Category Archives: Optimizing Life

Ethics, Generate Income, Optimizing Life

Find Favor with Both God and Man

It is easy to become full of ourselves, filled with pride when we succeed in the eyes of men. We must be careful to remain humble and serve God even in success. Many wise men, including David and Solomon, started with a close relationship with God and then drifted further from God when they had much success and power… and it was to their own downfall. When we find favor in the sight of God and man by living humbly and righteously according to God’s instruction, do not change the recipe. Keep doing the things that got you there… pray, study scripture, listen to God and obey, work hard, be patient, give glory to God for what He does through us, etc.

Joseph set a fantastic example in  Genesis 41:38-49. Joseph did not change when he was given great power and authority. He worked diligently and responsibly, maintaining his right relationship with God and he continued to experience favor from God and men as a result.

Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt

38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. 40“You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. 43He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. 48So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.

Joseph had experienced much suffering and difficulty in his early life… sold into slavery by his brothers, thrown into jail based on lies, and forgotten in jail for years by one he helped. Joseph handled it with great patience and a righteous attitude toward God. Surely we would be tempted to think God forgot about us in his circumstances… to possibly disastrous results if we let our circumstances separate us from God. But now at 30 years old, Joseph stood tall as second in command of all Egypt… right where God wanted him. When he assumed the position, Joseph did not change and take credit or become filled with pride. He continued to honor God and faithfully carry out his work.

Challenge yourself, as followers of Christ, to take on the patience, diligence, humility, forgiveness, and faith which Joseph demonstrated throughout his life… through good times and bad. This is a great recipe to find favor with both God and man.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Generate Income, Optimizing Life

7 Tips to Find Joy in Your Work

Why do so many of us accept that work should be a burden we must endure, rather than a part of our life in which we find joy or at least contentment?

It is intuitive, but also backed up by studies, that people who are happy at work are more productive and more successful. They perform better at their work because they find joy and satisfaction in what they do. These are people you want to be around.

I am certainly not suggesting that I expect all of us to get paid for doing something we enjoy as much as spending time with our families or going on vacation. However, there are a number of simple things we can do to find joy in our work.

1- Remember that we are more than our work. Our personal value comes from God. He crafted each of us as unique and special individuals to serve Him. Our value is not defined by how we perform or are perceived to perform at work.

2- Ultimately our joy comes from God. Ensure you spend time in prayer and study of the Bible daily.  Not only do we grow closer to God and develop a better understanding of His character and instruction for our lives, but it puts into perspective what is important about our work and our lives.

3- Basic for finding contentment or satisfaction with any job is reminding yourself why you choose to do that work. List the positive aspects of your employment such as providing for your family, enabling you to support your church or honor God with your money, and allowing you an opportunity to reach people for Jesus in your workplace… can really impact your attitude toward your job. Instead of viewing it as a prison with chains, it is a choice you make for specific reasons. If you can not find any good reasons or if the job forces you into conflicts with your Christian faith you likely want to seek alternate employment.

4- Know how your job or role contributes and matters to the bigger picture where you work. Don’t limit yourself to a narrow view of just “completing specific job tasks”, but rather understand the broader picture. It leads to a higher degree of satisfaction.  This concept is described from a classic example:

A man walked down a road by a construction site. He saw three workers laying bricks in what appeared to be a wall. As he asked each man separately what they were doing he received the following three responses… I am laying bricks, I am building a wall, and finally, I am building a cathedral so people can worship and honor God.

Which of the three men do you think was most satisfied with his work? The one who saw the bigger picture of course. He understood not just what he was doing but the value of it to a bigger purpose.

5- Avoid focusing too long in your mind about what a “perfect” job would be like. This type of exercise can be useful to help identify a specific action such as evaluating alternate employment, but becomes depressing if you continually compare your current circumstances to a theoretical perfect job that may not really exist.

6- Look for ways you can take initiative at work to help create the environment in which you want to work. If you want a friendly and Christian environment… then start by acting that way yourself!

7- Certainly not last, but at the end of the list because it is something we should keep in our minds as we go back to our daily lives… come before God humbly and ask Him to help you find joy in your work… whether in your current job or by finding another.

