A long-haul cargo plane pilot described his job as hour upon hour of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. That’s a pretty good description of the stock market. There are long periods when not much happens. And then there are times like these, with war in the Middle East […]
There are countless tips and “tricks” you can use to speed up the process of getting out of debt, save money at the grocery store, and invest more for the future. But if you really want to get the money thing right, you have to cultivate certain inner disciplines. And there is one that rises above […]
As I sat at a red light in our neighborhood last week, waiting to make a right-hand turn, my attention was focused on traffic coming from my left. As I waited, I committed a grievous sin. I didn’t notice that the oncoming drivers were slowing down because their light had turned red and mine […]
Following the holidays and at the start of the new year, much is said about creating a healthier lifestyle. I wonder what percentage of us have a financially healthy lifestyle. Of course, that would require some criteria that define “financially healthy.” I gave it some […]
Each Christmas season when our kids were younger, we would change their bedtime routine to include singing some traditional Christmas carols like Silent Night and O Holy Night. The songs made for a soothing transition from playtime to bedtime. […]
My brother and I were walking in downtown San Diego on our way to dinner a while back when I heard a voice that stopped me in my tracks. I hadn’t seen where the voice came from or who it belonged to, but amidst the noise of the crowded city streets these words found their way deep […]
When most Christians think about the Bible and money, we probably think of the passages that warn us about its dangers. For example, Paul wrote to his young protégé, Timothy: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced […]
Proverbs 22:6 reads, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” The question is, what should that training entail? Sharing the Gospel is obviously a priceless lesson for our children, but teaching them to manage money God’s way is perhaps the next most […]
At first glance, this verse seems like a simple contrast between earthly money and spiritual reward. But when we slow down, examine the Greek, and consider how Jesus’ original audience would have understood it, we uncover something much deeper: a warning about what it means to be […]
Ron Blue speaks about five decisions we must make as Christians if we truly want to make an impact with our lives and experience financial joy. The first two decisions are about salvation and lordship. In those decisions, we come face to face with the radical grace of Jesus and His authority in our lives. […]
In the doctor’s waiting lounge, I began to look through a local “buy, sell, trade” website. One advertisement caught my attention: “I saw a pretty boat, I wanted a pretty boat, I bought a pretty boat. The boat is still pretty, but I don’t want the pretty boat anymore. I do not want to see the […]
When Jesus became human, He did so in order to reveal the Father to us. In Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, He tells Nicodemus that He has come to give testimony to what is heavenly: the love of the Father. He reminds Nicodemus that, “No one has ascended to […]
If you’ve been around financial stewardship circles for a while, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “God owns it all.” And you’ve probably been taught that you’re a steward or manager of everything God has temporarily entrusted to your care. But I […]
Early in my journey of learning about money, I noticed a very odd disconnect. On the one hand, it was obvious that there’s a ton of personal finance advice readily available. Search on any financial question and within seconds you can find answers—sometimes, even credible answers! […]
Did you know there is a national Quitter’s Day? It’s the second Friday of January because that is the day when most people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions. The diet is broken; the credit cards are maxed out; the garage still needs cleaned; etc. I’m convinced that the reason so many of us break […]
We are called to go out into the world and live lives of impact. To live in synch with how God designed us. To be generous with our possessions and time so that we can “be a blessing to others.” “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will […]
In our side yard a tree has survived ice storms, heavy snows, and howling winds. Several times in the decades we’ve lived here, I thought it would fall. Now I expect it to long outlast me. I’ve taken pictures of my preschool daughters in that tree, and of their […]
Several years ago I was having coffee with a new friend named Chris when he said something I’ll never forget. He said, “The greatest obstacle between people and Jesus in our culture is money.” “I think I agree with you,” I responded, “but unpack that for me. Why do you believe […]
In December of 2006, as each week brought news of yet another publisher that had decided to take a pass on a book I had poured a year of my life and left a well-paying corporate job to write, I found myself deeply discouraged and increasingly worried. Was it a colossal mistake to […]
I used to think there were just two types of jobs in the world: meaningful jobs and all the rest. Meaningful jobs were ones in which the work itself helped people or solved some of the world’s great problems. Any other type of work was just a job. I now see it differently. Some do get the […]
Every day of our lives, we are the unwitting recipients of countless messages designed to foster discontentment. And they work really well, convincing us that we need something more in order to be happy. In order to be worthy of love or […]
It’s easy to make managing money more complicated than it needs to be. That’s because money isn’t just an objective “means of exchange” as the dictionary defines it. Money is wrapped up in our emotions – our hopes, dreams, and fears. This […]
Of all the things we can do with money, giving it away seems completely, utterly irrational, doesn’t it? After all, we work hard for what we earn. And after paying all the bills and putting a little aside for the future, there just isn’t anything left to give, right? Well, it turns out that generosity is an essential part of a […]
Stillness is devalued and often discouraged in society. All around us, people shout for our attention. Project deadlines press us hard on every side. The pace of life saps both our strength and our passion. So, what pace should we choose if we want to thrive? We think that when we drill […]