Read Project F6 = Faith if you haven’t already…

Money, Money, Money…Money.  The last area that we need to have a map for is our finances.  If we don’t control our money our money will control us.  It will dictate what we can and can’t do in life.  Money becomes the master and we become a slave to it.  I think the 2 most often used excuses to not step out and follow your dreams are…

1. I don’t have enough time (that is why we are doing Project F6 to map your time)

2. I don’t have enough money

These 2 excuses are the common denominator when it comes to feeling trapped.  We live in the box and are given no space to move around in freedom.  It is like a prison.  Finances are powerful.  They are powerful because they are directly related to our heart.

Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Our treasure is our finacnes.  Our finances are not just practical, they are spiritual.  Stewardship is the Biblical word for what we do with our finances.  We have been given the ability by God to create wealth or to squander our wealth, it’s all about how we use what is given to us.  We have been given skills to make a living.  Jesus was a carpenter by trade, but the Savior of the world by purpose.  He still had to eat, provide clothes, pay taxes, and live life normally in the culture (in terms of money).  Paul the Apostle made tents on the side as he preached and ministered.

Finances are a part of life.  It is what we do with them that makes the difference.  The Bible says the love of money is the root of evil, not money itself.  Money is connected to our heart.  So if our heart is greedy for money, or for selfish reasons it can become an evil vice in our life.  However, if money is used for Godly reasons and for the right things then money becomes a tool that God uses to bless us and open doors for us to do what He has called us to do.

I think there are 4 things we need to do with our money…

1. Make It

It takes money to live life.  We provide for ourself and our family by earning money.

1 Timothy 5:8: If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family,

he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

We are called to make money and provide.  We cannot be lazy and expect to live off of others.  The Bible says the lazy man leads his life to poverty, but the diligent man gains wealth.  The lazy wait for others to give them something, while the diligent go out and use the wisdom God has given them to plant and produce.  A farmer doesn’t just plant one seed and hope for that one seed to produce enough harvest for life.  The farmer plants many seeds in order to produce a large harvest.  I think that we need to find several ways to make money.  Dave Ramsey says, “Everyone should have multiple streams of income.”  When I heard this statement a while back it totally made sense to me.  We need to find ways to plant many seeds just as the farmer plants many seeds.  The harvest is dependent on the amount of seed you put into the ground.  In the same way our income and earnings are dependent on how many areas we are able to make money in.  Do what you do well and you will rise, do what you do average and you will stay where you are at, do what you do poorly and you will have nothing (your fired).

2. Save It

We need to make sure we are living in a way that is preparing for the future.  The amount that you save is relative to what you make, but the principle always applies.  If God calls you to do something for Him that requires money, will you have it? Will you have already prepared to step out and go, or will it be dependent on the next 10 paychecks? Saving is a hard thing for some.  Especially if you are the “free spirit” as Dave Ramsey calls them.  Do you have an emergency fund? Do you have funds that you are saving for a later day? Erin and I are currently working on this whole area right now.  We feel that we need to prepare ourself for the future so we are making a map to get there.  Don’t take every penny you have and toss it away immediately.  Slow down.  What is your saving plan?

3. Spend It

Obviously we have to spend money in order to live.  Another principle is…we have to spend it to make it as well.  But the hinge point about spending is…we have to spend it on the right things.  Spending money on the right things is wise, spending it on the wrong things is wasteful.  You have to ask yourself, “Is the money I am  spending bringing a return?” I believe we have to invest into the proper things in order to get the proper result.  If we don’ have a home we live in and take care of it we will miss out on the comfort and rest that we need in order to face the tasks God calls us to.  If we do not eat our bodies shut down.  If we do not have clothes on, hey, we get arrested.  If we don’t spend money to develop our dreams and skills how will we ever step out and use them? If we don’t have a car how will we drive to where we need to go, to make the money we need to make, in order to do what God has called us to do? Spending money on the right things are necessary, it is the un-necessary things that kill us.  Our family spends a lot of money on books, however this is an area that is vital for us as a family.  The ideas, dreams, and knowledge that we get from reading are the tools that God uses to teach us.  Books are our investment into our life and future, and they bring a HUGE return.  I am who I am because of the books I read.  We want our girls to grow up with a hunger and thirst for wisdom and teaching.  So we invest into books that will grow us and teach us how to be better.  We don’t just read fictional (nothing wrong with fiction by the way), but we spend our time with books that are informational and motivational.

4. Give It

This step is vital.  If we are not great givers we will never be great receivers.  Giving is what keeps our finances blessed and un-stressed.  When we are givers of what we have, God gives us more to have.  If we hold on to our money with a tight fist we can’t receive any money.  It is only with an open hand that we receive money and give it away.  God blesses us to bless others.  The more we bless others the more He blesses us.  Over the years Erin and I have always stayed true to being givers.  We try and help others in their time of need, give away what we have to those in need, and give a percentage of what we make back to others.  At times with our finances we create a separate budget outside of our tithe for giving to others.  I don’t say this to brag or try to get attention (hey, it’s not much, but it’s what we can do).  I say this to let you know how important we believe giving is.  The ONLY way that we live and make it is by our giving.  God has blessed us tremendously.  Erin and I strongly believe and know that it is only because we are faithful to give.  There is no other way we have lived and do what we do than by what God has done for us.  There have been times that we have found money, received anonymous money, and have been blessed by others right when we needed it the most.  God blesses those that bless others.  Be a giver!

Get a map for your “Finances” time and live it out.  Here are some ideas for your Finances Map…

Project F6

Finances

Purpose: My Stewardship

Question: Am I providing and giving?

First, take out a piece of paper and write “Finances” at the top, and then put a circle around it.  Now, using one word, write down a sub-category that you feel is the most important under the banner of “Finances” (see examples below).  Put a circle around that word and draw a line connecting this circle with the “Finances” circle.  You can have as many sub-categories as you want, but don’t go too overboard for now.  Better to start small and work your way up to more later.  Because of the nature of this area being very personal I am going to generalize the areas without giving details.  For example…some of my sub-categories for “Finances” are…

Finances

– Making

– Saving 

– Spending

– Giving

Now that you have taken the time to map out the sub-categories that are most important under “Finances”, take it one step further.  Under each sub-category begin to write down the things that will help you accomplish these areas.  For example, my things are…

Making 

– Job

– Other Areas

Saving  

– Emergency

– 3-6 Months Income

Spending

– Bills

– Resources 

– Life

Giving

– Tithe

– Others

You can continue to break down each category into action steps to help you define what you are going to do in each area.  For example here are some of my areas broken down…

Making 

Job 

– Income

– Responsibilities

Other

– Streams of Income

– Ideas