For additional resources to help you find joy in your work, check out our Earn Money with a Purpose page at GrowGodsMoney.org.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Greed, Optimizing Life

Building Wealth for the Sake of Having Wealth Is Not, In Itself, a Meaningful Objective

I received the following article from  Bob Lotich at SeedTime Ministries, www.seedtime.com, from one of his weekly emails. I thought this one was good and wanted to share it. I encourage each of you to check out SeedTime on their website.

Contrary to what some believe, the phrase “wealthy Christian” is not an oxymoron. Wealth and Godliness are not necessarily contradictory terms – it all depends on the motives.

Building wealth for the wrong reasons does not produce Godliness but the right reasons will.

Let’s dig deeper.

Five Wrong Reasons For Building Wealth

1. Advice from an “expert”

I know a couple who started buying houses because some financial guru told them there is a great future in real estate. The problem was not the investment itself; it was that they were making financial decisions solely on someone else’s counsel without thoroughly researching that advice and dovetailing it into their own short-term and long-term goals. Not surprisingly, they got in over their heads and had to unload some houses at a loss.

Seeking advice is actually a good thing. Proverbs 15:22 reads, “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors, they succeed.” Therefore, it is good to listen to seek out several trusted friends and experts for financial advice. Listen and learn and think. Discuss your options with your spouse. Make sure the two of you are on the same page. But never leap into any business venture because you heard it was a “great investment”. That is a bad reason.

2. Everyone is doing it.

Keeping up with the Joneses can be more subtle than you think. Have you ever bought a car because someone you admire has one like it? Do you eat at a certain restaurant because it is the “place to go”? Did you get those season tickets because your friends are all getting them? Did you choose that European vacation because that is what the “in” people do?

Following the crowd is a sign of insecurity and a desire for acceptance. Many will overspend in their desire to emulate someone else, but even if you can easily afford these things, building wealth in order to keep pace with others is not a good reason to do so.

3. Winning a competition

While friendly competition can sometimes bring out the best in us, competition in the realm of finances is an unhealthy game. If you feel like you must out-earn or even out-give anyone in order to win, you will never win. In the first place, someone will always be able to outdo you. But even if you “win”, you have still proved nothing.

If your brain is wired in sports mode, think in terms of cooperating instead of competing. You and your wife are a team. You and your fellow church members are a team. You and God are a team. Be the best team player you can be and you will always be on the winning team.

4. Love of money

People who love money simply because it is money have a warped view of money. These are the people who hoard. Do you love money? If so, you probably have no benchmark established to determine how much is enough. In fact, for you, there will never be enough. You love to check your portfolio to see how much you have, but you always want more. This can be true whether your net worth is $1,000 or $10 million. You are chasing something you will never catch. If you don’t change your priorities you are destined to live a one dimensional, selfish and shallow life.

Hebrews 13:5 tells us, “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’”

It is OK to love. Just don’t let money be the object of your affection. Love God first and love others second. The money will take care of itself. Jesus put it this way, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Mat 6:33

5. Security

This is a bit of an enigma because scripture tells us to be wise with what we have…to save and plan and to be able to live without being under constant financial stress. Yes, we are to be wise, but if we believe that we can build enough to give us security, we are mistaken.

First, whatever we accumulate here on earth can be taken away or lost. Secondly, financial security is a ruse. Why? Because it is a cheap counterfeit to true security which can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

True security will satisfy your deepest needs and can never be lost. Financial security, even if you had enough socked away to cover all your needs for the rest of your life, will not give security for the life to come. Wouldn’t you like to realize your purpose here on earth and live out that purpose with the knowledge that your eternity is taken care of? That is true security. It can come only from God.

What is the Right Reason to Build Wealth?

To enable givers to give generously

As Paul is challenging the church in Corinth to give to the impoverished believers in Jerusalem, he explains, “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” 2 Cor 9:11

If God expects us to be “generous in every way”, it is up to Him to make us “enriched in every way”.

Summary

God wants what is best for us. He also knows us better than we know ourselves. God wants us to be great givers, not only so those who are needy can be helped but also because we are truly living out our purpose when we are giving.

