Transformed from the inside out

Music lyrics really speak to me and it is so funny how I am always looking at how things in life relate to Financial Peace. Our church praise band has started learning a new song. The title is "From the Inside Out". The chorus of this song begins "My heart and my soul, I give you control, consume me from the inside out Lord...". The road to financial peace is a journey. It is not easy and takes a great deal of discipline on our part. For most of my life, I allowed society to control the way I thought about money and having stuff. The real success of reaching true financial peace is to understand that this world, money and all stuff is God's and that if you can release control to God in these areas and allow God to change the way you think about money from the inside out, that you will truly have financial peace. A couple in our church will be screaming, "We are debt free" by March of this year. They began FPU in February of 2008 and had the average debt of most Americans. People may ask how did they do it? The answer is very simple. I have seen such an incredible change from the inside out in this couple. Having stuff is no longer what life is about to them. They have given all control of their money to God and God is rewarding them for that. One of the verses of the song says "YOUR WILL above all else, My PURPOSE remains, the art of loosing MYSELF, in bringing you praise". Are you ready to let God's WILL shine from the inside out and loose yourself and find your true purpose in life? When you do this, it brings true financial peace.

Criminalize Usury

You are probably asking yourself, what is usury? I would have asked the same thing had I not read an article that was given to me from a member of our congregation. The article was titled "A suggestion for correcting the economy" written by Joel Hilliker and was published January 2009 in The Philadelphia Trumpet. The definition of usury in the Webster dictionary is the lending of money with an interest charge for its use ; especially : the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates3: an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest ; specifically : interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money.

Can you now say AMEN to the concept of criminalizing usury? The article says a great deal, but a few things it said is evidence that we must learn to live without credit and credit cards as not only does this make us slave to the lender, but also it is in direct violation of what God said is the right thing to do. In Deuteronomy 23:19 God actually forbids us from charging interest - "Do not charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest." In Nehemiah 5 the entire story is about how God specifically condemns charging even 1 percent interest.

So why do I tell you all this and how will it help correct the economy. The writer of this article must have hooked up with Dave at some time, because he writes that the availability of easy credit teaches self-indulgence and financial irresponsibility. He goes on to say that it puts people in debt, which is a form of slavery, and leads to financial ruin. He suggests that if we criminalize usury it would teach the value of financial discipline, patience, self control and hard work and in the long run would increase individual and family wealth. The writer goes on to say that interest always tends to take money from the poor and give it to the rich. NO wonder why the banks buildings are so much more larger than our own!!! In a Bible-based economy, loans are actually a form of welfare, given to benefit the poor, not the rich.

How could that be you may ask yourself. Well, think about the interest you would have paid on $150,000 house over a 30 year period. Almost half, $150,000. If you were not charged interest, I bet you could find a way to invest that $150,000 of interested charged and I know that would change the financial status of your household. I know it would mine.

This article suggests that we need to start focusing more on God's laws, because had we have done this all along it would have prevented this financial meltdown. In God's abundant government people would buy only what they need, when they can afford it, and when they have the cash to pay for it. This prescription would solve the problem, because it comes from the greatest economist who ever lived. God designed a perfect economic system and all we would have to do in order to make it work is to follow His law.

What an economy and a wonderful world that would be. We would strive just like they did in the times of the Bible. This blog title just makes me shake my head and ask, wow, is it possible for that to happen? YES!!! We can make that happen one family at a time through Financial Peace University. I am on board, are you?

Loses his own soul - continued

God is truly amazing to me. This morning I was reading my Purpose Drive Life devotion and guess what verse the speaker referenced? Mark 8:36 NKJV - “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” To be honest when I wrote the blog yesterday, I knew these were words to a song, but did not know that they were a Bible verse. I mean, before I was walking with God daily, I would have thought oh wow what a coincidence. But now, I know that there is no such thing. God is trying very hard during this unstable economy through many voices to get this message across to all of us. The speaker goes on to say "our objective-in-Jesus is to rid ourselves of any gods we’ve fashioned from our own hands and to serve the one true God". What God are you serving today? Is it money? Are you losing your soul to it? I just want to remind you that it is never too late. It is possible to take control of your money and not let it control you. Are you ready to make a change? Then it takes faith in God and the principles of Financial Peace to do so. Come join the crusade. It is not just about taking back control of our money, it's about taking back control of our lives and no longer serving at the altar of money.

