Albert became interested in what the Bible had to say about doing business and learned a lot from  Larry Burkett, Howard Dayton and Ron Blue.   He was gracious enough to answer some of my questions about the seminar as well as provide a Christian perspective on business ownership.

What does your course teach?

What the Bible tells us about how to conduct business in this world. In all kinds of areas, including finances, human resources, giving, integrity, etc.

How does the Bible help people become better stewards of their business?

By following the principles God gives us in His Word. Knowing that God owns the business, and we are just stewards.

Can you share 2 – 3 scriptures to support God’s word on stewardship and business?

Psalm 24:1 makes very clear who the owner of the business is, (see also: Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 50: 10-11, Haggai 2:8, 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, etc.)

So if He is the owner that makes us steward or managers of the business 1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us what is required of a steward.

How do entrepreneurs balance their responsibility as faithful stewards and their role in running a business and making money?

Always follow God’s principles. God will NEVER give you a principle in his Word that you will not be able to implement!!! A loving father is not going to tell us to do things certain ways, without giving a way to do it. Trust and obey. Make sure you are always inside God’s will!! That way making money is not your responsibility. He will provide!

What are some warning signs for business owners when they are operating by their plan and not God’s plan?

Always remember when you do business in the world…the world is never in step with God. God’s way is the only right way!

What is God’s guidance on tithing and business income?

Proverbs 3:9 tells us we need to honor God by giving from the first of our increase. (that means net!!)

Malachi 3: 8-9 tels what He calls not tithing!

Malachi 3:11 tells us what happens if you do tithe.

I believe tithing does not cost you a thing, because either God get it, or the devourer gets, either way you will not keep it.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

One can never go wrong conducting business according to God’s principles.  It will set one free!!

Contact Albert via email at albertdiepeveen@aol.com for more information about Business by the Book seminars.

The post Business by the Book: Interview with Seminar Instructor Albert Diepeveen appeared first on One Money Design.

“If you could point Christians towards one financial ‘tool’ (non-book), what would it be?”

“Quicken. I’ve used it for years (decades, really) and LOVE it. It has helped me track, manage, and grow our finances to where they are today. (BTW, I haven’t tried out Mint yet since I have a product I like, but from what I’ve heard it’s a suitable alternative to Quicken.)” – FreeMoneyFinance.com

“”YNAB, the most effective budgeting tool I have found out there. My wife and I use and it and love it!” – ChristianPF.com

“I would have to go with Mint.com.  It’s the tool my wife and I use for all budgeting purposes and it’s really aided in our open lines of communication.  Since all purchases can be seen on a computer or phone, we are very accountable to each other.  This is yet another reason why our marriage is so strong.  With nothing to hide, we help each other glorify the Lord with our purchases.  If you haven’t seen or heard of Mint, then you really need to go and check their service out.  The best part is that it’s FREE!” – FreeMoneyWisdom.com

“If I could point Christians towards one financial tool that wasn’t a book, I’d probably point them towards a software like You Need A Budget. YNAB is a budgeting application that helps families to take better control of their money.  It is basically a zero based budgeting tool that allows you to give every dollar a job, which results in families having more money to give and save once the money leaks are plugged. After all, planning ahead and knowing the state of your finances is important!” – BibleMoneyMatters.com

“I would point people to Crown Financial Ministries (crown.org).  Their site is the best ‘one size fits all’ resource I can think to recommend.  Their materials are solid and biblically based.” – DollarsandDoctrine.com

“I think it’s been helpful for my wife and I to use budgeting software such as YNAB (You Need a Budget).  We update our budget each month and track all of our expenses so we know how much money we have left for each budget category.  This has been keey to planning for the future and helping us meet our financial goals.“  – OneMoneyDesign.com

“Since many people are trying to get control of their finances and spending during this new year, I’d probably point out different budgeting tools.  A budget is an essential part of any financial game plan.  I wouldn’t push them in one direction or the other, but instead, I’d encourage them to check out their budgeting options in an effort to create a budget that works.” – MoneyHelpForChristians.com

For more on the Christian Financial Alliance (or to join our team) click here.

The post Financial Tools [Christian Financial Alliance] appeared first on One Money Design.

For part-time bloggers, like myself, you spend time writing and working on your blog late a night (after a day of work and family time) and squeeze in as much as you can.  You realize you’ve stayed up way too late and you suffer the consequences of being extremely tired the next day.  But the next night you do it again because you’re passionate about what you do, the message behind your work and the drive to have a successful online business.

I downloaded all of this to my wife the other night.  As I was sharing this with her and really questioning why I push on, but I remembered that I have an important message to share about helping people prove faithful with money, a job or career and perhaps a business, that God has entrusted into their care.  I also almost immediately realized that I’ve been operating on my timing and not God’s timing.

Oddly enough (or not), I turned to my Men’s devotion the same evening, and the devotion was entitled, “Hurry Up and Wait on God.”  My wife reminded me that as a Christian, the spirit was really speaking to me about the frustration I was experiencing with my online business and tell me what I needed to do!  The scripture shared in the devotion was Micah 7:7 -

As for me, I look to the Lord for help.  I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

The devotion said men don’t like to wait.  I agree!  I like to do things my way in my own timing.  I like to pedal as fast as I can  and get bigger and bigger results, the faster that I pedal.  Obviously, the problem with this approach is that it’s all about me and my goals.  I realized that I will continue to pedal faster, burn myself out and miss what God is trying to do with this blog and teach me with my online business.  It’s a control issue!

I love this devotion, “Hurry Up and Wait on God”.  It don’t think it means that I should cease to work hard, or not be passionate about what my work.  God still expects me to work hard and do my part, but I don’t think it’s His desire for me to over work myself, sacrifice important relationships with family and friends, or not take care of my health to make this business grow in what would be my timing.  No, God requires me to be steady and faithful in my work and to trust Him in taking care of the rest.

My wife, who is much wiser than I, told me that I should get back to a blogging schedule.  I should devote a certain amount of time per day to working on it.  Once that time is up, I should leave it alone and trust God with the rest.  This takes great discipline to stop working on something you’re passionate about.  It takes faith, and it’s what Micah had when he waited on God to save Him and Israel.

I think that’s the type of faith we have to have whether it be an online business, career or in personal finance. Yes, we should work steady and consistently, but we can’t control the outcome of every circumstance.  I can do a lot work to grow my career, but I honestly can’t control whether or not I’m promoted.  I can do a lot of work to save money, but I can’t control an emergency from occurring that would require me to use all the savings to pay for it.  God hears us and will bring us through challenging times, in his own timing that will be best for us.

When have you been challenged to hurry up and wait on God?

The post Hurry Up and Wait on God: A Lesson in Faith and Business appeared first on One Money Design.

Isaiah 43:2 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jeremiah 29:11  - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Mark 5:35-36 - While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.“Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

The post 10 Bible Verses About Hope to Help with Life’s Challenges appeared first on One Money Design.

We should remember that becoming debt free should be for God’s purposes.   Becoming debt free should never be about us.  Here are several Bible verses about debt to encourage you to be come debt free or avoid debt in the future.

Repaying Debt

Proverbs 3:27-28  - Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.  Do not say to your neighbor, ”Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”— when you now have it with you.

Scripture tells us that we are to pay back debt when we borrow.  This makes a lot of sense.  I think we hear to many stories of people who try to flee from their debts or who quickly file bankruptcy to avoid paying what has been borrowed.

This is irresponsible.  If people choose to borrow they must be responsible enough to repay.  Sometimes this is difficult and a payment plan needs to be created, however, we should always work to repay debts even if it takes longer than expected.

Avoiding Debt

Proverbs 22:7 – The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

I’ve always felt like I was in bondage to debt when I had car loans, credit card debt, etc.  I knew my freedom was limited because I had to make the payments each month and couldn’t do anything else with the money.

I know it’s easy enough to want a new car, but when you sign the loan, you’re signing an agreement to pay that debt over several years.  The thought of owing someone that money each and every month for years is discomforting even if you have a nice new car to drive.  If a loan is necessary, we should make sure it’s reasonable and fits well within our budget.

