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As Christians we get our instructions and directions in  life from the BIBLE. (Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth). Biblical principles can teach us the following:  How to communicate with God; How to overcome our struggles;  How to love and forgive ourselves as well as others; and how to relate to wealth.

Its unfortunate that when it comes to making financial decisions, we often seek solutions to our financial struggles from the secular financial world. Regardless of your skin color, the level of your education, or the amount of income you earn, following the popular advice of  American Greed or other secular resources, can often lead you away from God’s best for your life. Think about it; How much faith does it really take to get into debt?

We don’t sit down and consciously decide to borrow ourselves into financial bondage. Usually we are influenced by listening to others who are in financial bondage themselves and appear to be enjoying it. You know what I mean?

Your friend or family member buys a new car with the leather package, GPS , satellite radio, heated seats and sun roof. They give you a ride…and of course you ask how much they paid for it. They explain how easily the dealership leased the vehicle to them so they could afford the payments. You think to yourself, “I can afford that”  and you run down to the dealership to join the ranks of our consumer driven society that is fueled by consumer debt.

Bottom line is, we are a generation that has forgotten or never learned how to financially discipline ourselves to save for purchases and avoid debt. I challenge you to raise your financial IQ. Read the word of God and Christian authors who share God’s plan for relating to money. One of my favorite books that I recommend on finances, is by Lee Jenkins entitled, “Taking Care of Business”.

Surround yourself with faithful stewards who are givers and savers. As you learn how to become more fiscally wise, share what you learn with family members and others in your sphere of influence. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.  Remember, keep praying, keep believing,  with God all things are possible.

Thanks for stopping by.  We welcome you to post how seeking wisdom from mature Christians who are faithful, has helped you become a better steward of your wealth.

Moving from a life of struggle to a life of stability is an individual choice. Many Christians cannot see themselves maturing from a life of struggle to a life of  stability; therefore they remain in a life struggle.

Faithful stewards learn to live on a budget and give their money a mission.  But more importantly,  faithful stewards are accountable to God. The faithful steward has learned to say “no” to the person in the mirror.

One of the keys that differentiate the life of struggle with the life of stability is the will to delay immediate gratification for long-term goals. One sign of spiritual maturity is the will to choose long-term goals over short-term  gain.

I clearly remember our parents teaching us the connection between work and money.  As a kid, they would give my two younger brothers and me money for doing chores like cutting the grass, raking leaves or washing the car.  As soon as I received my money, I would run down to the corner grocery store to spend every penny I had earned on Chinese Sweet & Sours Balls, Red Hots, banana flavored Now & Laters, and  my favorite, Hostess Chocolate Twinkies.

My parents would comment how  I had holes in my pocket when they observed how quickly I spent my money. They found teachable moments  to encourage me  to save.  They planted seeds of wisdom like ” Money don’t grow on trees” in  my life.  My parents were the first teachers who sowed into my life the importance of working hard and saving money.

My truth is,  even today as an adult I struggle with the desire to spend money I don’t have, to  buy things I don’t  need, to impress people I don’t know.  That desire to spend money grew into an uncontrollable desire to have wealth without going through the process of  developing the financial skills necessary to manage wealth.

In order for you to move to a life of stability you are going to have to go through the process. It’s your choice. You have the ability to become a better steward of your wealth. I am a living example that God will empower your life  to do that which you cannot on your own,  do for yourself. Remember keep praying, keep believing, with God all things are possible.

Thanks  for stopping by. We  welcome you to post how trusting God to mature you spiritually has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart,  so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV

Why would God say He loves a cheerful giver? Giving is an emotional experience that involves the heart.  The word of God says that where your treasures are, that’s where your heart will be also. You must make giving a part of your day to day Christian experience. Here’s how to start.

• Prayer…Ask for God’s power to change your heart. David asked  God for a clean heart. Only God has the ability to change hearts. God can transform your thinking if you give Him permission.
• Seek…Discover God’s wisdom in His Word. Turn off the TV,  iPad  and Blackberry.  Get into a regular Bible study group. How can you walk in God’s wisdom if you rarely read His divine road map?
• Fellowship…Rub shoulders with people who are generous givers of their time, talents, treasure (money) & temple(body) in honor of God. Hang around people who live a stewardship lifestyle and are great examples of faithfulness.
• Share…Tell your experience to others of how God has blessed your faithfulness. Many times you do not realize God is all you need, until God is all you got.