Gain the whole world and lose my soul

There is a new song out by Toby Mack on 104.7 The Fish, called "Lose My Soul". I am not much for rap music, but I love the words to this song. When I hear this song, I think about how what he says applies to money and what it takes to have financial peace.

"I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul......Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world, that fight for our love, and our passion...."

God's Word has over 800 scriptures on finance in the Bible. God knew that this subject was going to be a struggle for us, which is why he talks about it so much. Financial Peace is not about not having stuff. It is about not letting stuff have you. It is about remembering what the scripture says in Matthew 6:24. It is your choice, God's free will, to decide whether you will serve God or money...you cannot serve both God and Money.

When we choose society's way of doing things in life, we get consumed by the things of this world. This causes tension within ourselves and the devil starts taking over your soul. I do not know about you, but having things and gaining society's world view of what is important is not worth it to me to loose my soul in eternity.

Where is your "free will" headed? Are you choosing the path of loosing your soul?

Discontentment

This morning as I was reading The Purpose Driven Life daily devotional that I receive and I thought this needed to be shared with everyone. Discontentment is probably the number one thing that gets most of us in BIG trouble with our finances. As Rick Warren states, "there is nothing wrong with wanting to look nice, or to have nice things, or to try to better your life and the lives of those you love. Discontentment, wrapped within the proper perspective, is one thing God uses to move us in a new, healthy direction."

However, he also reminds us that "discontentment becomes unhealthy when your desire to acquire becomes the focus of your life and your possessions. In fact, at that point, your possessions begin to possess you and your discontentment becomes a short leash that controls you and actually holds you back from experiencing the abundant life God created you to enjoy.

The apostle Paul, who was blessed with great privileges, but also beaten and stripped of everything he had, taught that true contentment must be learned: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12 NIV).

He goes on to say that God gives us strength to be content. This is an important spiritual truth to learn because if wealth, good looks, and a star-quality spouse brought us lasting contentment, then Hollywood would be filled with some of the most content and happy people on earth."

I think I very important thing we need to ask ourselves and think about for 2009....“Why is it in your closet?” Honestly how many items in your closet were bought because you just had to have the latest trend or because you felt just a teeny, tiny bit jealous about the way your co-worker always wears the latest styles at the office? Are there things in your closet you bought because you were bored with your wardrobe, or because the scent of discontent filled the air as you shuffled between hangers?

Credit card rates infuriate many - CNN

Have you seen the headline on charter.net from CNN? The heading reads "Credit card rates infuriate many". Funny huh? I was just forewarning everyone blogs ago about it is coming. They article states "They have this provision that says they can raise the rate -- any time, any reason...credit card companies get away with whatever they want, as long at they put their desires into the fine print." Law makers are stuck at this point with no where to turn to change the laws, or so that is the excuse they use, because they have been receiving donations in their campaign from the financial sector. They say their hands are tied - yea right!!!!! They are serving money and not the American people's best interest.

If my blogs, Dave Ramsey or anyone else is who on board with the Financial Peace principles can not get you to change the way you think about credit cards, maybe this will.

The Federal Reserve is expected to vote on its own, new rules regarding credit cards, rules in the works for four years that could clamp down on rate-jacking. Personally I do not understand why it has taken four years. Maybe the Federal Reserve is sponsored by Citibank as well??? Whatever is passed, it is said, these charges probably would not take effect until 2010. Are you ready to tell them no more and cut up all of your credit cards? Maybe let them loose their buildings like some of us have lost your homes due to this bondage?

"QBQ! The Question Behind the Question"

I have been reading a book the QBQ by John G. Miller. The book is about what you should really ask yourself to eliminate blame, complaining, and procrastination. However, as I was reading the last chapter it hit me how this could be used in FPU. Most of the book is to teach us about personal accountability, "my mess, my responsibility." I do not at all want to beat anyone up, but most of us will admit that the reason why we are in debt bondage is because of our own choices. The book teaches us that we must be asking the "QBQ" in order to start disciplining our thoughts and making better choices. You are to ask questions that begin with "what" or "how", contain "I" and focus on action. So the FPU QBQ should be something like this:

"What can I do to set better financial boundaries and just say NO"?....answer.....a BUDGET!!!
"How can I communicate better with my spouse about our finances"?....answer....a BUDGET!!!

This is the way you should approach the current financial crisis that you are in. Do not lay blame elsewhere. You should take personal accountability for the problem and find a resolution. In a nutshell the success of FPU is about getting on a budget and having a plan for your money. Are you willing to do that and stop blaming everyone else? If so, then have a budget committe meeting this weekend with your spouse. It will truly set you free.