Category Archives: Treasures In Heaven

Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

Don’t Let Money Keep You Apart from God

Let me preface this article by highlighting that God does not call all of us to part with all our money. He does not need our money, but rather He wants our heart. Some He may call to give up their money, in particular if they are placing it as an idol in their life that keeps them separated from God by taking His rightful place as Lord of their life.  What He calls you to do individually… by all means do it. God’s specific direction to you in your life trumps the general biblical advice we share through this ministry. Sometimes He has something specific in mind that is more important than the general wisdom He has provided.

However, take caution that you are hearing from Him properly. He will never contradict Himself. Thus, if He asks you to do something, pray over it, ask for confirmation, seek trustworthy Christians you know to help validate what you are hearing and make sure you are not acting inconsistent with what God teaches in the Bible. Most of all… ask God to help you clearly understand and obey.

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“What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This question is incredibly important, and those who ask it genuinely seeking an answer have already started down the right track. They have acknowledged there is eternal life and not everyone gets there. Some will have eternal suffering instead. Let us review how Jesus answers this question when a rich young man asks Him.

Mark 10:17-31

The Rich Young Ruler

      17As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” 20And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” 21Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

      23And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” 27Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

      28Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. 31“But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

The rich young ruler was not far from the kingdom of heaven. He knew the commandments and he knew Jesus was the right person to ask. Clearly, he did not fully understand the significance of obeying the commandments, as he felt that he had obeyed them sufficiently well throughout his life. None can truly accomplish this, when we fully consider how to apply this law according to Jesus, Himself (Matthew 5:21-48). However, he was looking in the right places for the answer.

Jesus did not even break stride in the conversation to explain what it means to truly follow the full standard of God’s commandments. He already knew where the man was failing in his devotion to God. For this specific individual, it was love of money. Jesus never called everyone to give away their money, it is not required. He knew this individual had that as his primary remaining barrier to following God. Sadly, the man went away grieving rather than following after Jesus.

Jesus, never wanting to let a teaching opportunity be wasted, spoke further with His disciples on the subject. He pointed out how hard it is for many that have money to choose to serve God instead of money. We cannot serve both (Matthew 6:24). However, there is hope. No matter what personal obstacle stands in our way, we have hope with God that we can overcome it and follow Jesus.

27Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

We can also be encouraged that whatever it is that we give up in order to follow Jesus, we will not regret it so long as we submit to and trust 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 .

Optimizing Life, Plan Carefully and Seek Wise Advice, Treasures In Heaven

God Is Bigger Than the Mission He Gives Us

It is very tempting for each of us to plan our finances in a way that we can completely control every aspect. Trust only in ourselves. Take no or little risk.

What if God calls us to give in a way that stretches us beyond our comfort zone?  What if He calls us to accomplish a task that we don’t know how to fund? Are we foolish to take such a risk?

That depends on whether or not you trust God and your ability to hear from Him.

We can often get wrapped up in how big a challenge appears. We can think as if we have to make it happen all by ourselves. We do well to consider, however, that if God is the one who told us to go accomplish the mission, then He already knows how He will enable us to accomplish it. He will provide. We need only listen and obey, even if we don’t see how He will finish the task with us and through us.

Exodus 38:21-31

The Cost of the Tabernacle

      21This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 23With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen.

      24All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25The silver of those of the congregation who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 26a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. 27The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. 29The bronze of the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. 30With it he made the sockets to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, 31and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around.

Think about how overwhelming the mission could or perhaps did appear to Moses and the Israelites to build the tabernacle. They were in the desert, not in a land of plenty! Yahweh laid out very specific instructions and a grand scale for the tabernacle. The people could easily have thrown up their hands and made excuses why it was not possible. They could have quit even before they started. They did not. And consider what they accomplished!

Are you facing a mission or challenge that God has called you to complete? Does it feel overwhelming? Do not be discouraged or find reasons to reject the challenge. Instead, trust in Him, seek Him, and obey His instructions and guidance. You will be amazed at what He can accomplish through His people.

Want to learn more about how to pray effectively? This includes listening as well as asking… try the following resources:

  • HearingFromJesus.org /Learning To Pray Effectively – teaching on effective prayer based on scripture
  • HearingFromJesus.org/categories/HearingFromGod – collection of devotions and scripture referencing hearing from God
  • Experiencing God, by Henry and Richard Blackaby, is a modern classic that has sold millions of copies worldwide. Experiencing God is based on seven Scriptural realities that teach us how to develop a true relationship with the Creator. By understanding how God is working through us even as we try to fathom His ways, we can begin to clearly know how to relate to Him.
  • Experiencing Prayer with Jesus, by Henry and Norman Blackaby,  takes you into what many aren’t experiencing in their prayer life – intimacy with God. Experiencing Prayer with Jesus is not simply more information about prayer, but rather a leading into a life-changing encounter with Christ.
  • Hearing God’s Voice, by Henry and Richard Blackaby, is for those who are ready to listen. Henry Blackaby and his son Richard help those who are listening to discern the voice of God, to identify ways He speaks, and to respond to His revelations of His will.

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 .

Treasures In Heaven

Give To Him Who Asks

At times, I have been confronted by people asking for money, begging really. Sometimes it is at gas stations and sometimes it is by the side of the road. Sometimes I help to honor the Lord, sometimes I feel it is too unsafe to try to help, and sometimes I try to pretend not to see them. I have not been able to lock down a specific firm position on this. Sometimes I feel led by the Spirit to give and sometimes I am just nervous by the circumstances around the person asking. Sometimes I just believe it is a fraud. I have prayed from time to time for the Lord to help guide me on this type of issue.

I still believe the situation matters. Unfortunately, we can’t trust everyone who is asking for help, not because they may waste our $10, but because they may be trying to car jack you or kidnap you. You do risk injury. We must use our best discernment of the situation and ask in advance the Spirit to guide us in these circumstances. As quickly as these situations arise, it seems as if there is not time to pray once the situation is upon you.

I believe the Spirit has nudged me more to a position where I will look to help through the scripture below. It will be most effective if I prepare ahead of time, perhaps having small denomination cash of $5, $10, or $20 readily available which I can grab easily without taking my eyes off the person asking. (This is not the time to be opening your wallet full of credit cards or sifting through a purse.) More than that I want to prepare something to hand out with the money to point them to Christ and to more resources about Christ should they wish to pursue Him.

Recognize too, that Matthew 5 speaks about much broader situations than the one I frame above. Some situations will call for a higher level of giving. Perhaps someone will come to you with a need to help enroll someone in a drug or alcohol rehab program or something similar. Some of these situations may require prayer as the financial impact may seem great to you at the time. For me, I realize that the great many of the situations that arise in my life truly are not threatening my financial security. They really can be easy decisions made with intent to honor the Lord and point others to Him. We provide the best witness when we help others joyfully, even if it is a “big ask” from them.

However, note from the scripture below, the examples that Jesus refers to are not typically going to bankrupt the one giving… extra work, a coat, allowing yourself to be taken advantage of a little. I am not trying to trivialize these things, as for some they are significant, but this type of giving often represents relatively small investments for the kingdom of heaven. Most frequently the worst I may risk is being “taken advantage of” or “fooled” into giving to someone who is a fraud. Honestly, we honor the Lord all the same and may actually have an impact on them anyway as they receive an example of God’s love from someone. If some end up “laughing” at us who give, how much does that really matter?

As a cautionary note, I point out that this scripture is not to be taken out of context to say give all you have to the first person who asks. This is not at all what I see in the text. As with everything, seek help from the Lord.

Matthew 5:38-48

      38“You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ 39“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

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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 .

 

Treasures In Heaven

When God Moves His People, There Is Plenty

How glorious it is to see God work through His people to accomplish His goals. He moved the people so much in preparing for and building the Tabernacle that they actually continued to bring so much that it was more than what was needed. Moses actually had to restrain the people from continuing to bring more!

Exodus 36:1-7

The Tabernacle Underwritten

      1“Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the LORD has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”

      2Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it. 3They received from Moses all the contributions which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. 4And all the skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing, 5and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the LORD commanded us to perform.” 6So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more. 7For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

There are a few things to notice in the passage. The obvious one is that when God moves His people to work together to a common goal, His goal, they will succeed in accomplishing much. There was so much that the people had more than they needed in materials and skilled labor.

The second part that really stands out to me is that Moses stopped the people from bringing more. The need was met. He did not need to collect a bunch of extra stuff from the people in order to stuff the treasury with extra valuables. He knew he could count on Yahweh to provide what they needed in the future as well and recognized it was most honest to tell the people that the need had been met.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to show you where He wants you to give of time, talent, and treasure. Check it against the truth of scripture to be sure it is from Jehovah and not your own desires. Then give joyfully and generously. If you are the one receiving and coordinating the funds for a project or mission, be honest. Collect only what you need and do not continue taking from the people in excess of the need. Trust in our Father to provide in the future for His next project!

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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 .

Ethics, Generate Income, Greed, Optimizing Life, Plan Carefully and Seek Wise Advice, Treasures In Heaven

Wise Are Those Who Follow God’s Instruction

Are you looking for some “get rich quick” schemes and gimmicks? or are you looking for wisdom and advice that has stood the test of time. I find all of the wisdom in Proverbs to be applicable to our lives and situations today. Human nature has not changed and neither has God’s wisdom for how we should manage our relationships with other people and manage our own decisions for how to live our life and manage our finances.

Read Proverbs 10 with the belief that God can speak to you through it about specific things you should keep doing or change regarding your life decisions. Pray He would give you insight into applying the wisdom specifically for your life.

Proverbs 10

  1The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

      2Ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness delivers from death.

      3The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.

      4Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

      5He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

      6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

      7The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

      8The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.

      9He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

      10He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.

      11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

      12Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.

      13On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.

      14Wise men store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

      15The rich man’s wealth is his fortress,
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

      16The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.

      17He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.

      18He who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.

      19When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

      20The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.

      21The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.

      22It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.

      23Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.

      24What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

      25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

      26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.

      27The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

      28The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.

      29The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.

      30The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.

      31The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

      32The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.

Notice how God’s word integrates how we deal with our money into a broader context of righteousness or wickedness. How we manage our money is absolutely a function of our relationship with God and the condition of our heart in submission to Him. One can not be fully righteous without learning how to deal properly with finances according to God’s word. Conversely, one who becomes increasingly righteous will understand much about managing finances.

God provides clear warning about the dangers of the love of money. Money must never be our master, but rather a tool or servant to help us serve God while we are here on this earth.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

What behaviors or attitudes do you need to change in your life? Pray for God’s help in dealing with money.

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

Treasures In Heaven

Working Together for His Kingdom

God calls His people to come together willingly to give of their possessions and abilities to further the kingdom of God. He does not force us to give. It is amazing what we can accomplish to help one another and glorify Him when we each bring what we have to offer and work toward a common goal. Of course, it glorifies and honors God most when we come together to work toward a common goal that is consistent with His instruction and guidance.

Exodus 35:20-35

Gifts Received

      20Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from Moses’ presence. 21Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the LORD’S contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments. 22Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the LORD. 23Every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them. 24Everyone who could make a contribution of silver and bronze brought the LORD’S contribution; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. 25All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. 26All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair. 27The rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastpiece; 28and the spice and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. 29The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.

      30Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31“And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; 32to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, 33and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. 34“He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35“He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.

Prayerfully reflect how you are working with other believers to glorify God’s kingdom. Are you offering your possessions or money or time and talent? Are you working together or just content to remain alone? Are you working toward what our Creator and Father calls us to do, or toward your own goals and interests?

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in responding to this message and any changes you may need to make in your life to live more fully in obedience to Him and in fellowship and cooperation with fellow believers.

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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 .

Control Debt, Control Spending, Diversification, Ethics, False Teaching, Generate Income, Greed, Guiding Framework, Parables, Plan Carefully and Seek Wise Advice, Saving, Speculative Investment, Stewardship, Treasures In Heaven

How Is Financial Planning Like the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl is considered by many to be one of the most important sporting events in the world each year. Many from around the world tune in to watch it even if “their team” did not make it to the final game. Much time and preparation is spent certainly by the teams in preparing for the game, but even by many spectators and fans around the world as they prepare parties and tailgating and other such events to watch the game.

Many people spend more time preparing for, watching, and then talking about the Super Bowl then they actually spend preparing their personal financial strategies. One could spend a little time reflecting on which will ultimately be more important for each of us… but we quickly conclude that perhaps we should spend a little more time planning our finances, even if we have to wait until the big game is over and behind us.

Financial planning may not sound like much fun, so let’s try to make it a bit more interesting. In some ways it is like preparing for the Super Bowl.  Without good planning and execution, you will never win. “Luck” or “winging it” is just not good enough to carry you to victory. Proper preparation for a Super Bowl victory begins before the season every starts.

Start with the end in mind. Teams don’t just show up in training camp with the intent to “play football”… if they do, they do not win very much. They must define success and goals along the way to evaluate their performance in moving toward that success. Winning teams come into the season planning to play for the Super Bowl rings! They don’t just plan to play catch and throw and suddenly find themselves in the Super Bowl. There is short term sacrifice for long term success.

Similarly, for our financial planning you must define what success looks like for you. Define your personal goals and steward progress toward them. Think big! Do not limit yourself to simply having money for earthly things, but also to store up treasure in heaven. How you view your success will strongly influence how you play the game!

Define your goals… define success.

