This is about a Christian
perspective on financial management and stewardship. Too many people let their
financial life drift by, unattended and unmanaged. The result is stress, debt,
and ineffective service to the Lord. As Christians, we are told to lay up
treasures in heaven, and to serve God, not Money. But living in America makes
these very clear teachings seemingly unattainable. They are not.
God saves us through Jesus
Christ so we can do good works for Him. We are commanded to take up our cross
and follow Him. We are to be like Jesus. As long as we are poor stewards of our
finances, we will serve our money, not the Lord. As long as we gratify our own
desires, we will have no room in our life to really serve God.
This study is designed to
illuminate scripture for you and help you become an effective servant. We hope
to help you break bad habits and build good ones. We hope to help you make
better choices. We hope that you will be able to find and live the incredible
life God had in mind for you since the foundations of the earth.
Our perspective has four main
attitudes for living. By incorporating these attitudes and following the
principles they include, you will have financial freedom, you will be able to
be an effective servant for God, and you will be able to demonstrate your
stewardship and witness to your family and community.
1.
Honor God with your Life.
2.
Spend Less than you Earn.
3.
Avoid Debt.
4.
Prepare for the Future.
We'll begin this journey by
examining scripture as it relates to our attitudes. Our attitudes towards God,
our salvation, our purpose in life, and our attitudes about stewardship, money,
selfishness, and responsibility will be the focus of Chapter
One. You will be encouraged to choose the Lord, and to demonstrate this
choice with immediate action. We expect you to begin regular giving to your
local church.
If you survive the exploration
of your attitudes, we will start your financial management training by helping
you find out where you are, financially. It is true that you cannot make
changes unless you first know where you are, so we will introduce some simple
tools and concepts that will help you take periodic snapshots of your financial
position. You will be able to accurately list your total debt and various
bills, know how much money you really have in the bank, and know how much you
are worth in financial terms. Find these simple tools in Chapter
Two.
Since we find that aimless
wandering is usually a result of not knowing where you are going, we will help
you begin regular planning. Plans come from having goals, and we believe these
should be SMART goals. Chapter Three covers Goals, and
Planning. Your plans will include developing a Spending Plan, and at the
conclusion of this course, an Action Plan.
Are you in debt? Are your debts
overwhelming you? Are you in financial trouble? We find that even people with
large incomes can have financial trouble and debt. Financial trouble is rarely
a result of having too little income, but more likely a result of not having
control of your spending. Unless you fix the spending problem, you will always
have financial troubles. Chapter Four offers you a
4-step proven strategy for eliminating your debt. That's right, not lowering
your debt, but eliminating it. Being debt-free is being life-free to do what
God wants you to do. Until you are debt-free, you are in chains of slavery to
the world.
While learning new habits,
developing new skills and disciplines, and eliminating your debt, you are
putting yourself into a better position for the future. You will be able to go
where God sends you, do what He wants you to do, and take care of the needs of
others. To be most effective, you should make preparations for the future. Chapter Five outlines matters of insurance, savings,
retirement, and estates. Each of these areas merits a book of its own, but you
need to know what is important in each of these areas. Part of your Action Plan
coming out of this chapter will be to build a contingency fund for just-in-case
scenarios - illness or accident, unemployment, natural disaster. This does not
remove your reliance on God, but removes your focus on your circumstances and
allows you to look to God. You will spend the rest of your life in the future,
so you should take steps today to get ready for tomorrow.
Chapter Six
is the Action Plan chapter. It takes all that has come before and outlines how
you put day-to-day activities in place to accomplish God's purpose in your
life. It puts Goals and Planning into perspective of daily activities. Action
Plans for getting out of debt, saving for college or vacation, preparing for
ministry or retirement are essential for the effective servant. Special Action
Plan Worksheets help you organize your thinking for Daily Action.
Finally, the tools and forms
found throughout the coursework are collected and available in the Appendix. Additional resources not covered are also
found here.
It is vital that Christians not get
caught up in the world and the race for wealth. Some Christian organizations
make wealth and prosperity seem like the natural reward for loving God. Jesus
makes it clear that His followers will experience ridicule and persecution. God
needs willing and committed followers. He needs you to be an effective worker
for His Kingdom. Being shackled by worldly desires, material goods, and debt
keep you from following God, but make you slaves to the world. You need to be
free.
God Bless You as you embark on this course towards financial freedom and mastery. Become a great steward so the Lord will greet you in heaven, "Well done, good and faithful servant..."
(Or, contact John & Sandi Larson via email at: info@visionsbusiness.com)
Copyright 2001, 2002, Visions Business Development, Beaverton, Oregon - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED