ANXIETY

Money is consistently listed as the number 1 source of anxiety for Americans.

CONFLICT

Money is consistently listed as a top reason for divorce and the number issue that couples fight about.

DEBT BURDEN

Students now have more than $37,000 of debt coming out of college, requiring 10 years, or more, of repayment. And 36% of 30,000 college students surveyed already had more than $1,000 in credit card debt.

NO MARGIN

Roughly 60% of Americans would not be able to pay for a $1,000 emergency with savings.

Gain wealth through personal financial planning.

This solution may create margin and eliminate debt burden, but it often does not fix anxiety and conflict issues.

Justin Bieber

It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning with the right attitude when you are overwhelmed with your life, emotions, finances, your relationship.

Net worth: $285 million

Susie

I’m scared about not having enough.

A bus driver about to retire with a net worth of over $1 million.  She gained wealth through wise personal financial planning, and, yet, was still scared.

Latrell Sprewell

Why would I want to help them win a title? They’re not doing anything for me. I’m at risk. I got my family to feed.

Latrell Sprewell turned down a $21.4 million contract with the Timberwolves because it wasn’t “enough” to feed his family.

“During the conquering days of King Charles, an edict was issued that all citizens of King Charles should now become Christians. This edict went out all over Europe. Upon hearing the edict, people were obliged to get baptized. One particular group of people, marching soldiers about to wage war on a neighboring kingdom, felt the urgency to get baptized, so they marched towards a near-by river. As a priest led them through the baptism ritual, these soldiers decided to do a very peculiar thing. They raised their swords high in the air, and allowed all of their bodies to get wet, except for their hands that held their swords. They left their sword hand unbaptized since they had no idea how to reconcile their life as a solider with a life surrendered to Jesus Christ.”

We are not unlike these soldiers in that we often have no idea how to reconcile our money life with a life surrendered to Jesus. Except, instead of swords, we have unbaptized bank statements!

So, a separation has occurred:

Dane Ortlund, in his book, Gentle and Lowly, describes the two main steps of being a Christian:

Step 1: Go towards Jesus
Step 2: See step 1

For this exercise, we want to go towards Jesus with our money life. In doing so, we want to break any separation we may have formed between our money life and our Jesus life.

Money Quiet Time

• Download, or find, a recent bank or credit card statement. Make sure the statement includes detail about your recent transactions.
• Think about how each of the financial transactions on your statement is a window into your heart. How we spend our money reveals our hearts in that it shows what is important to us and, often, what we care about deeply.
• This statement is like a journal, revealing an important part of your heart. Jesus would be thrilled if you would share this important part of yourself with Him.
• As you share your money life with Jesus, pray Psalm 139: 23-24.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

• As you prayed this prayer over your money life, did the Lord reveal anything to you?
• See if you can make this money quiet time a once-a-week habit.

• Money Matters on Campus: study of money and college students.
• Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund.