scale of living one degree below your means.