  • Matthew 6:20-21 – 20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 –  7Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
  • Proverbs 22:9 –   9He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.

Steward your progress toward those goals and make adjustments when called for. If something is not working as you expected, do not be afraid to consider making “in game” adjustments to your game plan.

  • In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus teaches us through the parable of the talents that a good steward periodically checks on the effectiveness of his efforts and makes adjustments according to their performance.

With every game there are rules. If you do not know the rules and play by them, you will likely not do well on the field. Penalties for failing to follow the rules can ruin your game. In finances, as with most of life’s challenges, God has laid out the rules for us in the Bible. Know what God says about how we should treat others and how we should conduct our earthly affairs. It is also true that man has added some rules, called laws, as well. We should heed both sets of rules.

  • Proverbs 22:1 – 1A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold.
  • Proverbs 22:5 – 5Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them.
  • Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – 13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Plan carefully and seek wise counsel. Do you ever see a winning Super Bowl coach who did not have a staff of assistant coaches… advisors? The head coach makes the final decisions, but the good ones listen to the advice of others and weigh carefully in their decisions the counsel of others.  Surround yourself with bad counselors and you will fail.

  • Proverbs 22:3 – 3The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it.
  • Proverbs 15:22 – 22Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.
  • Proverbs 14:15 –   15The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps.

To win at any level, you should carefully evaluate your gear… your tools. In football, you need the right shoes, gloves, helmet, pads, ball, etc. In financial planning, the tools you use (or don’t) are also important. They can be of great help or set you up to underperform your abilities. We recommend you visit our Resources section of our website to find some organizations we recommend that provide helpful tools to assist you in “elevating your game”… to be more effective and successful in planning and managing your finances.

It is important to focus on fundamentals to excel. No team will win the Super Bowl on trick plays and misdirection if they do not also have strong foundation in executing the fundamentals well.

Super Bowl Champions do not start with trick plays and 80 yard touchdown plays as their foundational strategy and neither should you in your financial planning.  Avoid greed… assuming you can win with a few big plays… a few high risk investments that are “sure to pay out”. You may want to put a few in as diversification, but don’t put yourself in a position to win or lose solely on “making the big play” over and over again. To those who love money, they will never have enough. Money is a tool to serve God and to support yourself and your family. The draw to “get rich quick” brings much risk.

  • 1 Timothy 6:10 –  10For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
  • Ecclesiastes 5:10 – 10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.

Let’s talk more about your Offense (e.g. earning money) . Offense wins games. Your offensive stars:

  •  Hard work and a great attitude are a formidable pair. Develop a skill and work hard to generate income.
    • Colossians 3:23 – 23Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,
    • Proverbs 6:9-11 – 9How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10“A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”— 11Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.
  • Invest your financial resources for growth. Don’t stuff your mattress with cash in hopes of avoiding risk.
    • Matthew 25:14-30 – Jesus teaches us through the parable of the talents. Click the link to read the scripture.
    • Ecclesiastes 11:1 –   1Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.
  • Diversify investments to manage risks.
    • Ecclesiastes 11:2 – 2Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

Finally… Defense wins championships! No one can win unless they can stop the other team from scoring. Similarly, no one can earn enough money to win the game if they spend like drunken sailors. Just consider government spending, which almost always outpaces essentially unlimited income from taxes – it is never enough to satisfy those in government. Defense requires discipline.

  • Control spending.  Set a budget that matches your income and stick to it in order to control spending. This budget should include short term “monthly expenses” but also saving ahead for long term expenses like a house, university education, future medical expenses, retirement, and contingency funds for the unknown.
  • Control debt. Carefully consider any debt before committing.
    • Proverbs 22:7 – 7The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
    • Romans 13:8 –  8Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
  • Save money. Save for known expenses and for unknown. Save for today, and save to have money to invest tomorrow.
    • Proverbs 6:6-8 –  6Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.

Perhaps with a little less fanfare, do not forget Special Teams. They may not affect every down, but they can make the difference in a win or a loss. Prepare for long term expenses such as buying a car, paying off a house, paying for college education, preparing for retirement. To be successful, you must prepare for these things in advance… you can not wait until the special teams is on the field to start planning !

One last piece of advice for your game plan in financial planning… even with the best game plan, you can’t win if you don’t start playing the game! Don’t wait for the “perfect” time to get started.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 – 4He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.

(If you are too worried about the clouds and winds to start preparing the fields and planting the crops… waiting for perfect conditions… you will not have a harvest. The perfect time never comes. Look only for a good or appropriate time to get started.)

Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you prefer a “non-football” version, please review our Guiding Framework.

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