The Bible has something to say about all of life, including government and economics. God is our provider and boss. All authority and power resides with God. We ignore God's authority at our own peril.

"Then Jesus came to them and said,"All authority in Heaven and on earth belongs to me," (Matthew 28:18 NIV (c)1984).

God also owns everything in world and all who live in it.

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it; the world and all who live in it," (Psalm 24:1 NIV (c)1984).

Stewardship

God then delegates authority, responsibility, and wealth to people and institutions. What? Well, let me explain. God is the owner of everything and we are His stewards. We take care of His property for Him. The best biblical illustration of this is the parable that Jesus told in Matthew 24:45-51 where the master of the household puts a servant in charge of his household, possessions, and other servants while he goes away on a trip. When the master comes home, he will reward or penalize the servant based on the servant's care of others and behavior.

God places us in charge of his people and possessions. We are his stewards, accountable to him for the job we do in caring for what is entrusted to us.

Economic Stewardship

"We are going out to Outback for dinner tonight," Sue mentioned cheerfully while we were working in the nursery together one Sunday morning.

I must have had a surprised look on my face because she quickly added, "We just got our tax return."

I pinched my lips together. Mike and I had done several financial counseling sessions with Sue, and her husband, Bob. They were constantly spending more money than they had, landing in debt to creditors and family members. Each year, I watched their tax return disappear in days, always going toward things I would consider frivolous.

But, how people spend their tax return is their own business, isn't it?

Maybe not. How we spend our money is always God's business. So how can we honor the Lord by how we spend our tax return?

 How should I spend my tax return?

 Your tax return should be spend as prayerfully and carefuly as you spend the rest of your income. This is money you have paid the government, or your employor has paid the government for you, not a windfall of free money. As with all tthings financial, your tax return belongs to the Lord.

Should I tithe from my tax return?

That depends on whether you tithe from your gross or net income. Your gross income is the money you make before the U.S. government takes its cut through taxes. Net income is your income after taxes are paid. If you are self-employed, you are more likely to tithe from your gross income before you pay your taxes. The return you get has already been tithed from, but you might give an offering.

If you work for a company, you probably don't even see your gross income because the company pays the taxes you owe to the government before they write your paycheck. If you tithe from your net income, then you should tithe from your tax refund.

Should I pay off debt with my tax return?

This is a great way to spend your tax return. If you don't need to use this money to pay bills, you should pay off debt with your tax refund. You can throw a large chunk of money at debt, making a huge difference toward the process of becoming debt-free. If you are paying a mortgage on your home, consider putting some or all of your tax refund toward paying off you house. For many Christians, a mortgage is their only debt. What a great way to work toward being completely debt-free.

If your refund check is large enough, you may be able to elimiate an entire debt such as an old medical bill or school loan.

Last time in Where to Invest Your Money - Part 1, we discussed investing in the Kingdom of God, your dreams, other people, and a home business. This time, we're going to talk about literal investments and where to place our money so it can grow.

Invest in Stocks

My grandparents invested in stocks and lived off stock dividends when they retired. My father  invested in some unknown companies in his younger years: Intel, Microsoft, and Home Depot. Those investments carried large returns for my parents.

Purchasing stock in a company is like buying a tiny part of the company. If the company is successful, you will get a portion of the profits in the form of dividends. Ideally, you want to buy low and sell high for short term. But even better, invest in stable companies for the long haul.

When you invest in stocks, you can go online to buy stocks directly or you can purchase them through a stockbroker. Either way, you will pay a small commission fee. Your stock portfolio (collection of stocks) should contain a variety of stocks from different business sectors. My portfolio contains oil, pharmaceuticals, technology, electric companies, retail, and transportation. I prefer good, solid companies, or new companies that hold promise for the future.

Many factors affect the price of stocks: health of the company, political events, economic events, catastrophic events, and the market itself. When the company is making a profit, it might put all its profits back into the company or give generous dividends to its investors. Most companies do a little of both. But, don't invest money in stocks that you cannot afford to lose because investing in stocks is risky, especially in today's economy.

Invest in Bonds

When you purchase a bond, you are loaning money to a business, city government, or federal government. The city you live in may want to build a sports stadium so they sell municipal bonds to its citizens. When you purchase one, your city will pay you back by the due date on the bond, or earlier.

U.S. Savings Bonds finance the federal debt. When you purchase a U.S. Savings Bond, you lend money to the United States federal government. The interest that you see in the federal budget goes to pay bondholders the interest promised them when they bought the bond.

If a company declares bankruptcy, bondholders lose when the company defaults on the loan. Bonds that have a high probability of default are called junk bonds and are very speculative investments.

Invest in Gold

"I need to buy a new pair of shoes," I whispered to my friend, Laura.

After several negative events in my life, the most recent had been the final straw. I was feeling discouraged, sad and angry. But, I knew that shopping would make me feel better. Or, at least I thought it would make me feel better.

The dangerous thing about shopping is that it can make you feel good, just as eating chocolate can cause a lift in your emotions. However, this is a temporary feeling. A compulsive shopper experiences this emotional lift over and over until they crave it. Eventually, shopping becomes addictive and cause problems in personal finances, which can lead to marriage problems and other relational break downs.

