Judges, Carne Asada Fries, and Chai Lattes
When I graduated from high school, I went off to ministry school and lived in a house full of fifteen girls. You heard that right, fifteen. One of the first things I discovered when moving in with young roommates was how differently each of us had been raised. Growing up, I had learned how to cook and coupon, always on the lookout for sales on produce and chicken breasts priced under $2 a pound. I know that sounds unbelievable now, in the year 2025. I would often visit multiple stores within a three-mile radius to stay within my $50-a-week grocery budget. These values and wisdom were lessons my mom instilled in me, emphasizing their importance during the summer before I moved to California.
After shopping, I would unpack my groceries into the mini fridge in my room. With fifteen girls sharing one fridge, having my own mini fridge was essential for keeping my food separate and safe from communal use. Each week, I meal-prepped my food and organized it neatly in my fridge or on my designated shelf. It quickly became apparent that my roommates did not share the same approach to food management. Many did not know how to cook and could not wrap their minds around cooking all of their meals. They would at times even express bouts of jealousy over the surplus of food I had, which I carefully selected within my $50 weekly budget, while they indulged in $10 takeout meals and grocery store sushi. From my perspective, they seemed to be living like kings, while from theirs, I must have been living like royalty with my abundance of food.
For some reason, they hadn’t been given the same wisdom from their parents about nourishing their bodies and managing their finances effectively. Where one of their meals equated to one-fifth of my grocery budget, I might find myself enviously eyeing their Chipotle at the beginning of the week, but by the week’s end, they would wish they had my groceries.
The wisdom of our parents offers longevity and nourishment for the youth. Though they may have other options to choose from, those options are often transient compared to the dependable advice from those who have gone through life’s ups and downs far more than we have.
During my years in ministry school, as I began working and found a bit more financial flexibility, I slowly started to adopt the same convenience-seeking habits as my roommates. Before I knew it, my money was running out long before my next paycheck. I would call my mom for gas money while my dad worked three jobs to support my brother and me. My mom would ask, “Baby, what happened to the money you earned?” All that occupied my mind were thoughts of $10 carne asada fries from the dual Mexican restaurant and gas station, or venti iced chai tea lattes from Starbucks. I had slipped into the habits of those around me and forgotten the valuable lessons my parents had taught me. Meanwhile, my parents were still working hard to create opportunities for us to achieve more than they could.
This experience reminds me of the time of Judges in the Bible. A few generations earlier, the people of Israel were proclaiming the mighty works of God, steadfast in their wisdom and commitment to living for Christ, teaching the next generation to fear the Lord and lead good lives. Then came the Judges, illustrating what happens when one generation lets go of this wisdom in favor of something they prefer. "During that time, 'Each person did what seemed right in their own eyes' (Judges 21:25). It was an era marked by individual morality, with no king or overarching authority to guide them. As a result, everyone lived according to their own judgment. This lack of guidance led to a failure in passing on the knowledge and reverence for the Lord that their children desperately needed."
Fortunately, it didn’t take me long to recognize the need for better budgeting. Humility and repentance came at the right time (which is all the time). Ethan and I got married when I was just 19, living on a modest income of $21,000 a year. In our first couple of years together, we followed Dave Ramsey's principles, avoiding credit cards to resist temptation. I returned to couponing and watching for sales on essentials like 99-cent eggs (yes, you heard that right—2013, 99-cent eggs!).
Part of my success in regaining this financial rhythm and escaping financial stupidity stemmed from living in community with my parents in Utah, surrounded by people within my church community who had the wisdom to share. Wisdom is hard to find when it’s out of reach. Much like a football thrown by a loving father, if you’re not close enough, you’ll never catch it. My encouragement for you this week is to stay in wise counsel. The Lord cares about you serving Him with all your heart, holding onto the wisdom of the Scriptures and His Spirit. He also cares about your financial choices, believe it or not, that is also a spiritual matter--most practical matters are. We serve a good God, one who will one day say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Let’s steward well what He has entrusted in our care and cling to the wisdom He has for us.
