With patience, self-discipline, and a long-term plan, you can build your family's financial strength.

Americans used to be good savers (10% of personal income went into savings) and now have become terrible savers (0% or even less, which means that people are actually burning up their savings for daily expenses). People who save none of their income are probably suffering from “I Must Have It Now” syndrome.

Waiting for things cheerfully is learned behavior. People who didn’t learn it as children can cause some real wreckage as adults. God tends to ration out His blessings slowly. This keeps us humble, reminds us of our dependence on Him, encourages us to thank Him for what He has done, and reaffirms our need for His help and blessings.

God can suddenly send large amounts of money into your family. More often He trickles in wealth. But that’s okay—with self-discipline and a long-term plan, you can build your family’s financial strength. “He who gathers money little by little makes it grow” (Proverbs 13:11).