Do you want to be wealthy? Great. Start by giving. As you give to others, God will enrich your life. Who knows? You might be able to fund numerous missionaries, meet health needs in third world countries, pay for a childless family to adopt, or buy that single mom a new car. Sound like a great life? Go for it. Start giving today.

Special thanks to Joe Plemon for writing this great article!

Bob Lotich (SeedTime Ministries)

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Generate Income, Optimizing Life

Boost Your Short Term Income

Many write on the internet about how you can earn extra money, even from home over the computer. There are an amazing number of ways to pursue incremental income with today’s technology.

Before you leap with excitement to the search engine to identify all the ways you are about to make lots of money from home, you should probably start by thoughtfully considering your goals. What are you trying to achieve?

Are you looking for a short-term boost to your income to accomplish a specific goal, like paying off credit card debt or donating to a church fund to help your community? Are you looking for long-term incremental income that you can do on top of your current daily commitments? Perhaps you are seeking a new profession entirely and want to leave your “day job”. Clearly identifying, and writing down, your objectives can help guide you when you start your search to find the right answer for your situation, personality, and skills.

Ok… I know you are excited but wait just a minute more… nothing is free. All of these activities take time. All too often people refer to the quality of life in regard to only what you can buy and how much stuff you have. In truth, quality of life is more dependent on our ability to be content with what we have. Then we can focus on the true value of our time… we never truly know how much we will have and we can not get any of it back once we use it. So it is very important to consider what time commitment you are willing to put towards any effort to gain incremental income.

Now spend some time setting your goals and limitations (e.g. how much time you are willing to take away from other things you do). Make sure you understand your broader priorities and do not just focus on the pursuit of more money at all costs… that is greed. Then search away to identify a selection of good ideas for earning more income that will work for you!

Don’t forget to evaluate any legal liabilities or safety concerns when selecting something that may be right for you. The following list are just ideas to get your thoughts started… not a recommendation for any specific site, activity, or business.

  • Tutor
  • Wash cars
  • Cut grass
  • Clean houses
  • Babysit, pet sit or house sit
  • Help care for the elderly
  • General household chores or handyman activities
  • Buy water bottles in bulk and sell them at local events. Easy profit and people will thank you for it unless you overcharge.
  • Rent your car through sites like GetAround or RelayRides
  • Rent your home through sites like Airbnb or VRBO
  • Become a driver with Uber or Lyft
  • Hire out through services that coordinate temporary workers
  • Sell extra stuff you have at garage sales, Craigs List, eBay, etc
  • Look for sites that pay you to try new products or visit stores and provide feedback
  • etc…. etc…. etc.

Parting thought… set up a specific time frame to come back and evaluate the activity you selected and compare or steward it to the written objectives you laid out at the start. Is it working as you thought? Did you protect your time and your other priorities (e.g. does your family still know you? still like you?) Just because you started something does not mean you need to keep doing it if it is not working out. That is why you write down your goals/objectives, identify relative priorities, and put constraints on the time commitment before you begin. It is not just about the dollars. It is about the quality of life.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Optimizing Life

Trust in God, Not In Money

We all face times when we feel like things are not going well, where we feel like others are against us. David certainly had times when he experienced many enemies plotting against him. Even if all others had abandoned him, he knew he could find refuge in his heavenly Father.

Psalm 62

God Alone a Refuge from Treachery and Oppression.

For the choir director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

      1My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation.

      2He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

      3How long will you assail a man,
That you may murder him, all of you,
Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

      4They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position;
They delight in falsehood;
They bless with their mouth,
But inwardly they curse.

Selah.

      5My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.

      6He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

      7On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

      8Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.

Selah.

      9Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie;
In the balances they go up;
They are together lighter than breath.

      10Do not trust in oppression
And do not vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

      11Once God has spoken;
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God;

      12And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord,
For You recompense a man according to his work.