Debt Presumes on the Future

James 4:13-14 – Now listen, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

The truth is that none of us know what the future will bring.  Back to the car debt example…what if you take out a car loan for 5 years and then you were to lose your job after 3 years.  You thought we could afford the car payments, but couldn’t foresee losing our jobs in 3 years.

The same holds true when using a credit card.  What if you were to use a credit card to charge some expensive electronics for your TV room?  You might think you can pay the card off in a few months, but what happens if you incur a major medical expense?  Did you see that expense coming?  Of course not!  Again, we can’t assume we can afford debt payments past today.

More Bible Verses About Debt

Here are some more Bible verses about debt and obeying God’s principles.

Romans 13:8  - Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

1 Corinthians 7:23  – You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

Deuteronomy 15:4-6  - However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.  For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

The post Bible Verses About Debt appeared first on One Money Design.

At one point I stepped outside and had a moment to reflect on how blessed I am and what really matters in life.  I have written before on how Tracy and I live off a very moderate income.  We don’t have the biggest house, drive the fanciest cars (heck, Tracy’s mini-van has more dents in it than I can count) or have as much as some of my peers.  I know it is so easy to focus on the things we don’t have but, during this quiet time, I really had a great moment.  I looked in through the windows and saw nothing but love and laughter – the things that really matter.

Like I mentioned above, it is pretty easy to focus on all that we do not have – especially during the Christmas shopping season when we are bombarded with ads trying to sell us on buying something special for our loved ones.  The thing is, these “things” really don’t matter in the end.  Sure, in the here and now they may seem important but, in the long-term, they don’t mean all that much.

As we get older and look back on our lives, are we going to remember those things that we bought (or could not buy), or the time and memories we have with our loved ones?  I know this is a pretty easy question for me to answer.  I was recently reminded of this from one of my best friends whom I have known since I was in 5th grade.  He is a very successful lawyer and was in what I thought was a happy marriage.  He had it all – at least from the outside.  A few years ago his grandfather passed away.  As his grandfather spent his final days in the hospital he was surrounded by all of his children and grand kids.  At that point, things really meant nothing.  My friend has wanted to have children of his own but his wife was focused on her career and the timing was never right.  At that point in time, my friend knew something had to give.  He saw his grandfather being surrounded by his family and realized his circumstances would be different unless something changed.

I am not a fan of divorce but my buddy had to take this step in order to have children of his own.  He was remarried last year and his wife gave birth to his daughter this summer.  At his wedding he was as happy as I have ever seen him.  This is someone that has a large income, lives in a nice home and has many of the things that most of us attribute to being happy.  Despite this, he was not content because what he wanted most was family – something most of us have but tend to overlook.  

I hope you were able to reflect on the blessings that you have this past Thanksgiving and Christmas season and what really matters in life.

This piece from Danny reminds me of the below biblical perspective on contentment from this post I wrote in 2011:

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. (1 Tim. 6:6-8)

The post Thoughts on What Really Matters in Life appeared first on One Money Design.

Three Options for Giving (One Money Design) – “Giving has been a wonderful blessing and honor for Jennifer and me. We haven’t always put God first in our lives. We put our own financial priorities before the Lord in the past. Thankfully, we both decided to take that step of faith and begin tithing consistently about 5 years ago.”

50 Bible Verses About Faith – (Faith and Finance) – “Our faith is an instrument by which we are justified through Christ. It’s also the action through which a person receives the righteousness that comes through Christ (Rom 3:22 and Phil 3:9).”

Bible Verses About How To Get Rich Quick (Bible Money Matters) – “The Bible doesn’t have a lot of verses (that I’m aware of) that talk about how to get rich quick, but it isn’t silent on the topic of getting rich quick. In fact, it talks quite a bit about it.”

What Does the Bible Say About Worrying About Money? (Christian PF) – “Instead of wasting your time with worry, do something practical and effective: Seek the Kingdom of God and righteous living. When you get your priorities straight, God promises to give you everything you need.”

Can God Punish Us By Giving Us Exactly What We Want? (Money Help for Christians) – “God sometimes has an interesting way of dealing with his people. In order to help us turn back to him, he gives us exactly what we ask or desire.”

The post Christian Personal Finance Roundup: Options to Start Giving, Bible Verses and More appeared first on One Money Design.

For some, discouragement, depression, and self pity are the result of problems and adversity. For others, problems are a challenge and help to bring about faith, trust, and victory. Christians are admonished to be overcomers: “And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5).

Money problems are personal. That’s why it’s called PERSONAL finance. It’s easy to get down on ourselves when facing money problems, especially when they’re related income, a job lay-off or even unexpected medical bills. These are problems we can’t always control

And sometimes the problems we face are caused by not following God’s financial principles. Perhaps we spend too much money because we haven’t been good stewards and using a budget. Or perhaps we spend to far ahead and accumulate debt, which God says we should avoid.

In either case, we can become discouraged, or face these problems as a challenge to put forth trust and faith in God, perhaps growing in our relationship with Him.

I certainly have made a lot of financial mistakes. They include all the well-known ones of not making savings a priority, spending ahead and not following my budget. I’ve also dealt with unavoidable problems. I’ve been laid off and faced times of difficulty with medical bills I couldn’t pay off at the end of the month.

As Christians, we must follow God’s word and put our trust in Him. Crown says it well: “Christians are admonished to be overcomers.” This is true even when we’ve caused the problems ourselves. These are all lessons that we can learn from and it doesn’t do any good beating ourselves up about them.

In such cases of financial mismanagement, we should reflect on God’s principles and follow them next time. Put a plan into action to fix the problem and trust that God will provide a way to do so.

Years ago I was laid off and it was a situation I couldn’t control. I didn’t have much savings in the bank and knew I would have to trust God to provide a job and food for our family. Sure, it would have been easy to become depressed. I was close a few times. But it wouldn’t have done any good and certainly wouldn’t have solved my problem.

God was faithful to me and provided. And He will be faithful to you, if you do your best to prove faithful as His financial steward and give your problems to him in prayer.

Do you have a financial problem you’ve prospered from? If so, please share with us in the comments.

The post How to Prosper from Financial Problems appeared first on One Money Design.

We should certainly have generous hearts throughout the year, but Christmas is always a reminder to me that there are many people and families in need.  This especially includes the homeless.

What Jesus Says about Giving to People in Need

We can read in the book of Matthew God’s expectations for helping those in need:

When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.  (Matthew 25:34-36)

God expects us to use our resources to help people who are in need.  Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 34:45 that “whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.”

Now I’ll be honest in saying that serving and helping the homeless or those in need has not always been a top priority for me, but it’s an area of giving that is heavy on my heart and I want to do more.

Christmas Gifts for the Homeless Party

Children at Dallas Life

This year we were reminded of the importance of having a giving and open heart to those in need by our daughter.

Last year my wife and daughter attended a special neighborhood holiday party where each family brought a toy to be donated to a local homeless shelter.  This year my daughter asked if we could host our own party.

So yesterday we hosted a party at our house where kids and parents each brought a toy to be donated.  It provided a great opportunity to share the giving spirit with our friends and hopefully provide a moment where each parent could explain the importance of giving to their child.

The result was a large overflowing box of toys we’ll be taking to a local Dallas homeless shelter  next weekend.  This is a special homeless shelter called Dallas Life where homeless people are able to get help and a new start and also learn the gospel of Jesus.

Our hope and prayer is that the children in the shelter will not only have a new toy to play with this Christmas, but will be able to come to know and experience the love Jesus has for them.

You can give too.  You don’t have to host a party, but you can visit a local homeless shelter and volunteer for a few hours, donate clothes, toys or other items they shelter needs.  Schedule a time where your small group, family or friends can serve together.  Or, give a small donation.

The post Giving to Homeless Children by Hosting a Christmas Gifts Holiday Party appeared first on One Money Design.

How Do We Recognize When Fear is Controlling Our Finances?

Sometimes it’s difficult to know when fear is controlling our finances.  Fear can be the basis of all our thoughts and decisions about money if we’re not careful.

Hoarding

There are extreme cases of hoarding you might see on TV such as A&E’s “Hoarders.”  But I think we’re all susceptible to hoarding, especially for those of us who are natural savers.  Hoarding can be dangerous if we’re relying on our savings or ourselves vs faith in God for the future.  This can lead to a lack of generosity.

