I went to see a financial planner the other day then last night another financial planner called me. I’m not the perfect person to talk with when someone is trying to sell me something . . . I’m too much of a skeptic.

As the guy did his job over the phone, he tried to act interested in me and my endeavors . . . asking about my Christmas and my last trip to the Island and on and on. The concerns in his voice just made me roll my eyes more . . . Sorry, I wasn’t buying the manufactured interest he tried to show . . . But I know it’s part of his job.

Oh and then there’s insurance . . . I hate buying insurance! I’m being asked to place a bet against myself. “I bet $600 this month, that I get in an accident in my car. Here . . . here’s my money put it all on accident.

Worse yet, tire insurance . . . really? “We can insure your tires so that if you destroy them we will replace them for free.” Let’s see, for “only” (I love that word) $6 a tire I can get a free tire if it blows. Hmm 4 tires, which would be $24. Now in Michigan, the probability of hitting a pothole and blowing a tire is probably greater than in most states but the chances of blowing more than one are pretty small. The tires already come with free road hazard protection but that’s prorated. So let me think through the insurance.

If I blow a $75 noninsured tire (Prices when I got the offer years ago) halfway through it’s life, It will be replaced for free less its depreciation . . . So that would be $37.50 I would need to pay . . . But if I had a $6 policy it would be free. Oh, but wait a minute, I had to get 4 tires insured because I couldn’t guess which one would blow so that’s $24 dollars I paid. Factoring that cost in, I need to reduce the amount of my savings to $37.50 – $24 or $13.50. Once the tire is replaced, unlike other insurances, the new tire has to be insured at $6. In the end, that means if I for sure spend $24 to insure my tires, I might save $7.50 . . . Oh I forgot, added on to the price of the “free, new tire” is the price of mounting and balancing at $6.50 for a grand total savings of $1 . . . but only if I have bad luck . . . or is that good luck? What a deal.

Back to financial planners . . . The thing I always wonder about financial planners is, “If they’re so good at what they do, why are they still working rather than just planning their own money to the wealth they claim to be able to create?”

The reality is, even though I am a skeptic, I like security . . . It makes me feel comfortable. But is that what God has called me to? Or am I buying into the world’s philosophy? I guess I should do the wise thing like the disciples did. Hmm . . . The wise thing might not be the wise thing. Insuring a safe, protected life as I live my life here, may not be what Christ is asking of me. His focus for me is to consider eternity before my earthly comforts. As Jesus gave instructions to the disciples, He said go . . . go with nothing. Their security was not a policy, but rather faith in their Creator.

Lord help me to measure things by your priorities rather than the world’s. That’s hard to do.  But you are my insurance policy . . . That policy was bought and paid for, in full, with your blood.  Unlike other policies, its value is not diminished with frivolous up-charges.  Thank You for investing in me!

Luke 9:1 And he (Jesus) called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.

4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  (biblegateway.com, ESV)

More than just a BELIEVER in God, I need to be a FOLLOWER of Jesus!