Paying bills isn’t often considered fun because it can seem like the fewer bills you pay, the more money you have. However, there is another perspective. The fewer bills you pay, the less money you have. You might ask, “How can this be?”
This happens when bills, invoices, or outstanding balances incur late fees, interest charges, and other penalties that increase indebtedness and cause financial instability. As such, I consider paying bills on time a major priority to avoid those undesirable charges that make you pay more and end up with less. Paying them on time gives me a great sense of gratification. The idea is to keep short accounts.
This approach of keeping short accounts is a beneficial principle to apply to our relationships with others. It is meant to address conflict and offenses with urgency, wisdom, and grace, so outstanding offenses do not turn into long-standing bitterness, resentment, malice, and hatred. Many marriages, family relationships, friendships, and business partnerships could have been saved if people kept short accounts.
The bible speaks much of the need to keep short accounts in relationships, where it advises:
1) Engage the person who offended you privately with the intent of reconciliation, as opposed to talking with several people about the matter, only making a bad situation worse. (Matthew 18:15)
2) Address offenses with a sense of urgency rather than letting time drag on, causing the issue to fester and get worse while the relationship deteriorates. (Ephesians 4:26)
3) Be willing to listen to the other person’s viewpoint, as reconciliation is hardly ever all about one person. (James 1:19)
4) Avoid having a sensitive mentality where anger is the instinctive response. (James 1:19-20)
5) Use your words to help heal and not harm those whom you desire to reconcile with. (Proverbs 15:1)
6) Be mindful of Jesus’ example and be ready to forgive even when reconciliation is not possible. Forgiveness brings peace to your heart and mind, even when you receive undesirable and unfavourable responses that do not foster reconciliation. (Colossians 3:12-15)
Relationships are precious. Keeping short accounts is a wonderful way to minimize unnecessary hurt and pain that can worsen existing offenses and conflict. Do your best to keep short accounts.