I Must Decrease

 

I Must Decrease

"He must increase and I must decrease" (John 3:30)

In these seven words, John crystalized what our aim is to be in our walk with Christ. Today we will look into areas we can apply this fundamental in our finances.

    The photo of the pie above is meant to relay the aspect that there is a finite amount of your desire, intent, or will to go around. And that as we yield to the Spirit to reduce our slice of the pie and bring closer to a full measure of God's slice, we will be transformed greater and greater into His image, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 3:18.

    One easy place to first measure "your pie" in your finances is in the obedience of giving in tithes and offerings. Has there been a struggle in bringing your tithe to the Lord? If there has, the first question is, am I placing God first in line to give to Him after I am paid? If we are waiting until later in the week, what we are doing is taking a larger slice of that pie, and allowing the possibility of other things to come up, and then arrive at the excuse of "I can't afford to tithe this time".

    Many will quote Malachi 3:10, which speaks to God opening the windows of heaven in response to trusting Him in giving tithes, and that is good. But if you've experienced "other things coming up" and then you have not tithed - look at what is promised for obedience in the verse that follows in Malachi 3:11... "I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts." If we have faith and trust Him first, He will take care of eliminating that thing to come up and harm our finances. Really, it is showing graphically that as we decrease, He will increase and make Himself known.

    How about when it comes to our spending? Many corporations will produce pie charts to show the breakdown of expenses. You may not have to go to that degree of detail, but I do encourage you to take a look at the areas of your spending and in regarding the opening verse of "He must increase and I must decrease", to honestly assess if there are categories or unnecessary things in certain categories that are keeping you from either tithing or are increasing your debt load. If spending is out of control in an area, the only way to achieve results is for you to decrease so that He may increase.

    Looking out towards others in need, be encouraged that if you are giving of your time, giving actual items you have, or giving of your finances - to think along the lines that as you give it is living out the scripture of you decreasing and He is increasing. The recipients of your giving, some of whom you may not meet, will be impacted positively in their view of the Lord and His giving nature because they have experienced it personally. To take this thought a little deeper of Him increasing, recall what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 - The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

    Bringing this towards a close, when you are giving of your finances, yourself or possessions, think of what happens in that action by applying the words of Jesus in John 12:24... "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

    

    

From A to Z - Part II

 

From A to Z - Part II

"For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)

    This month we will continue in providing "ammunition" of scriptures you can use relating to your finances, either to stand on for promises from God, or to aim for in our actions and obedience, with each keying in a word beginning from A to Z.

Nothing - "For with God nothing is ever impossible..." (Luke 1:37) It matters not how difficult your financial situation may appear, because the Creator of the universe who brought all things into being is near, is with you, is ready to hear your prayer of faith and to act on your behalf to show Himself to you to His glory.

Obey - "Obey your masters; be eager to give them your very best. Serve them as you would Christ" (Ephesians 6:5). I feel we can bring our strongest witness of the Lord in our workplaces as we live this verse out, and that God will reward our obedience in many different ways, including in our finances.

Patience - "To your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add patience; to your patience add devotion to God" (2 Peter 1:6). Patience is a vital bridge to recognize, as it carries us from the concept of a good desire to spanning the time necessary towards completion. Patience will keep us from spending beyond our means and allow us to reach our goals.

Quiet - "But let it be the inner man of the heart - an incorruptible meek and quiet spirit - which is a very valuable thing before God" (1 Peter 3:4). The quality of being quiet also weaves into hearing from God, to "be still and know that I am God". Embracing quietness allows us to hear His voice over the noise of the world and our own flesh in our finances and elsewhere.

Run - "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). This verse speaks of the ultimate swiftness, power and loving-kindness God will show to you for trusting Him.

Spirit - "Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit knows what path and what timing is perfect for you personally when facing a decision financially or otherwise. The Spirit will always agree with the Word of God, which raises the importance of reading His Word regularly, so we can run with what we've heard that is in agreement.

Test - "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10). God is so certain of HIs ability to show Himself to you for being obedient, He issues this challenge to experience His faithfulness back to you.

United - "So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife. And the two people will become one body" (Genesis 2:24). Being in unity and of one mindset in marital finances, when it comes to spending, debt and giving is vital to success, and I have also seen the Lord blessing the family that is in unity in these areas.

Vision - "Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he who keeps the law--blessed is he." (Proverbs 29:18). I can share that we literally had a poster chart with this verse on the wall tracking our progress of paying down debts every month that we filled in together... and saw the vision coming towards reality - it was a tremendous encouragement.

Wealth - "But remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant He swore to your fathers, as it is today" (Deuteronomy 8:18). He provides us with good health, wisdom and leads us in paths to prosper. Beyond the quiet times to remember Him when seeking His face, we stay humble and remember the Lord when we give to Him in tithes and offerings, being generous to others, remaining content, regarding Him as our source and not our own hands.

X - There are no verses in standard translations with a word beginning with X, however I encourage you to view from the Archives section the October 2023 post titled "The X-Ray". In this post I share what I feel is the #1 tool you can employ immediately to illuminate and start you on a path towards spending less than you make.

https://broomfieldassemblyfinancialfitness.blogspot.com/search?q=x-ray

Yoke - Take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30). There is a clear distinction from the heavy yoke of weariness brought on in time by following the world's greedy and covetous ways and trying to impress others - to the lighter yoke of the Lord, that releases us from such pursuits and places Him first, serving the Lord in our finances.

And lastly, we will close this tour of the alphabet in God's Word with Z. With many of the verses we've read over the last month and this month relating to promises from the Lord... let's receive encouragement and get a glimpse of how awesomely intense the Lord's love, dedication and loyalty is for us and for performing His Word and promises given, because He states in one Z-word how it will be accomplished:

"Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:7)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

                    

    

From A to Z - Part I

 

From A to Z - Part I

    "Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him."

    This verse from Proverbs 30:5 reminds us of the straightforward yet profound perfection of God's Word. Over this month and next you will receive verses of "ammunition" relating to our finances that can be applied, either to stand on for promises from God, or to aim for in our actions and obedience, with each keying in on a word beginning from A to Z.

Above - "Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not the things that are on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). As we embrace this in our thoughts, we will desire less of the world's "things" and we'll find ourselves wasting less money and time pursuing those things.

Blessing - "A person of blessing will be enriched, and he who gives water also will be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:25). Here and in many other places God promises to return blessings back to those who are generous towards others.

Content - "But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied)" (1 Timothy 6:8). Our ability to lean on contentment in Christ is one of the best deterrents to indulging in extravagant and unnecessary spending to sink us into debt.

Diligent - A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied (Proverbs 13:4). God speaks highly of being diligent - from listening and seeking Him, and in our efforts of working... where He promises those who do so shall rule and have riches.

Enjoy - "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance" (John 10:10). From experiencing life with debts and without debts, I can testify God intended us to enjoy life without debts, and experience that peace.

Faithful - "Because you have been faithful and trustworthy in a very little (thing), you shall have authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17) Joseph was a great example, of how to be faithful to the Lord in handling smaller things, He will entrust us to greater things. I feel this also translates to how we handle smaller amounts of finances to graduate towards larger amounts.

Guard - "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23). This verse speaks strongly... "above all that you guard". We are charged to continuously reject worldly ways, in our finances this would include impulse spending, keeping up with the "Joneses", and a lack of concern for counting the costs to come.

Help - "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (Hebrews 4:16). It does not matter if our financial difficulties came from our choices or a circumstance that came upon us, God encourages us to come to Him and receive His grace, bringing peace until that time when He moves on our behalf. 

Integrity - "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them" (Proverbs 11:3). Part of integrity is defined as "the state of being whole and undivided". The greater degree that we think and walk undivided in the Truth, God will lead us to the right steps to take, including in our finances and in fair dealings with others.

Joy - "Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus endured, knowing it would save the world. In the same manner, we can endure the temporary hardships of denying our flesh towards paying down debts - while imaging the joy before us what it will be like to pay off that credit card, car and home down the road.

Keeper - "The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand" (Psalms 121:5).

We can rest in and trust in these words, which from the root Hebrew word of keeper speaks to God being specifically our hedge and our protector.

Lack - "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him" (James 1:5). Whether it is with our finances, vocation, or other areas. If we humble ourselves and simply ask, God will show us His wisdom in that purchase decision, managing our finances or being the best we can be in our work.

Meditate - "I will meditate on Your precepts and have respect to Your ways" (Proverbs 119:15). Treasuring His words enough to spend time on them in thought after we read or hear them will increase our ability to use them as a "sifter" to us, providing discernment to know what is right and wrong when financial decisions arise and all other matters.

    We'll pick this back up next month for the remainder of the alphabet. Lasty, be encouraged that God continuously guides us from His word, using a familiar passage from Psalms 119:105, but from the Voice translation bringing some additional perspective:

"Your word is a lamp for my steps; it lights the path before me"

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

Doing Nothing

 

Doing Nothing

    "Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks." This verse from Ecclesiastes 10:18 paints a very clear picture to the results of doing nothing regarding a house, and we should be able to relate to it easily. But have you considered the repercussions and costs from doing nothing in certain areas of your finances?

    God warns us in many places of His Word how He feels about laziness and neglect. Including Proverbs 18:9 - "Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys." and with the slothful servant in Matthew 25, who hid his masters money in the ground - the master took the money from him and cast him into the outer darkness.

    But if we turn towards being aware of what we can do and investing some time and effort, there are many places we are able to reduce or stop this drag against our finances, which because of the effects of compound interest is almost as certain as the effects of gravity when left alone.

    If you currently carry a balance on your credit card - simply meaning you are not paying it off every month, it is making everything you buy more expensive. According to the Federal Reserve, as of November 2024 the average interest rate was 22.80%. If you feel inflation is making some things more expensive, try adding 22% onto that price of that item because that is what you are actually paying in the end if you carry a balance on your card(s).

    Where can we do something instead of doing nothing here to lower what gets charged in the first place? 

Planning Ahead - look at the upcoming day in advance and what your needs may be, so you can avoid paying the high prices at convenience stores and vending machines. Bring coffee, snacks or lunch with you to work (at least part of the time). Bring a list to the grocery store and stick to it. Buy end-of-season items from retailers and receive huge discounts.

Use Your Tools - a few minutes to check for and clip coupons or utilize apps like Ibotta, Rakuten and RetailMeNot, one minute to look for the best gas prices on GasBuddy or another app, a minute to sign up online at favorite restaurants to receive offers, for larger purchases research online for the most reliable brands and models and to see customer reviews.

    After doing these things, stay in touch with your credit card balance by checking it online.

If you do nothing to reduce your credit cards, expect it to continue to increase due to the effects of compound interest.

    When it comes to your car, doing nothing can be much, much more expensive than the cost of doing something. So keep up to date with the maintenance required for your vehicle to avoid a self-inflicted expensive repair. Consider learning how to do some basic tasks yourself, such as replacing filters, oil changes, etc. Online videos can be a great help in this area.

    Car insurance continues to rise, especially in this area. Take the time to look at your policy. Make sure it covers only what you want and does not have extra items you do not use. Think about raising your deductible to lower your premiums. When it is renewal time, shop around and get competitive quotes. Remember that by doing nothing in this area, you will continue to pay the same amount, and more when rates increase.

    Your mortgage is obviously your greatest expense... and your greatest potential area of savings. There is the choice of doing nothing - paying it month-by-month which then adds up to about 2 to 3 times the price of the home. Then there is the choice of doing something - making additional payments towards the principal, which reduces your principal balance dollar-for-dollar immediately and will reduce greatly the length of the time of your mortgage.

    I will say that according to the step-by-step debt elimination plan that my wife Karen and I have taught at our church, that the mortgage is usually to be addressed after you have paid off your credit cards, car loans and any other debts. If you would like to see additional materials about paying off your mortgage, click on the Archives section of this page to view "The Death Pledge" from October 2020. 

    In closing, if you are still on the fence about making changes, I first want to share a remarkably accurate quote from Ben Feldman, champion life insurance salesman:

"Doing something costs something. Doing nothing costs something. And, quite often, doing nothing costs a lot more!"

    Then be encouraged from what is written in Isaiah 40:29:

"He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]."

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

    

You Can't Win, Until...

 

You Can't Win, Until...

    Recently, the seven-time champion and new TV analyst Tom Brady uttered a quote that instantly got my attention. He said "You can't win until you keep from losing". He attributed the words to his coach Bill Belichick, that they were stressed to his players about the critical importance of avoiding mistakes that derail you from winning.

    I knew there was a nugget of wisdom there that could be applied to how we handle our finances according to scripture. Today, we'll cover some key fundamentals from God's Word about our finances, and how avoiding the thoughts, behaviors and actions which can keep us from being where we want to be.

    "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house..." (Malachi 3:10). In many households that are not bringing the tithes to His house, it is because of neglecting to place God at the front of the line after they are paid. Then Sunday arrives and they say "I don't have enough to tithe." The way we keep from falling short in this area is to put God first. When you're paid, write out that check or click to give online that same day. 

    It may be a struggle to begin, but we'll learn so much from it - the peace that comes from aligning our hearts properly, we will reduce or remove some discretionary spending to accommodate giving to the Lord first, and we'll see God fulfill what he promised later in that verse... that He will open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to contain it. That sounds like winning.

    "I have learned to be content in whatever state I am" (Philippians 4:11). What is it that "drives" us to purchase the unnecessary or the extravagant and beyond reasonable things which end up plunging us into debt? If we look back on some of our past purchases, we'd have to agree the thoughts then were "I won't be happy unless I have this, or have a better, newer version of this, or subscribe to that service".

    Included in this chapter, Paul shared how he was able to be content despite humble and straitened circumstances - which were much more challenging than nearly all of us experience. He said "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me." He leaned and trusted on Christ constantly, and we can also... to say NO to that temptation to overspend. He also eluded to a desirable result in 1 Timothy 6:6, that "Godliness accompanied with contentment is great and abundant gain." That sounds like winning.

    "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:16). What may cause us to "forget", or choose not to be generous toward others? If we are honest, it can come from having a singular focus on ourselves, and from cultivating a fear that if we give, we will then not have enough.

    However, God chooses in His Word to squash that type of thinking. He does so in the beauty of connecting the promises of His care towards those who give:

Luke 6:38 - give and it will be given to you

Proverbs 22:9 - the generous will themselves be blessed

Proverbs 28:27 - those who give to the poor will lack nothing

2 Corinthians 9:7 - for God loves a person who gives cheerfully

That sounds like winning.

    "Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another." (Romans 13:8). What are two factors of being in debt? I would point to first the obvious of spending more than we make, and second the effects of compound interest. We make the choices, sometimes bit-by-bit in accumulating smaller purchases that stack up on our credit card. Also, in accepting large and long-lasting commitments resulting in monthly payments.

    One of the best tools to help here is time... use time to your advantage. Before making a sizeable purchase, take time to assess if you really need the item at all, or need to be considering that level of the purchase (brand, features, type). Take time to view your credit card statement online regularly, so you can monitor where you are at and make adjustments to your spending during the month before your bill arrives. Before taking on monthly payments, take plenty of time to review how the future payments can fit in (or not) to your larger financial goals.

    It is the effect of compound interest that makes it challenging to extricate from being in debt and being behind every month... to emerging into not only being able to pay for most purchases as they arise, but save and invest and receive the benefits of compound interest working in your favor. That sounds like winning.

    To get in a little deeper on this topic, I encourage you to utilize the Archives section of this blog and view the post titled "Paying For Things" from August 2015. In it, we covered the three ways you can pay for things: borrowing, money on hand, and saving. I liken those three stages very much towards the concept of how we cannot win in our finances until we keep from losing.

    Lastly, be encouraged that you can win, by this short, simple and powerful verse from Matthew 19:26:

"But with God all things are possible"

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,

Paul

    

    

2025 - Experience Wisdom

 2025 - Experience Wisdom

    "I instructed you in the way of wisdom. I have guided you along straight paths. When you walk, your step will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble."

    These verses from Proverbs 4:11-12 , likely written by King Solomon, share about what his father said in pursuing wisdom. As we embark on a new year in 2025, let's look into some parts of Proverbs 4 and how they can help us with our finances.

    But first, let's try to address an area that may hinder us from receiving wisdom in the first place... our pride. To combat this, we must place value on the source of where proper wisdom is coming from. In Solomon's case, he humbled himself and regarded what came from his father's lips to be worthy of applying to his life, in great measure.

    In Proverbs 20:29 it is written, "The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray head (suggesting wisdom and experience)". The definition of experience includes practical contact with and observation of facts or events, and those mature men and women, if they have a Godly perspective, are worth listening to, to gain from their experiences that we have not yet encountered.  

    And of course, we look with reverence to the One who knows everything that has ever existed and knows all things to come, the Lord. In Proverbs 2:6 it says "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." And Jesus plainly stated "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

    Going back into Proverbs 4, verse 6 instructs us with "Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you." These words can relate to our avoiding large debts and commitments, where we know by looking carefully and soberly at them, that all it takes is one expensive unforeseen circumstance to put us in a place where we cannot make those payments and cause additional burdens financially.

    Verse 8 has "Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her." As we bring a true effort in our occupation and work as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) and not to men, we will stand out from the crowd, becoming a valuable employee that in time will bring us promotion and honor to the Lord.

    Returning to our first verse number 12: "When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered [your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you shall not stumble." I liken this to achieving a point in the freedom from debts - even partially, like in paying off a car, credit card, or even a small debt. Our steps are then not hampered and that feeling of constraint is gone. I can speak from experience how freeing it is to have a path that is clear and open, without the stress from those bills arriving each month.

    Next in verse 13 of "Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life." If you have planned certain things out financially, even something as routine as your grocery list, stick to what your plans were and maintain to stay within your budget. If you calculated what you can afford for a car or other large purchase, guard yourself against the salesperson attempting to increase the sale for their purposes... they will not be around to help you when it is time to make that payment every month after you sign.

    Down to verse 23 it is written "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life." When we are in stores and at their websites online, this is when we need to keep and guard our heart. To stay within what we know is our means to pay and not get carried away by advertising, sales, new items or the salesperson. Also keep in mind verse 25 - "Let your eyes look right on, and let your gaze be straight before you." One tool to combat this tendency by our flesh to react and buy is to instead wait 24 hours... in many instances you will find that desire is not really in line with your heart and you will choose not to make that purchase. 

    Lastly, remember what was from the definition of experience (includes practical contact with and observation of facts or events). In the verse below the author was speaking about a sluggard that had an unkept vineyard with walls broken down. But we can also apply this layer of wisdom to when our own choices did not prove fruitful, learn from them and move onto the right path"

"Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction." (Proverbs 24:32)

God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you in 2025,

Paul