The Retirement Confidence Survey by CNNMoney reports that nearly half of all workers have less than $25,000 in savings.

Consider this:

• 40% of respondents indicated they are not currently saving for retirement
• 34% indicated that they had no retirement savings
• 25% said they had no savings of any kind

If finances incapacitate us, how can we do the work that God has called us to do?

We have to change our mindset, our expectations, and our behaviors to adjust to the changing financial landscape of the United States. We live in a day when a pension and employer-paid health benefits in retirement are the exception. I’m very concerned for the people around me — I already see families in trouble even at a young age. They are barely surviving while the economy as a whole is doing fairly well, and it takes a toll on the family's finances, emotions, relationships, and health. I anticipate tougher times in the future — what will happen to them then?

I’m also concerned from the perspective of the Kingdom of God. If finances incapacitate us, how can we do the work that God has called us to do?

The survey also highlights other concerns that stem from the mindset of American workers. And these are things that the person can do something about if they will take the time to think, learn, and take action.

• Workers are slow to see or adapt to a changing U.S. retirement system
• Half of workers less confident about pension benefits
• Many workers counting on benefits that won’t be there
• Many workers unlikely to heed investment advice even if they get it
• Americans overestimate long-term care coverage, counting on coverage they don’t have
• Most savings levels are modest with 7 of 10 saying their assets total less than $10,000
• Continued ignorance about Social Security coverage.

There are things that we must do at the community level to help one another. But my focus here is to urge sound financial practice on the most basic level — my personal responsibility to my family. The days ahead could be tough, so this isn’t about saving for a comfortable dreamlike retirement, but about surviving, and being in a position to serve God and others. In the Old Testament, Joseph used the seven years of abundance to prepare Egypt for seven lean years, and in so doing rescued his family.

Three Behaviors That Damage Financial Responsibility

Some financial struggles are out of our control — disasters, health crises, job loss. But whatever your situation, don’t let the following three things keep you from being financially responsible.

1 Ignorance. There is so much information available and so many people that can help you. Don’t settle for not knowing how to budget, save, invest.

2 Excessive consumption. Get your material appetites under control. And don’t fool yourself into thinking that you “need” THINGS. It’s amazing how we can talk ourselves into thinking that we either deserve these THINGS or that it is really a better financial decision to have these things. C’mon!

3 Laziness. Nowhere have I seen the opposite of this than in Asian families who have immigrated to this country with nothing and within three generations are sending their kids to Stanford or Harvard. Heed the words in Proverbs 6:6-11 The Message:

You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?
A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,
poverty your permanent houseguest!

Read the CNNMoney article for some guidelines in thinking about what you need.

And take advantage of this calculator by Choose To Save. It provides you with a more detailed look at your projected needs than most basic retirement calculators. You can also interactively adjust various inputs to study the outcomes. It's a very helpful exercise to do with your spouse.

No matter how small, get started today…the earlier the better.