This is a guest post from Michelle Harpole who runs a Computer Consulting and Web Design firm called TLR Office Solutions.
During tough economic times, it is not unusual to see a plethora of books published that purport to guide the reader safely through the rocky path to financial independence. What is unusual, however, is to find a book that shows Biblical principles on how to survive the tough economy. In the book Upside Living in a Downside Economy, author Mike Slaughter clearly and succinctly lays out a common sense, Biblically based guide for Christians to weather the current financial storm.
Designed more for an individual or small group study than for a casual read, Slaughter quotes from the book of James extensively to lead the reader toward a better understanding of the steps necessary to build a financially secure future: seek God’s perspective, rebalancing life investments, doing it today instead of procrastinating, and investing in God’s future harvest. Through a combination of common sense tips, personal anecdotes, and Scripture, Slaughter provides the reader with a more thorough knowledge of how God wants us to handle our money. At the end of this short book, Slaughter provides a personal inventory section in which the reader can assess his or her financial and spiritual priorities.
Slaughter’s ideas and suggestions are nothing new in the financial arena. Many, if not all, of his financial perspectives could have been gleaned from any financial book currently on the market. What Slaughter does bring to the table is a fresh look at how God wants us to deal with our financial situation. In the chapter “Do It Today”, Slaughter uses the principles of sowing and reaping to beautifully illustrate how we as Christians should view our financial situation. Slaughter also does a good job of continually asking the reader to look at his or her own financial strategy to see if it aligns with God’s will.
As a whole, Upside Living in a Downside Economy is a good book for those who have not been diligent with their finances in the past and are only now during this economic downturn seeking God’s wisdom to turn their situation around. For an in-depth manual on God’s way of handling money, however, this book does not go into the depth of detail necessary for a person to effectively learn how to manage their finances. I look at this book more as an appetizer, not as a main course. In a small group atmosphere (or for a family setting), I would recommend reading this book in conjunction with a book like The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey; in this way the group or the reader can see two different, Biblically-based, viewpoints while receiving common sense and practical principles to guide them to more financially stable ground.
