I used to think of an emergency fund as robbing myself. It was essentially the same as paying taxes in my mind. All I knew was that money was coming out of my pocket going somewhere else. Obviously, this was completely untrue, but it was how I felt at the time. Thankfully, I learned how beneficial an emergency fund is to my long-term financial well being.

Video Intro

If you had a $500 unexpected expense come up right now, how would you pay for it?

If you could come up with the money and NOT have to use a credit card, you are doing much better than most Americans. Life happens, and unexpected expenses are to be EXPECTED. If you prepare for them you will be able to better avoid a financial crisis, if not, that is what they call “learning the hard way.” Lets say (for sake of discussion) that emergencies happen, on average, once every year (everyone’s definition “emergency” is different, so the frequency may be more or less for you) and cost an average of $500. The truth is that just about everyone does have an emergency fund. The only difference is that they are either earning interest or paying interest.

Paying Interest

Let’s look at the typical American response to an emergency (costing our assumed average of $500). Emergency #1 happens and they don’t have an emergency fund, so they borrow the $500 from a credit card (17.5%). This solves the short term problem of paying for the emergency, but now they have to start making payments to the credit card company.

Things are tough enough, they didn’t have the money to pay for Emergency #1 to begin with, now they have to try to find $20 each month to pay the minimum payment and to add insult to your injury the credit card company is going to charge them a huge percentage rate on the amount borrowed. When emergency #2 happens they will likely be:

1. Still trying to pay for Emergency #1 (they will still owe $350)
2. They will still be paying the interest to the credit card for Emergency #1
3. It is probable that they were not able to save up for emergency #2, since they were still spending extra money to pay for emergency #1, therefore they will have to borrow again to pay for Emergency #2
4. Now they are paying back both Emergency #1 and #2 ($850 total), paying interest on both amounts borrowed, and in even a more difficult place to start saving for emergency #3 since their minimum payment increased to $35.

This is only the beginning of the vicious cycle: it only gets worse from here. You can imagine what their financial lives will look like in 5 or 10 years.

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. -Proverbs 27:12 (NIV)

Earning Interest

Let’s assume you are one of the few (but extremely wise) Americans who decided to start an emergency fund (because some equally wise blogger told you it was a good idea). If you were able to find that $50 a month now (before emergency #1 happens) and start saving it to prepare for it, you would likely (and hopefully) be here when emergency #1 happened:

1. Have more than enough money saved for emergency #1 ($600 saved)
2. Will have earned interest ($15) on your savings which will have just increased the size of your savings even more ($615)
3. You will have a head-start saving for emergency #2, because you saved more than enough for emergency #1 ($615-$500=$115)
4. You will be earning interest on what you still have saved after paying for emergency #1 ($115), and you will be saving and earning interest on the amount you are saving for emergency #2.

When emergency #2 rolls around you will have $735 saved up to pay for the $500 emergency. Just repeat the process again and again and you can imagine what this will look like after 5 or 10 years.

How much should I put in my emergency fund?

I think $50 a month is a good ballpark to get started for many people. Obviously if you are making six figures, you may want to increase the amount or if you are making four figures, that may be too much. If you are having trouble finding the extra money, you may need to quit spending everything you make or learn what to do with a raise.

Where do I start an emergency fund?

These days high yielding savings accounts have terrible interest rates. I still like and use ING Direct for my emergency fund, but the most important part is getting started, no matter where it is. But, look for something that you can direct deposit into so you do NOT have to think about it.

Before I get a bunch of comments arguing about the frequency of emergencies or how much the average emergency costs, let me just say these assumptions are based on how things have worked out for me. I am sure some will have “emergencies” every 6 months and some every 4 years, but I am basing this off averages in my life. My intention is only to show the long-term benefit of building an emergency fund rather than using a credit card.

Homework:

1. Create an emergency fund
2. Set up Direct Deposit for the account to automate it.

Related Articles:

• How to make more money with your emergency fund
• How Large Should Your Emergency Fund Really Be?
• Using a Roth IRA as an emergency fund?
• 3 Steps to Strengthen Your Emergency Fund

Bob enjoys dark chocolate, paying off debt, giving, Foosball, loose-leaf tea, helping people succeed, learning, anything God created, playing guitar, Philippians, excellence, Chick-Fil-A, and making his wife smile. He started ChristianPF in 2007 and Co-Founded Blogging Your Passion in 2011. Find him on Facebook & Twitter.

So, you spend more than you make – you are not alone

This is a tough one. Spending more money than you earn is common practice in the U.S., and increasingly in other countries around the world. Credit card companies have simplified the process so much that it requires quite a bit of discipline to live only on the money you make. This is a difficult task, but it is the first step (and most crucial) for most people to financial freedom.

Video Intro

Just like there are more than one way to “skin a cat” or to quit smoking, there are multiple ways to spend what (or less than) you earn. Listed below are the steps that I took to make it happen for me.

1. Believe that you can.

This is so important, because it is this belief that is going to carry you when you feel like quitting. Find people who have gone from overspending to living within their means and get encouraged by their stories. I am not sure what made me decide that I needed to change, but I had read enough stories of people changing their financial picture that I truly believed that I COULD DO IT.

If you do not yet believe that it is possible, keep reading and listening to success stories until you believe that you can do it. When you get discouraged and feel like quitting, go over the stories again and encourage yourself. The motivation gained from other people’s successes are going to be one of your main keys to succeeding, because if you do not BELIEVE that you can do it, you are NOT going to make it.

2. Eliminate the temptation to spend.

I don’t really have an opinion about cutting up credit cards, because to me it is kind of like throwing away a smoker’s pack of cigarettes. It is pretty easy to go buy another pack of cigarettes and it is almost just as easy to get another credit card. Obviously, the key here is to have a burning desire to want to curb your spending. It is not a bad idea at all to cut up the credit cards. I think I did cut up my credit card (luckily, I was too foolish to know that you could have more than one credit card at a time).

Romans 13:14 says to,”make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

I did this by not going to the mall and not going out to eat. These were my two big areas where I spent/wasted the most money. Especially with the case of the mall, I could eliminate most of my temptation just by not being there.

3. Learn to say “NO” to yourself.

Learning to say NO to ourselves is one of the most beneficial habits we can develop. I call it a habit because it is truly is. People who never tell themselves NO have a difficult time doing it. On the other hand, people who regularly tell themselves NO find that although it may not be easy, it becomes less difficult the more you do it.

Your success is based on your ability to say NO

It is difficult to find a person who has had success in any area of their lives who didn’t become good at saying NO…

• If you want to lose weight, you have to say NO to your body when it tells you that it is going to die if it doesn’t get a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
• If you want your marriage to last you have to tell yourself NO when you really, really want to say something that you probably shouldn’t.
• If you want to succeed in your career you have to say NO to your body’s desire to be lazy and work hard and smart (even when no one is looking).
• If you want to get out of debt, you have to say NO to fun indulgences even when everyone else around you has them.

The list goes on and on, but the point remains the same: Get good at saying NO.

“Do something you hate every day, just for the practice.” –John Maxwell

The point John was making in this quote was that in order to succeed you have to do things you do not want to do. People who achieve their dreams have to pass up a whole lot to reach their destination.

As I think about areas of my life where I have been able to implement this in small steps, the corresponding rewards have been great. My walk with God, my finances, and my relationships have all seen great progress as a result of saying NO in seemingly insignificant moments.

By following these simple, yet difficult steps I went from spending about 125% of what I made to 85%. If you are over 100%, make that your first goal: not getting into anymore debt, then your next goal should be to snowball your debt and move to well below 100%.

Related Articles:

• Quit spending (Part 4)
• Encouraging story of getting out of debt: Patrick Gesselman
• How to negotiate with credit card companies – GS5
• Is It Possible to Manage Credit Cards Well?

Bob enjoys dark chocolate, paying off debt, giving, Foosball, loose-leaf tea, helping people succeed, learning, anything God created, playing guitar, Philippians, excellence, Chick-Fil-A, and making his wife smile. He started ChristianPF in 2007 and Co-Founded Blogging Your Passion in 2011. Find him on Facebook & Twitter.

You’ve been in the situation: someone you see needs help. They need a large amount of money and fast! What do you do? Dip into your emergency fund? Take out a loan? Find an extra job? Or tell them to ask someone else? These situations aren’t always easy. Let’s explore some ideas about giving.

I’m No Giving Expert!

See that title up there? It’s true. I’m relatively new to giving – I really couldn’t when I didn’t have any money. Now that my wife and I have paid off our non-mortgage debt and built an emergency fund, we have a little extra money at the end of the month. We’ve tithed from the beginning of our marriage, but seldom gave apart from that.

We’ve given occasionally, when we’ve seen a need, but were never truly prepared to give. When I say we weren’t truly prepared, I mean it wasn’t in our budget. That let me to think about the next question:

Should people have a giving fund? Should giving actually be a budgeting category that you fund every month? Perhaps it’s something you should refill every year. Hmm, interesting.

I’m hoping all of you ChristianPF readers out there have more answers than I do. I’m just getting the conversation started. Here are a few things to chew on before you head to the comments section . . . .

The Pros and the Cons

I’m trying to approach this objectively and consider all parties involved. So, when one is trying to do that, one should make a list of pros and cons of each option. Here is my list:

Giving Fund Pros

When you have a giving fund, you’re less likely to give out of impulsive emotion and destroy your budgeting categories. For example, let’s say you pull the money from your emergency fund. Was the purpose of your emergency fund really to fund other’s emergencies? Of course not! Having a giving fund keeps purposed money where it belongs.

Another benefit of a giving fund would be that you can clearly see how much giving you can afford. Some of you out there are so generous, you’d give the clothes off your back to help the needy. But if you sacrifice your essentials, doesn’t that just hinder you from being able to provide a living for your family and give in the future?

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. – 1 Timothy 5:8 NIV

Giving obviously should be prioritized: family first, relatives second, acquaintances and strangers third. A giving fund helps you determine how much you can give to your relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. Your family (household) is provided for through your budget.

Giving Fund Cons

The major downside to a giving fund is that it takes away much of the spontaneity of giving. If you know you have x-amount of dollars to spend on giving each year, that makes it difficult to fund bigger giving opportunities. It also takes away a certain feeling of sacrifice; you know you already had funds ready to give, and you’re simply following your budget.

Some might say that creating a giving fund limits God. But can something really limit God? One could argue that adhering to a giving fund might lead to a person ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit. No doubt, if God prompts you to give, you should no matter what. But maybe God wouldn’t prompt you to give more than you would have in your giving fund – as long as your giving amount was prayerfully considered.

What Are Your Two Cents?

Like I said earlier, I’m no giving expert. I’m testing the waters on giving. I want giving to be something that’s spontaneous and purposeful yet within reason.

Is a giving fund the answer? I want to hear from you. If you read this post, please put in your two cents below in the comments. We can all learn from each other, and any biblical advice you might have would be greatly appreciated!

Meet us in the comments! I’m sure you have something to say!

Giving money image from Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• 5 Essential Budgeting Categories – How You Should Fund Your Budget
• Do You Need an Emergency Fund? GS13
• How Much Should You Have in Your Business Reserves Fund?
• How to make more money with your emergency fund

John Frainee is a personal finance writer at TheChristianDollar.com. His goal is to provide biblical financial principles that encourage people to live healthier lives. Beyond personal finance, John enjoys spending time with his wife and two crazy cats, playing a competitive game of Monopoly, and reading just about anything he can get his hands on. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook.

What if I told you of an investment that:

• yields an extremely high return with zero risk,
• will pay lifetime dividends which increase exponentially after you die
• will allow you to be working with a financial adviser who is always 100% certain of the future
• is tax deductible while paying tax free dividends

“Such an investment doesn’t exist!” you would claim. “It flies in the face of all the conventional investing wisdom.  It would certainly be an anomaly.”

Right you are, but this investment really does exist.  Jesus was touting it 2000 years ago:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20.

Unfortunately, for most of us, these words have become stain glass scriptures.  We read them, nod our heads in agreement, and continue ignoring them.  Like stain glass, we admire their beauty but ignore their function.

Why We Ignore Treasure in Heaven

American Christians, while living in the wealthiest nation in history, give only 2.5% of their incomes to further God’s kingdom.  “Why”, I wonder, “don’t we take advantage of Jesus’ offer?”  I don’t claim to know all of the reasons, but here are a few:

1. We are short sighted.

We think a long term investment is for 20 or 30 years.  Wrong.  For life here on this earth, 30 years is indeed a long time, but when compared with the eternity of heaven, it is totally negligible.  Still, we will opt for our years on earth instead of planning for an eternity of treasures.  That is short sighted thinking.

2. We are afraid to let loose.

Jesus did not say to give every penny we ever touch.  He realizes a certain level of income is required for our basic needs and some of our wants.  However, he strongly advises us not to cling to earthly treasures which are laying around gathering dust … “where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal”.  Still, we all too often hang on to wealth which is over and above what we need or will ever need.  Why?  Because deep inside we have a dependence on a certain level of riches and a corresponding fear of turning loose.

3. We don’t really believe it.

We believe there is a heaven, but most Christians I know are extremely clueless about what heaven will be like.  I myself fall into that camp.  But I know this to be true: our eternity in heaven will be impacted by how well we invest in it here on earth.  Why else would Jesus challenge us to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven?”   Somehow, when we reach heaven, those treasures are going to be there for us.  Do you believe it?