People can give more when they are not in bondage to debt and credit cards.  It is difficult to give cheerfully to the Kingdom when you have overextended yourself financially. Learn to say “No” to the person in the mirror and “Yes” to the Giver & Creator of life.

Thank you for stopping by. We welcome you to post how giving from a motivation of love has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.

Faithful stewards are generous givers. They are generous in giving of their time, they are generous in sharing of their talents, and they are generous in giving of their money. We all have people in our lives or know someone with the gift of generosity.

We can personally acknowledge, whatever we give freely and cheerfully to God, He multiplies it back to us in so many ways. Jesus said in Luke 6:38 “Give and it will be given to you. A measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you”.

Faithful stewards are not only generous givers, they are motivated out of love for God and for people.  The heart of the faithful steward says, “All that I have is Yours,  Lord.”  When we choose to give out of our love for God, He pours His favor over our lives.  If you are seeking God’s favor over your life,  begin giving generously from a place of love and joy.

Among my siblings, everyone knows our sister Vonseal has the gift of generosity. If you have a need and tell it to Vonseal, it will get taken care of. Even if you do not mention your need to Vonseal,  if God speaks to her heart to meet your need, it is taken care of.  She is a living example of how God uses generous givers to become a blessing in the lives of others and to channel His incredible love upon the planet.

God can trust Vonseal to be a blessing to meaningful others. She is a tremendous blessing to our family, to her church family, and her community. She generously gives of her  time, she generously gives of her talents, and she generously gives of her money to whatever God directs in her life.  Anyone who knows her, will tell you how God is moving all over her life and pouring His favor upon her.

As faithful stewards, we are examples to believers and non-believers in our circle of influence of God’s sustainable love. God loves us so much, He generously gave up His Son. His Son, Jesus Christ, loves us so much,  He generously gave up His life. What are you willing to generously give up to make a difference in the lives of others?

Thanks for stopping by.  We welcome you to post how being a generous giver has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.

But  thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18

The faithful steward’s life has become a reservoir of God’s bountiful blessings. Blessings seems to overflow in the faithful steward’s life.  I heard some say” I am drinking from my saucer because my cup is overflowing”. When God showers His blessings on the faithful steward, he wisely stores some of the surplus for the storms of life.

Faithful stewards humbly recognize the awesome power of God’s favor over their lives. They can feel God’s hand of protection covering them and have experienced over and over again God opening doors for them. They understand and acknowledge that God has given them the ability to have overflow.  The realization that God and God alone is the Source of all of our blessings, will determine what your future will be.

To move to a higher  level of  stewardship, you must be willing to make prayer the key to unlocking your financial destiny. You must be in constant contact with the Source of all surplus, overflow and abundance. God has plans for your entire life and this  includes your financial resources.

Faithful steward live  each day as if it is their last day, but plan as if they are  going to live forever. Faithful stewards understand the spiritual and financial consequences of each decision they make; that their money is either going into God’s storehouse or the enemy’s storehouse. They cheerfully give their first fruit off the top and then some. They have moved beyond the 10% tithe  and generously and consistently give a love offering out of their surplus.

Many Christians will never experience this level of stewardship in their lifetime. They will never feel the peace of God in this area. They have no desire to push pass what they can see, touch, hear, smell and taste and move into the life of financial faithfulness.  Remember, your faithfulness in handling what God has given you will determine your financial future.

Thank you for stopping by. We welcome you to post the keys that unlocked your financial future to help you become a better steward of your wealth.

Many of us only dream of saving money.  Here’s a quick  snapshot of America’s finances.  The Wall Street Journal indicates that 70%  of all Americans  live from paycheck to paycheck. The  Oprah Winfrey Show indicated on an online survey that 70% of responders has no savings anywhere.  You almost have to pull a gun on Americans to get them to save.

Solomon the wisest man who ever walk this planet says in Proverbs 21:30 “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.”

We have learned in Financial Peace University (3) key reasons to save money; for emergencies, for purchases and to build wealth. Working in the risk management and academic arena for over 20 years, we label emergencies in 5 categories we call the 5 storms of life or the 5D’s.

1Disasters – Car accidents, weather related perils, any unexpected incidents.

2Disability – Any physical condition that prevents your daily living activities.

3Downsized – Loss of employment, bankruptcy or divorce.

4Death – The loss of a  person who contributes to your financial well being

5Deployment- Active& reserve military called to serve 6 or more months away

If you want to become a faithful  steward you must begin the process of saving money. Moving to a higher level of stewardship requires dedication, discipline and diligence. Living the life of surplus and overflow takes wisdom.

Many of us have struggled so long in our financial lives we get comfortable with a life of stability.  Now is not the time to rest, keep moving. There is so much God have for you to learn, experience and become. You must choose to make saving a  top priority.  The choice is up to you.

Thank you for stopping by. We welcome your post how making saving a top priority has helped you become  a better steward of your wealth.

If you are really really really ready to become a better steward of your wealth you must be willing to go through the process of increasing your financial IQ. It’s been said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over, expecting a different result”.

We challenge you to open your mind to raising your financial intelligence.  We recommend attending a Financial Peace University Class ( www.fpu.com )  a 13 week class that teaches biblical principles for handling money.  We promise you, your financial life will never be the same.

Ardella and I are helping meaningful others learn how to manage their money wisely by facilitating the Financial Peace University curriculum . Ardella and I personally were able to pay off over $70,000 of debt in 48 months by learning to use the debt snowball. We experience a three-step process of becoming dedicated, disciplined and diligent in order to receive our financial deliverance from the bondage of debt.

The first step was becoming dedicated in desiring to get out of the bondage of debt. We made becoming debt free a priority in our  prayer life. We asked God to renew our hearts and minds so the we could have a desire to live debt free.

The second step was disciplining our money habits, we give our money a mission. We began spending our money on paper, on purpose before the month begin by making a cash flow plan and using the debt snow ball.

The third step was diligence in working our financial plan. It took us 48 months of faithful diligence, discipline and dedication before we begin to experience  deliverance from financial bondage. The journey out of this mess didn’t happen over night and neither was the trip into it.

We thank God for answering our prayers and bringing us to this place of deliverance and healing. There are many married couples who cannot agree on how to handle their money who argue with one another, manipulate one another or just avoid one another. Unfortunately, many of these  couples end up destroying their marriage because of money.

Practicing biblical principles for handling money has empowered us financially and spiritually. We have no desire to spend money in order to prove to the world we have arrived. More importantly we are free to serve and give to God cheerfully without the financially bondage of debt in our lives. There is financial peace in our home.

Thank you for stopping by. We welcome you to post how increasing your financial IQ has helped you to become a better stewards of your wealth.

You are either a faithful steward or a unfaithful steward;  a  good example or a poor example. There is no in between. I clearly remember speaking at a  Community Empowerment Session for a church on the topic of stewardship.  When I completed my presentation I sat down next to Ardella and whispered “How did I do honey?

She looked dead to my eyes and asked, “Why are you talking about  something you are not doing yourself”?  Ouch! Yeah that hurts, but I made up my mind that day not to stand in front of God’s people and talk about something I was not practicing in my own life.  Just like the 70’s R&B group The Dramatics  sang in one of their many hit songs;  What You See is What You Get. Through the power of Jesus  Christ I’m committed to being a person of integrity. What you see is what you get.

I heard one my spiritual mentors Pastor Benjamin Jones say “Your career ends when you die, but your character goes on for eternity”. Gods truly wants to develop our character. He sent his son Jesus Christ to be our earthly example. When Jesus Christ returned to heaven to be with his father, he sent his followers a Comforter to empower us to overcome selfishness, lust, greed, deceitfulness, and covetousness so we can walk in our God-given purpose.

Faithful stewards are people of integrity. They follow through with what they say they’re going to do. Faithful stewards are people whose word is their bond. Faithful stewards are good examples and good leaders. They are an extremely positive witness to those who are in their circle of influence. Proverbs 20:7 (NASB) says, “A righteous man walks in his integrity; How blessed are his sons after him.”

How we spend and relate to money has more to say about our character than anything else. Have you ever spent money you don’t have, for a gift that someone don’t need, so people don’t become disappointed with you?  Many times money will reveal our inner selves; our true character. Our desire to make everyone happy during the holiday season can give your finances the holiday blues.

We encourage you this holiday season to spend wisely. Overcoming an American culture that encourages spending at the end of the year takes planning and discipline. Setting boundaries for the amount of money you are going to spend during the holiday season can bring joy and peace to your life.

Thank you for stopping by. We welcome you to post how not faking it till you make  and being  a person of integrity has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.

Living a  life of surplus is a great place to be. Ardella and I have journeyed through the process of learning how to put our faith in God and not the blessings he provides..ie (Wealth, Education, Social Capital and Good Health)  We have learned how to walk in faith when experiencing life struggles and the storms of life. Faith is the ability to walk past your current reality, while anticipating a fabulous future.

To walk in God’s favor you must develop the inner discipline it takes to delay immediate gratification by surrendering lordship of your life to God. The faithful stewards can say “no” to the person in the mirror and “yes” to the will of God. Faithful stewards first seek and desires God’s blessings to shower down over their lives.

You can count on a faithful steward to give generously from a place of love. You can not stop a faithful steward from giving.  Giving is a part of their lifestyle, it is in their spiritual DNA.  I heard someone say,  “Old stewards never die. They just give themselves away”.  He, who is forgiven much, loves much. He, who loves much, gives much.

Ardella and I have learned how to wisely look around the corner and plan for the storms of life or 5D’s (Disaster, Disability, Downsizing, Deployment and Death). We openly share how to prepare for the storms of life  or the 5D’s at our community  financial empowerment sessions. http://stewardshipofwealth.com/ourservices.html  Faithful stewards must learn how to forecast and plan for their financial future 5, 10, and 20 years down the road.

Faithful stewards constantly strives to improve and enjoy a higher relationship with the Creator each year, each month, each week, each day, each hour, each minute and each second of their lives. They truly understands that God is the  Creator/Owner and we are only stewards/caretakers.

Ardella and I know who has brought us financially to this point in our lives and we remember where we were in the years past.  Our daily prayer is ” O Mighty God, teach us to be your faithful servants”.  We encourage your faithfulness to God and to walk in his favor. Your life can become a great example to the world of what a Mighty God can do in the lives of his people.

Thank you for stopping by. We welcome you to post how walking in God’s favor has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.

We have personally experience family and friends who have become really excited about a business opportunities that has enlightened their minds to the great earning potential we enjoy here in America. We enjoy encouraging individuals  who have a plan, passion, and a purpose for getting rich.  We can be in the middle of a recession and they will continue to seek creative ways to realize their financial dreams.

Deciding to become a better steward of your wealth takes wisdom, diligence and prayer. If you seek the spiritual power that God gives to get wealth, you are going to have to think differently and make choices that will move you toward your financial destiny.

You will be surprised to discover the profile of those who accumulate financial prosperity in America. According to Thomas J. Stanley & Williams D. Danko authors of the The Millionaire Next Door who researched Americans that have a net worth of a $1 million, or more.

Their findings are interesting. Usually the person is an entrepreneur, who has lived in the same city all their adult life. The own either a service company, small factory or chain of stores. They remain in a lifetime relationship and have married once. They live next door to people with a fraction of their wealth. They earned their money on they own and 80%  are first generation rich.

Here are seven common traits found in people who successfully create wealth: ( Adapted from the The Millionaire Next Door)

1. The live well below their means.

2. They balance and integrated their time, energy and money efficiently in ways that create wealth.

3. The believe that financial independence in more important that displaying high social status.

4. Their parents did not give them their wealth.

5. Their adult children are economically self-sufficient.

6. They are good at finding and targeting marketing opportunities.

7. They chose the right occupation

Jesse Jackson says in book It’s About Money, ” Income without wealth, is just flash without cash.” Always remember  income is based on your paycheck and wealth is based on your assets. (what you own)

In closing I leave you with the words of  Solomon the riches man who ever lived on the planet. “Do not wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. ” Proverbs 23:4,5 (NLT)

Thanks for stopping by. We welcome you to post your comments on how avoiding the temptation of get rich schemes has helped you to become a better steward of your wealth.