I would encourage each of us as well, no matter how dire our situation may seem, even if we feel completely alone… trust in God. Pour out your heart before Him. And if you are in a good situation now, planning and preparing yourself for potential future hardship… the answer is the same. Do not put your trust in money but rather in God Himself. While you invest in your financial portfolio and manage that, it is even more important to invest in your relationship with our Creator and draw near Him.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Generate Income, Optimizing Life

3 Steps to Generate Higher Income That Lasts

For most of us, we focus on one or a few primary sources of income generation based on a core set of skills or knowledge that we have. We need to do a few key things to make a sustainable change in our long-term income potential.

KNOW Your Skills

This sounds simple, but many of us have an over-inflated idea of how good we are at what we do.  Consider if we were to take a poll of people who have a certain type of job. It is fairly typical that well above half the people would indicate they believe they are above average at performing that skill. Mathematically this can’t be true.

Seek validation on your skill level (strengths and weaknesses) from a trusted friend or colleague. Try to find an objective way to measure your skill. If you are getting feedback from your supervisor or customers/clients, welcome it and genuinely listen to what they are telling you instead of getting defensive.  Ask friends that know you well to speak about other skills they see that you have but may not be currently using as a source of income. Objective self-reflection is also very helpful.

Having a realistic view of what we are good at and what we are not at is an important foundation for growing sustainable income.

GROW Your Skills

Once you identify a reasonably objective set of strengths and weaknesses, you can start making decisions about which of these you should focus on improving first. By improving on some of your weaknesses or building further on your strengths you can grow your capability and skills… which inevitably makes it easier to grow your income.

Some skills can be worked on at home or informally by studying and practicing. Other skills are best improved through formal training (e.g. community college, trade schools, apprenticeship at companies doing that work, university or college degrees).

Growing the key skills around which you base your income is foundational to improving your income generation potential.

SHOW Your Skills

Even with your current situation, be sure you are genuinely working in such a way as to demonstrate your skills and potential. Do not let laziness or lack of motivation pull you into underachieving. You are paid based on the skills you demonstrate, not the skill potential you have. As you grow your skills, it will translate directly to your current source of income. If you are self-employed, your effectiveness and earnings will improve. If you work for someone else, they likely will notice.

You can also market your skills to other companies doing similar work or to other companies doing different work that you are qualified to do. By marketing yourself to other opportunities you will get a realistic measure of whether or not you can earn more money by switching employers or job types.

As you consider these important aspects of income generation, keep in mind also that how much you enjoy what you do or where you work has a significant impact on your job performance and your enjoyment of life. After all, generating income is only one aspect of a personal financial strategy… a part of a bigger plan. Do not be too quick to pursue whatever pays the highest just to find out later you are unhappy and unsatisfied. It is best to seek contentment wherever you are for as long as you are there and to seek God’s direction for your life. His plans are always better than our own!

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Optimizing Life

Managing Money Together

There is a fairly fundamental and foundational principle for managing personal financial strategy as man and wife in the context of a godly marriage. God tells us as early as Genesis 2 that a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Genesis 2:24 24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

This principle applies to financial strategy in the same way it applies to other aspects of marriage. Husband and wife should both be involved and aligned on their financial strategy. If not managed properly it can be a destructive issue for marriages and families.

One spouse often may take a leadership role in accounting and long-range planning. This approach is fine, but it is essential to at least communicate and align on the strategy.

If the married couple is aligned, but one is completely uninvolved and unaware of the finances… it could be that much more difficult in the event of the death of their spouse. In addition to dealing with their loss, they also have to start from scratch on understanding financial strategy.

It is much worse if the two are not aligned. If one is dedicated to saving and the other to spending… or one feels the need to provide for higher education for the children and one thinks the kids should pay for it themselves.  Even saying you have separate accounts to manage separately is not a healthy solution. That is just an excuse not to work through the process to agree on your joint financial strategy.

If you believe in marriage according to God’s instruction then you already know you will both be together through life’s challenges and into retirement, God willing. You will not be separate, so do not fool yourselves into thinking of it as “his money” and “her money”. This often represents a failure to agree on a common financial strategy and can lead to much resentment and difficulty.