4. Our preachers don’t preach about giving.

I am not beating up on preachers here, but my experience is that they seldom preach about giving.  Maybe they feel like doing so is nagging.  Perhaps the annual pledge drive has become mundane.  They may feel awkward about soliciting more funds from the people who pay their salaries.  Or … it could be that they don’t fully buy into the “treasures in heaven” Jesus promises us.

5. We see few role models.

I realize that we normally don’t know (nor should we know) how much others give.  Still, I think it would be a great inspiration for us to discreetly hear from others who have been blessed by stretching their giving.  I know when I read how John Wesley lived his entire life on the same income, while giving everything above that level away, I am inspired.  When I read how L. G. LeTourneau gave away 90% of his income, I want to do better than I have.

How about me?

I write this post just as much to myself as I do to you.  I have certainly not arrived in the area of giving, but I am glad to report that in recent years, Jan (my wife) and I have been incrementally boosting our giving.  Are we storing treasures in heaven?  According to Jesus, we must be.  We will find out when that time comes, but, in the meantime, we are enjoying the dividends of joy, peace, and true security we are receiving here on earth.

Reader:  How about you?  Are you taking advantage of this anomaly investment?  Does this concept of giving today so you can receive a treasure in heaven sound a bit self serving?  If so, why do you think Jesus promoted it?

Related Articles:

• Storing Up Treasure In Heaven
• Should Our Giving Be Motivated by Rewards?
• Would Jesus have an emergency fund
• 10 Compelling Reasons to Give More

Joe Plemon, a retired engineer, financial counselor and blogger, lives in Southern Illinois with Janice, his wife of 40 years. Joe likes online Scrabble, St Louis Cardinal baseball, blues music, power naps, high school football, short term mission trips and Sunday family dinners. You can read more from Joe at Personal Finance by the Book.

One of the most overlooked parts of the ten commandments might be number two:  You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

What’s the first thing you think of when the word ‘idol’ is mentioned? A golden calf? Pagan worship? Pagan idol worship was very relevant in the time of the Israelites.  But today we’d have a hard time visualizing a group of people standing around a calf to worship it.

Unfortunately, the idea of idolatry often gets pushed aside as irrelevant because people associate it with the Old Testament worship of idols.  The reality is that this commandment may just be one of the most relevant commandments for us today.

Defining Idolatry

I recently finished reading a book called Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller.  The author made it a point in the beginning to define idolatry.  He called an idol ‘anything that’s more fundamental than God is to your happiness, meaning in life, or identity.  In many cases, idols are not bad things – they’re just good things turned into ‘ultimate’ things.’

Does that help you understand the second commandment a little better?  It certainly helped me to see it in a different light.

While it’s true that money, sex, and power are three of the most powerful idols in the world today, we can allow other things to take the place of God in our life just as easily.

Potential Idols

Here are just a few that can easily cause us to replace our focus on God with the desire to succeed in these areas.

Work

We spend eight or more hours each day doing everything that we can to separate ourselves from the pack at work.  The desire to get a new position or increase in pay can easily cause us to think about our job nonstop.  For some, it can be all-consuming, and can quickly erode relationships at home or even at work.

Family

This sounds strange to think, but family (both spouse and children) can become an idol if we elevate them above God in our life.  Just think about when Abraham was told to sacrifice his son.  God asked him to do the unthinkable, and instead of elevating his most precious thing – his son Isaac – he obeyed God to the point of raising the knife to kill Isaac.  God provided a ram that day and Abraham’s obedience is a testament to God’s grace and desire for use to keep our lives free from idols.

Academics

The achievement of completing a degree or getting high marks can become an idol in our lives.  When nothing is more important than getting good grades, the idol of achievement in academics can take the place of God.  If your satisfaction comes through getting good grades instead of your relationship with God, it’s time to reevaluate what you elevate in your life.

Sports, politics, and entertainment

Almost anything can cause us to be so enamored that we can put the most important things aside.  The hardest part is that it’s not because we don’t care about our relationship with God, it’s just that we’ve missed the mark on setting our priorities.

Identifying and Replacing Your Idols

When Jesus told us in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” he was showing us how we can identify idols in our life.  If our thoughts are constantly being drawn to making more money, or to getting a better job, or going on another vacation, there’s a good possibility that we’re elevating those things to become ultimate things.

Remember, a lot of times, idols like our job, academics, or money are good things.  It’s when we make them into the ‘ultimate’ thing or ‘end goal’ that we’ve turned them into idols.

In the book of Colossians, Paul shares three things that will guide us in replacing our idols.  The first five verses of Colossians chapter three provide encouragement and guidance for those who have identified idols in their own life.

Set your hearts on the things above, where Christ is seated.

Set your minds on the things above, not earthly things.

Put to death the earthly desires. 

If I had to sum up these five verses, I’d say the main point is to renew your hearts and minds daily.  When we start our day in God’s Word and make prayer a focus in our lives, we’ll be able to recognize idols before they grow too big.

Do you have any encouragement for those who are trying to defeat idols in their life?  Share it with us in the comments.

Prayer image from Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• Gospel Neighboring, Your Money, and Fighting Idols
• How to Change the World by 5pm!
• The Life Of Moses: How God Is Always Working in Your Life
• 10 Ways To Simplify Your Life (And Make and Save Money In The Process)

Tim is a personal finance writer at Faith and Finance a Christian financial help blog that provides financial insights for individuals, businesses, and churches. Outside of finance, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife, playing the saxophone, reading economics books, and a good game of RISK or Catan. Find him on Twitter and Facebook.

This is going to be short and sweet.  It’s December already and it hit me as I was reading Norman Geisler’s book, “Coversational Evangelism,” that within the next 30 days we are all going to be sharing multiple meals with many of our friends and families.  With that in mind, I want to invite you, the reader (and anyone else you’d like to pass this along to), to accept a challenge that may stretch you out of your comfort zone this holiday season.  Actually, that’s EXACTLY the point.

With Christmas approaching at a break-neck pace, will you commit with me to slow down, fight the commercialism that so easily sucks us in, and PRAY for the opportunity to fulfill Jesus’ commission to us as His followers to share His message of hope and salvation during the holidays this year?  Chances are, if you’re anything like me, you won’t be lacking for opportunities to be around people who don’t know Jesus Christ personally…people that you haven’t seen in a while who may have been going through some “stuff” since you’ve last seen and talked with them.

So, with that in mind, let’s start NOW in preparing our hearts, our minds and our spirits by asking God, through His Holy Spirit, to help us to see past our own lives and into theirs.  Yes, we all have a TON going on in our lives, but I bet if you asked some of your friends and family this Christmas what they’ve been going through, you’ll have plenty of chances to forget about yourself and offer some encouragement…or a hug that you haven’t given in a while…or a message of hope…or even just a listening ear that prepares their hearts for a future conversation with them.  By doing this, we can tangibly show our love for them by following Jesus’ example in the gospels by meeting their physical or emotional needs first while helping to “clear the bushes” for them by removing some of the obstacles that they have which have kept them from considering (or reconsidering) Christ and who He claims to be.

My point is this: the mission field is coming to us in less than 30 days.  Let’s PRAY for the Holy Spirit’s leading and preparation…give ALL we’ve got to God…forget about ourselves (understanding that it’s not about us)…and give away the UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST as gifts to our friends and family this year.  And, please remember:  Be yourself!  Let’s not be CHEESY, JUDGMENTAL, or HOLIER THAN THOU…because they’ve seen enough of it all year long from other people (and sort of expect it).  What they need is you being genuine and listening to the Father that wants to speak into their lives through you this year.

The Bible says, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

The Invitation

1. Build a “TOP 5 LIST” of Friends and Family

If you were on your deathbed and God gave you one last chance to tell only five people about Him before you died, with the guarantee that they will accept His invitation, whom would you tell?  Obviously, there are no guarantees here, but just imagine it!  Who in your life comes to mind that you are burdened for and would cause you endless regret if you never told them about the gift of salvation that they could freely receive) before they (or you) died?  Now, sit down and write down those five names and then, over the next 30 days, as God prepares to bring the mission field to you, slow down and pray for them.  Let’s ask God, as Paul did, for opportunities to boldly open our mouths and proclaim the “mystery” of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19).

2. Accountability in the Comments Section

Okay, now for the really hard part!  It’s no secret that our marriages (even the “solid” ones) are one temptation/attack away from divorce; our young children are in danger of being eternally separated from God; and our own lives are only being help up each day by the grace of God Himself.  The fact is that, apart from God, we can do nothing on our own and there are millions of Christ-followers across the world that desperately want to go deeper in Christ while longing to have deeper/consistent ACCOUNTABILITY and friendships with other believers.  This accomplishes both.   My prayer is that God will fill the comments section with men and women who will come boldly before the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) knowing that they have access with confidence (Eph 3:11) to approach the throne of the God who rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

I’m praying for all who read this (and re-post or pass it along), and I look forward to hearing whether or not you are taking up this invitation to become the men and women that God has called us to be by reaching out to a world that God loved so incredibly much that He didn’t spare His own Son in order save it.  I’ve already completed my “Top 5”…have you?

Are you taking the challenge? Tell us about it in the comments!

Image by Greg Epperson/Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• The 10-Day Give Challenge
• 25 Inspirational Bible Verses
• How to Change the World by 5pm!
• The Art and Challenge of Making Good Decisions

Adam Simon is a devoted Christian, husband, and father of four. At age 19, his life was dramatically changed by God, forever transforming his life to one of unwavering passion and service to Christ. Today, through his writing, speaking, and love of God, Adam shares his personal message of faith and family with people everywhere. You can reach out to Adam directly at asimon126@gmail.com and through Facebook & Twitter.

I can reflect on times I’ve tried to live generously with my finances through sure willpower and determination.  While I saw initial fruit, this never produced lasting change in my soul.  Life’s ups and downs slowly chipped away at my will and eventually I was in the same old patterns of selfishness, fear and stagnation.

Then, there’s times when I’ve seriously contemplated on the grace of God and His generosity through Jesus Christ.  As a result, something exploded inside my heart, resulting in growth in my giving that has lasted long-term.  It’s as if I was compelled instead of being driven to hit a target percentage of giving.

Religion vs. the Gospel

Timothy Keller summarizes this tension very well in The Prodigal God where he writes, “Religion operates on the principle of ‘I obey—therefore I am accepted by God.” The basic operating principle of the gospel is “I am accepted by God through the work of Jesus Christ—therefore I obey.”¹

I am a born-again follower of Christ and have fully trusted in Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  I know that I am justified freely by His grace and not by works.  Yet, still, I see a constant battle within my own heart to gravitate towards religion when it comes to giving (and many other areas of my life) instead of truly embracing the fullness of the gospel and appropriating it in a way that makes a difference every single day of my life.  “A fundamental insight of Martin Luther was that “religion” is the default mode of the human heart.  So Luther says that even after you are converted by the gospel your heart will go back to operating on other principles unless you deliberately, repeatedly set it to gospel mode”(Keller, 2008, pgs. 128-129).

Can you relate to this struggle?

When I teach about biblical generosity within churches, I ask, “What makes Christianity any different than any religion as it pertains to generosity?”  Doesn’t nearly every religion or ascribed faith acknowledge the goodness of generosity?  The difference is that religion asks us to give of what we can (or the excess), yet followers of Christ are asked to give everything to God.  “Behavioral compliance to rules without heart-change will be superficial and fleeting” (Keller, 2008, pg. 133).  This is at the core of religion.

Yet, our Leader and Lord, Jesus Christ, set the ultimate example by giving His life, a standard none of us could ever accomplish.  This act of generosity solidified our value to God, and as a result we can give freely, without a pressure to satisfy religious requirements.

I’m so grateful that when Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He didn’t ask His Father if He could only give 10% of Himself for the world, and conclude that was enough.  It required all of Him and He gave 100% so that all can be saved through Him!

Jesus gave His very life, so you and I could be pardoned of our sin and forever in relationship with our Creator.  This is the radical truth of the Gospel and what sets Christianity apart from religion.  This amazing truth is what transforms us to live radically generous lives and is exactly what a lost and hurting world is looking for.

How do we personally appropriate the Gospel in our life?

Dictonary.com defines appropriate as, “to take to or for oneself; take possession of.”  I love this definition because I believe it helps communicate the intentionality we must have as Christians.  Because we are a forgetful people, we must be intentional to daily take possession of the gospel.

• Reacquaint yourself of the generosity of Christ:  2 Corinthians 8:9 states, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” When we truly reflect and take time to think about what God did for us, it ignites within us a desire to be generous back to Him.  This is one of the most important reasons I believe daily time in the Word of God is so important.  The Bible provides a daily, constant reminder, of God’s plan to redeem mankind by sending His only Son.  Seek to thank God daily for what He did for you.

• Reflect on those things holding you back:  2 Timothy 2:4 states, “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” Maybe it’s security in your savings account, fear that you won’t have what you need, or just plain selfishness that entangles you from a life of radical generosity for God.  It’s important to understand the root of what may be holding you back, so take inventory of those and pray specifically for God to transform your thinking to match His.  Be intentional about responding biblically vs. in the flesh.

• Rest in God’s care and provision:  Matthew 6:31-33 states, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” So often, we rest in ourselves and then turn to God when we have need or face circumstances beyond our control.  Scripture calls us to reverse the order.  As a result, we will see that we will have everything materially we ever need.  It’s important to note that this is not a “give to get” prescription.  God provides for us regardless.  The Lord is simply saying we must completely rest in Him vs. ourselves.  When we choose to do this, we can give radically, and still see God provide everything we need.  To rest means to make a decision.  Be intentional each day to declare where you stand.

• Respond back to God by modeling his example:  James 1:22 states, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”.  Galatians 5:1 also states, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  We are free because of Christ.  There is no weight or burden upon us to give so that we can be accepted by God.  We are already accepted fully in Christ.  Therefore, we can respond back, in this freedom, and be radically generous because we want to be like our loving Father.  It’s our adoration and love for Him and sparks a life of generosity.

So where do you stand?  Has giving merely been a way to satisfy a perceived religious requirement or have you experienced the freedom to give that can only come from followers of Jesus Christ? Meet us in the comments!

Image by James Steidl/Shutterstock

1 – Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal God. Riverhead Books. 2008

Related Articles:

• 4 Qualities of a Generous Life
• Gospel Neighboring, Your Money, and Fighting Idols
• Prosperity Gospel, Poverty Gospel, and the Gospel
• 10 Compelling Reasons to Give More

Chris McDaniel is the Chief Business Development Officer for DELTA Ministries International (DELTA) and author of Igniting a Life of Generosity. Chris loves to spend time with this wife, bumping the volleyball with his daughter, playing catch with his son, serving the “least of these”, pizza, snowboarding, running half marathons, and seeing followers of Christ become generous givers.

Wait a minute, why would I want to be rich when the Bible says that it’s easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven?  That’s a good question, and the topic of money and riches isn’t brushed over in the Bible (see for yourself with these 250 Bible verses about money).  As Christians, I don’t think we should be afraid of having money – it’s our attitude towards money that we should watch carefully!  The problem with wealth is that we can make it a god in our lives.  That is, we can spend too much time seeking out worldly wealth and forget about being content.

So when we find scriptures in the Bible that point to riches and wealth, we need to be careful how we look at them.   If we look at these verses as a recipe to create worldly wealth, we’re missing the point.  True wealth and riches aren’t found on this earth.  We know this from Matthew 6:19-21 . . .

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

As you read through these Proverbs, think carefully about the cause and effect of wealth.  The wisest and wealthiest man in the world wrote these as a way for us to truly understand that all wealth comes from God.  When we understand this and focus on humility, wisdom, generosity, hard work, and contentment we can expect to be enriched.

7 Proverbs That Will Make You Rich

Proverbs 22:4
True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.

Proverbs 8:18-21
I [wisdom] have riches and honor, as well as enduring wealth and justice. My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. Those who love me inherit wealth. I will fill their treasuries.

Proverbs 3:9, 10
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Proverbs 13:11
Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.

Proverbs 13:4
Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

Proverbs 30:7-9
O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.  First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Proverbs 11:24
Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.

3 Extra Verses On Securing Poverty

How many people would be quick to say that poverty is on the top of their list of goals?  I don’t know anyone who wants to volunteer to live a life of poverty.  Solomon addresses both sides of wealth and gives some warning on actions that lead to a less fulfilling and impoverished life.

Proverbs 1:19
Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.

Proverbs 22:16
A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.

Proverbs 24:33, 34
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Which of these Proverbs resonates with you the most today?  Do you have a favorite verse in Proverbs that speaks to you often?

Image by Nataliiap/Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• Is it a sin to die rich?
• Trust in God, not money
• Why Gather Money Little by Little?
• Will Sleep Really Make You Poor?

Tim is a personal finance writer at Faith and Finance a Christian financial help blog that provides financial insights for individuals, businesses, and churches. Outside of finance, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife, playing the saxophone, reading economics books, and a good game of RISK or Catan. Find him on Twitter and Facebook.

Halloween is out of the way, with its $7-billion price tag for Americans. On Halloween, I started to see some posts on Facebook and other sites where people were counting down the days until another holiday. Sadly, though, it wasn’t the “next” holiday. It was Christmas. I began to see people talk about playing Christmas music, putting up decorations, and starting their shopping, since it was now “holiday season.”

Let me quickly state that none of this is wrong. I’m not condemning Christmas. In fact, I like Christmas, but it always saddens me somewhat to see so many just jump from Halloween to Christmas, when there is another holiday in this “season.” In fact, it is a holiday that really reflects what a Christian’s heart should be.

Preparing Our Hearts for Thanksgiving

Oh, we like Thanksgiving day, but for what reason? Many folks only see that Thursday for (1) eating, (2) sleeping, (3) watching football, and (4) checking out sale ads for shopping on Black Friday.

Again, none of those things is wrong, but it makes for a holiday that is, for all intents and purposes, forgotten. To me, that’s sad, because Christians should be filled with thanksgiving, and should relish an opportunity to take the time to reflect on blessings.

So, with a few weeks to go until Thanksgiving Day, let me suggest some ways to prepare. None of these deal with selecting the perfect turkey or planning your TV viewing schedule around kickoff. They deal with something far more important: our heart.

1. Take stock of God’s blessings.

James tells us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). We may have sung the old hymn “Count Your Blessings” so often that it has lost the depth of its meaning to us, but it still teaches a valuable lesson. God has blessed each of us with so much. Even if you find yourself struggling financially, you still have so many gifts from the Father that you could have never gotten on your own. Thanksgiving is a great day to list just some of those things, and to be overwhelmed by just how much you have from God.

2. Remember your own weaknesses.

While not as pleasant to think about, it is also worth considering just what you cannot do! With the tremendous number of blessings God has given, the reality also strikes us that we could not do these things on our own. It is also worth considering what you could not do without others. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on your weaknesses, not as a way to “run yourself down,” but as a way to find humility in a world so short on that commodity.

3. Consider what is invaluable.

My favorite part about this holiday is that it is always spent with family. That is a blessing that does not have a price tag, nor could it ever have one. We spend so much of our time thinking of what “things” are worth, how much is in our accounts, what the value of our home is, and whether or not all those things are insured. Thanksgiving provides us a time to reflect on the things that cannot have a price tag put on them. You cannot buy deep relationships. Conversation is priceless. Health and the ability to enjoy these things is impossible to price. Think on that this season.

4. Do something for someone else.

If you are struggling with what is valuable, take a few moments and do an act of kindness for someone else. For one thing, it’s just the right thing to do. Also, though, it is one way to reset our priorities and remember how truly blessed we are. Volunteerism is a good way to do this, but so is just the old “random act of kindness.” Who on your street or in your office needs a pick-me-up? Who could use a visit in the hospital or nursing home? What young couple could use a free babysitter for a night so they can just get away for a couple of hours? What older person would love just one home-cooked meal? Taking care of just a need or two for someone else makes you truly thankful for what you have, and helps you forget what you might not have.

5. “Practice” thanksgiving.

In other words, say you are thankful! We are told to pray with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6), but we also need to get in the habit of saying “thank you” on a regular basis to other people, too. That one small act can change the way we view so much.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday (by far). It makes me sad that many, in practice, just overlook it and forget it. They may be off work, but they are not taking the day for what it really means. My prayer is that these 5 simple suggestions will help each of us make the most of this wonderful, but often forgotten, holiday.

What are you thankful for? Meet us in the comments!

Image by David P. Smith/Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• Hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner for Less
• 5 first grade money lessons that many adults have forgotten
• Thankfulness quotes
• An argument for giving gift cards

Adam Faughn is a minister in Nashville, Tennessee. He is married to Leah and they have 2 children. You can check out his personal blog or follow him on Twitter.

As I sat searching the Word this morning for comfort I was reminded of this crucial piece of wisdom that had drifted from my memory.

Over the years I have probably written about it in articles or emails a dozen times. But still, I constantly need to remind myself because it is so easy to forget.

What’s more is when I (or anyone really) forget about it, it causes a lot of undue stress that can be greatly minimized when we truly understand this one simple thing.

So what is this thing about money we should never forget?

It’s all God’s money and He is allowing us use it!

If you read the Parable of the Talents, you get a great illustration of how we are supposed to view money: it is all God’s money, and we just get to be managers of it in this life. It doesn’t matter if we have a little or a lot – we came into the world with nothing and we aren’t taking any of it with us. We have the opportunity to be greatly used by God with our finances as long as we get ourselves out of the way!

I am writing this today because I need it!

I found myself getting all caught up in “my money” and it was causing me a lot of unnecessary stress. As soon as I was reminded of this simple fact, it instantaneously changed how I viewed a tricky financial issue.

When it isn’t “our” money, but God’s, the weight of the responsibility shifts from us to Him. And this is exactly where it should be. We were designed to be dependent on Him. We are co-laborers and have a part to play in the process – but lets be real, the whole universe is framed by God’s words. If He forgot about us for half a second we would be goners.

Let’s let this be a reminder for us all. Whether things are tough financially right now or going well, it doesn’t matter – our proper role is to be a steward of whatever He has given to us!

Photo: Werner Kurz

Related Articles:

• Money Mind Tricks: Ways to Save Money and Control Spending
• The one thing I would teach a recent college Grad
• Switching Banks? Things To Remember
• How to Talk to Your Spouse about Debt and Money

Bob enjoys dark chocolate, paying off debt, giving, Foosball, loose-leaf tea, helping people succeed, learning, anything God created, playing guitar, Philippians, excellence, Chick-Fil-A, and making his wife smile. He started ChristianPF in 2007 and Co-Founded Blogging Your Passion in 2011. Find him on Facebook & Twitter.