Lack of Generosity

There are many excuses for not giving and putting God first.  Common excuses are too much debt, not saving enough for retirement, monthly expenses are too high and so on.  While having too much debt might result in giving less, giving must still be the first thing we do with our money each month.

Financial Stress

Are you always stressed over money and not having enough for the current month or even longer term such as with retirement?  I’ll admit that I experience financial stress sometimes when I think about goals and saving for the future.  I stress over not enough savings or not contributing enough to retirement sometimes.

What If…

What if thinking, is described well by Craig Ford in article on ChristianPF.com -

• What if I leave my job for that ministry … will I be able to pay my bills?
• What if I give a portion of my income … will I still be able to eat?
• What if I save more for retirement … will I be able to retire with dignity?
• What if I don’t save this money … will I have enough for tomorrow?

The curse of the “what if” is that we can think of every possible variable if something goes wrong.  Instead of trusting, we want control.

What Does God Say About Providing for Our Needs?

But, God has a plan to provide for our needs.  We must remember that God is in control and the owner of all things, including the resources we’ve been entrusted with.

God Tells Us Not to Worry

Take a look at Matthew 6:25 – 34.  God tell us not to worry, but to seek Him first.  We shouldn’t worry about tomorrow.  ”Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I find great comfort in this scripture but I’m still guilty of not abiding by it.  To me, this means that God will provide for our needs.  We have a responsibility to be generous with His resources,but God will take care of us, even when times are tough.

We need to remember to prove faithful even when times are tough.  I addressed this in my financial manifesto.  Here’s a brief excerpt -

Our job through such trials is again, to prove ourselves faithful. Trust God and have faith. His plan is bigger than a job or any financial issue. I believe it’s a long faith journey and there will be ups and downs, but we must do our best to prove faithful along the way.

How to Overcome Financial Fear

So, how do we overcome fear and worry about tomorrow?

Recognize Our Part vs God’s Part

I learned several years ago in a Crown study about finance that God has a part and we do to.  God’s part is to be the owner of everything and provide for our needs.  Our part is to be faithful with His resources.  In other words, we need to focus on what we can manage or control and not be worried about what we can’t control today or tomorrow.  That’s God’s part.

Do Our Part Well

Even though we need to trust God with His part it doesn’t mean we don’t have a responsibility to do our part in the equation well.  This means we need to work hard to get out of debt, save and spend wisely.

Prayer

Finally, I think prayer is an opportunity to turn to God and lay our worries at his feet.  Worries and financial fear are feelings that we may have from time to time and some more often than others.  However, we can always turn to God and lay them at His feet in trust and faith that He will continue to do His part and provide for our needs.

What do you think about these thoughts about financial fear?

The post How to Overcome Financial Fear appeared first on One Money Design.

“What is the role of ‘thankfulness’ in Biblical finance?”

“Thankfulness to me is closely related to contentment.  Contentment isn’t something that comes easy.  It’s something that goes against human nature and must be learned.  Perhaps the first step to contentment is being thankful for everything that God has provided or entrusted into our care.”   – OneMoneyDesign.com

“I think thankfulness keeps us grounded. When we know our provision is from Someone else and not ourselves (Deut. 8:18), it keeps us humble and, in my opinion, more diligent and conservative in how we handle our finances. As a result we tend to do things that contribute to wealth creation: work harder, watch how we spend our money, avoid debt, and so forth.”- FreeMoneyFinance.com

“I understand thankfulness to have two distinct and yet related roles in Biblical finance. The first is assisting with contentment. By being thankful for what we have, we can more easily avoid consumerism and the unhealthy drive to buy more stuff than we need. Similarly, thankfulness also helps remind us of the importance of giving. Being thankful communicates gratitude for something that someone else has done. After all, it’s rare that you hear someone say that they are thankful for something that they have done themselves by their own power. Thankfulness implies an external force. Whether it is God or someone else in our lives (or both), we become inspired to help others because of the positive influence that others have had on our lives.” – ProvidentPlan.com

“We can choose to focus on all we have, or we can can choose to focus on all we don’t have.  Thankfulness, or the lack thereof, shows which way we are looking.  To put it another way, thankfulness is a fruit of real contentment.  When we are truly thankful it shows we are putting our treasure, our hearts, and our sense of purpose in Christ…not in the next thing on our list.” – DollarsandDoctrine.com

“Thankfulness really comes down to the idea of God blessing us when we don’t deserve anything at all.  In fact, we deserve to starve because of our separation with sin.  However, God’s grace swoops in and blesses us beyond belief (not necessarily financially).  We need to be thankful for what God provides financially and then be great stewards.” – FreeMoneyWisdom.com

“Thanksgiving is an essential element to a healthy financial situation that honors God.  Our giving is motivated by our ability to be thankful.  As Christians, we give according to what we have received (2 Cor. 8:11).  If we do not recognize the kindness and generosity of God in Christ, then we exempt ourselves from giving, and we turn inward.  However, whenever we open ourselves to all that God has done, our hearts will be open to share those amazing blessings with others.  The good news is that when we share, it results in even more thanksgiving to God (2 Cor. 2:11).” - MoneyHelpForChristians.com

For more on the Christian Financial Alliance (or to join our team) click here.

The post What is the Role of Thankfulness in Biblical finance? [Christian Financial Alliance] appeared first on One Money Design.

What is the Fiscal Cliff?

In short, the Fiscal Cliff is when spending cuts and a bunch of tax increases are all scheduled to occur at the same time early next year.  Why is this a big deal?  Most experts believe the timing and magnitude of these changes will have a dramatic impact on the economy and likely pull us back into a recession (if not depression).

I’m not going to go through all the changes in great detail.  There are plenty of articles that cover them in depth and provide a better explanation than I could, so I’ll just highlight them for you.

• Bush income taxes will expire.  Originally set to expire in 2010, they were extended because of the economy.  Most taxpayers will see an approximate increase of 3%
• Increased taxes for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
• Expiration of the payroll tax holiday – we’ll end up paying 2% more in social security taxes
• Federal budget cuts begin – automatic reduction in spending that was put into place during the debt ceiling issue last year

Should We be Concerned?

Overall, I’ve found that most of the news and media outlets are of the opinion that it’s unlikely we’ll be dropping off the Fiscal Cliff early next year.  There will likely be some steps taken by our government that prevents these changes from occurring all at the same time and sending us into another recession.   This is a big focus on Washington D.C. right now with the president already planning for talks at the White House this week.  No one knows for sure what the outcome will be and we’ll just have to see how this plays out in the weeks ahead.

What Can We Do About the Fiscal Cliff?

In the meantime, what can we do as Americans and Christians?  Our hands aren’t exactly tied behind our backs.

Pray and Trust God

We should pray for our leaders and that they will be able to come to an agreement and solution for the Fiscal Cliff and overall, be able to work together in becoming a more financially responsible nation.  God is in complete control.  We can find peace and comfort in that and know that He will provide for our needs as mentioned in Matthew 6:34.

Focus on What We Can Control

Our job is to be good stewards of the resources that God has placed into our care.  We can play our part by having a balanced personal budget, pay off debt, give generously to our church and save for the future.  When we are faced with difficult economic situations it’s important to have savings to fall back on.  Make sure your spending plan has a place for all these important areas and that you’re saving for the future.

Stay Informed and Hold Our Leaders Accountable

Finally, we should continue to stay informed.  We certainly don’t have to understand all the details behind these tax issues, but at the least, we can understand the overall impacts to our economy and what it may mean to our own paychecks and finances.

It’s also important to understand there are differing opinions in Washington on the policies around taxes and government spending.  We need to elect officials that support our values and principles, who can get the job done and hold them accountable to their responsibilities.

Final Thoughts

Rest assured that God is in control and will provide for our needs no matter how difficult times become.  Certainly don’t rush out and change your entire investment strategy unless it’s time for you to make adjustments based on your plan (i.e. getting closer to retirement).  Focus on managing your finances wisely and stay informed so that you can react to changes in your own personal budget.  Finally, pray for our leaders and government in that they will work together to ultimately serve God as faithful financial stewards.

What do you think about the Fiscal Cliff?

The post The Fiscal Cliff and What We Can Do About It appeared first on One Money Design.