Investing the time to work through your differences of opinion to align on a common financial strategy and to maintain that over time removes a significant obstacle toward enjoying a thriving, joy-filled marriage.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Control Debt, Control Spending, Generate Income, Greed, Investing, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

Contentment Is Essential for Financial Success

Financial success is not to be measured against an absolute standard of money earned or by comparison of net worth to others. There is always someone with more money. Financial success is achieved by matching our resources to our needs and desires while we humbly live for God and serve others. Finding contentment rather than coveting what others have is essential for finding this success. Then we are free to find our joy through relationship with Jesus Christ, who promises never to desert us.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;

Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”

The United States of America is a wealthy nation. By global standards even many considered to have low income in the USA are relatively wealthy. Despite this relative wealth, most consider themselves to be living day-to-day or month-to-month. They genuinely feel that they are barely getting by. There is insufficient planning for the future, insufficient savings and little investment. There is much coveting and little contentment.

We could double the money everyone is earning, and I dare say the broad results would be largely unchanged. Many people would have more stuff they want (and do not need) but would be no better prepared for the future and still be unsatisfied because they don’t know how to be content.

For those who cannot find contentment with what they have, they may never have enough. There is always the potential to have more. The ability or willingness to be content provides a foundation for satisfaction in achieving personal success.

Of course, contentment should not be confused as an endorsement to be lazy. Instead, in proper context, contentment provides important balance in managing your work hours required to generate income, controlling spending and debt, in how you select your investing strategies… and opens wide the door toward giving to others and serving God.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit

Greed, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

Seek First His Kingdom Rather Than Your Own

When we truly seek and listen to Jesus, our view on the world will often get turned upside down. Man so commonly thinks that if I take care of my finances first, I can tackle anything else that comes my way. It is easy to focus on money first and put family or God on the backburner without even doing so on purpose. It just sort of happens gradually. Most of us never really set up even a steady target of what is “enough”. Those who make money, can make more and keep pursuing it.

Jesus calls us to seek first His kingdom rather than our own. By putting Him first, all else will be put in its rightful place.

Luke 12:13-34

Covetousness Denounced

     13Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17“And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18“Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21“So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

      22And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23“For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25“And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? 26“If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28“But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29“And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30“For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

      33“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This is a challenging principle, but a very important one. Ask God to help you focus on putting Him first, ahead of finances. Trust in Him to provide everything else according to His judgment.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Greed, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

For What Is a Man Profited if He Gains the Whole World, and Loses or Forfeits Himself?

From time to time, I hear people quoting famous money managers or people in business, such as Warren Buffet. These nuggets of wisdom can be valuable. How much more valuable to hear from our LORD and King on our financial strategy! However, sometimes the advice is a bit different than we expect to hear…

Luke 9:25

25“For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?

This is a simple statement, but how true to help us keep our ultimate goals in perspective. How about another one for those of us who are convinced we can capture all we dream of by making money?

Luke 9:24

    24“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

Some will dismiss it as nonsense because they do not have eyes to see. However, for those of us whom the Holy Spirit guides we can see much more in this statement. We must lay down our own selfish desires and plans and submit to Christ. By submitting to Him we will find true life through Christ.

John 14:6

6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

If we strive and struggle to save our live… our desires and plans… our vision for life… then we will lose it, chasing all the wrong things.

Psalm 46:10

10“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Let us put Christ first. Putting Him first means we will choose sometimes the path that is difficult in this wicked world. We must “pick up our cross daily and follow [Jesus]”. The cross was hard, brutal in fact, but above all, selfless and devoted to the Father’s will.

Luke 9:23-27

    23And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25“For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27“But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Let us proclaim our love for Him and His love for us. Let us not be ashamed of Him before men. There are serious consequences to this. Jesus, Himself, says He will deny before the Father those who deny Him before men. Don’t rush over that statement. Pause on it and reflect. Are you acknowledging Jesus publicly and broadly? or are you silent, trying not to offend those who reject Him?

Let us put Christ first rather than all the things that the world tells us to chase, even when it seems hard.

Matthew 6:33

33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Truly what good is it to have all the selfish desire we may want in this world… to succeed beyond the wildest imagination of the worldly… if we lose our relationship with Christ and end up without Him in this world and eternity beyond?

Luke 9:25

25“For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .