Materialism is powerful because it quietly convinces us that what we have belongs to us. We work for it, earn it, buy it, and protect it. Before long, we can begin to see ourselves as owners rather than stewards. The first step in breaking the power of materialism is recognizing who really owns everything. God [...]
Attitudes about money are not formed in a spreadsheet. They are formed in the heart. The struggle is that while the heart belongs to God, the mind often follows a very different path when it comes to money. Scripture speaks to this more than we might expect. There are thousands of verses about money and [...]
I’m not proud to admit it, but for years I struggled to give generously. I showed up. I gave something. But deep down, I knew I was holding back. I had my reasons ready. Some people give money. I give my time.I don’t have much, so it doesn’t matter that much.At least I’m giving something. [...]
Have you ever fallen into the trap of thinking you are doing God a favor when you give to Him? It can be easy to believe that what we possess is ours because we worked hard to earn it. Whenever that mindset begins to creep in, I am reminded of the powerful words found in [...]
9. Get a Grip on Desire There’s a quiet lie we often believe: “If I just had this one more thing, I’d feel better.”But desire, when left unchecked, doesn’t soothe the soul; it enslaves it. That late-night purchase, the “treat yourself” moment, or the rush of clicking buy now all promise relief. But soon [...]
There are times when God blasts onto the stage of our lives by doing something so miraculous we can’t deny His existence or His love for us. I had a moment like this last year. When my wonderful friend, Judi, passed away unexpectedly in 2009, her husband, Jim, called and invited me to their estate [...]
2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” In this sentence, Paul introduced a simple giving plan. I really like how Andy Stanley explains Paul’s statement in his book Fields of Gold. In this statement, [...]
How many tools have you lost because a neighbor “forgot to bring it back”? How many DVDs, appliances or outfits have friends and family not returned? We’ve all lost a few things because we decided to lend something to someone and it never got returned. And if we’re being honest, it can make us hesitant [...]
We all want to win at life, to do better for our families, to be better at our jobs and to have better lives. But if we want perform at our best, we have to make changes to get better. We’ll never get the most out of life if we’re slowed down by the things we [...]
As we move into the Christmas season, it is good to remind ourselves about the generosity of the very first Christmas. I know Christmas is about giving, but too often, I get caught up in the "how" and the "what" of gift-giving during the Christmas season and don't pause to really absorb and appreciate the [...]