This is how shopping becomes compulsive, and before we know it, we cannot stop spending money even when we want to. Maybe you are compulsive in small ways. Maybe you have to shop at certain times, for specific items, or during crisis situations.

Coping with Compulsive Spending

There are several things that you can do to control your compulsive spending.

• Get rid of your credit cards and use cash only
• Keep track of all your spending and try to figure out why you spend when you do
• Avoid temptation
• Understand the real reasons behind why you shop.

 
Why You Spend

The problem with plans to cope with compulsive spending is that it doesn't deal with root of the problem. Compulsive spending is an addiction. Like all addictions, they are so hard to break free from because they seem to have a life of their own.

Addictions help to dull pain, usually emotional pain. Whether it's drug abuse, pornography or shopping, an addict finds temporary relief from pain by indulging in the addiction.

Jesus, the Bondage Breaker

"All my money is gone," my friend moaned, rubbing his hands over his face as if to erase the pain of the dreadful reality he was facing.

"All of it?" I asked with a little bit of trepidation. He was the father of four children and the husband of a very pregnant wife. I was mentally trying to fit them into our already filled household so that they would not end up on the street. Was this just a matter of God not providing on their behalf or was this a demonic attack?

There was an awkward silence that followed which I finally broke.

"What happened to all that money?" I asked the thirty-two year old man in front of me. My question caused tears to stream down his face and I felt terrible asking.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

Tim's Story

Here is what happened. Tim had been in a car accident, had to stop working, and ended up foreclosing on his house. HIs wife worked for awhile, but was soon pregnant again with complications that required her to stay home. But God did not forget this young family. The insurance company gave Tim a sizable settlement that was five times the amount of money he made in a year. Six months later, it was all gone and they were back in the same situation they found themselves six months after his accident. If you could have been a mouse in Tim's pocket, you would have watched the money eek out toward bills, vacations, needed clothing, needed medical expenses, and many items that Tim had always dreamed of owning (cars, computers, sound equipment, video camera, and a motorcycle).

Was Tim experiencing bad luck? Did TIm just lack wisdom with money? Had God abandoned him? Was there sin in his life that the Lord was punishing?

My immediate suspicion was a spirit of poverty. What? A spirit of poverty? Yes. Let me explain.

Patterns of Poverty

Upon investigation, I found that a pattern emerged in Tim's life. Whenever there was a large financial gift or windfall of money, it always completely disappeared. It was often spent on "necessities" or things that Tim just couldn't live without. When the money was gone, many of the items purchased ended up breaking, being lost, or sold. It seemed to be a pattern that after the money was gone, there was nothing to show for it!

Walt's Story

Walt was a completely different story. He had an ability to make wealth. Whenever he came across a little extra money, he put it aside and let it grow. When there was enough, he would invest in something with the money. Walt started businesses, bought homes, and sent his kids to college debt-free. He never made a truckload of money, but he managed it well.

Often, I could only imagine what Walt could have done with Tim's money (the insurance settlement, several inheritances, and many large tax refunds). Why did it seem to take so much more money to keep Tim afloat than it did Walt, and, at a lower standard of living?

The Monkey on our Backs

With the economy in shambles and our government running up the national debt, we need some financial peace and hope this Christmas. If you are like our family, you are cutting corners where you can, making gifts instead of buying them, and doing your best to simplify Christmas. Some of you are thanking God for your family's employment and others are praying hard for a job.

Melanie is in my spinning class at the Y. We have been praying for her husband's employment for almost a year. During this year, she and her husband, Stormy have learned so much from God about His plan and purpose in their lives. Melanie and Stormy have become more patient and prayerful as the Lord has helped them to grow so much in Him in 2010.

Meredith: Melanie, you encouraged me so much last week in spinning class with your testimony of God's faithfulness to your family. Thank you for sharing the story, not only with our spinning class, but with my readers. Can you share a summary of the last couple of years to bring us up-to-date?

Melanie: I would be happy to! 2 1/2 years ago, my husband's job ended and he was offered 2 jobs to choose from. Stormy and I planned and chose the one with the most investment money behind the company and the longer projected outlook. We planned to take the job that was the most secure, or so we thought.

Stormy took a job with a hotel development company in Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia. This new company had a 25 year lease with the state of Georgia to revitalize Jekyll Island with a new convention center, retail stores, and condominiums. Also, Reynold's Plantation has a Ritz Carlton and The Ritz decided to build a new ballroom and add an additional wing of rooms. There was plenty to keep Stormy busy for the next 5-7 years. We had our plans.

Meredith: Tell me more about these plans.

Melanie: We decided to buy a home at Reynolds to enjoy while we lived there, while still keeping our Lake Mary home because our children all live in Lake Mary. We made lists of things we would do.

Stormy and I bought a home on the water that needed lots of work. The house had fallen into disrepair, but it had good bones. We hired an interior architect and a landscape architect. We had renovation plans, dock plans, and landscaping plans.

Last year, at Thanksgiving time, we had just gotten approval from the architectural review board of the development to proceed with plans for our new house. The bank had already approved our loan for the renovation project. We had our plans, but God had other plans.

Meredith: The Lord often does have other plans while we are busy with our plans. How did you find out that God had other plans?

Melanie: The first week in December, Stormy drove to Jekyll Island for the ground-breaking ceremony. All the dignitaries were there and everything was going as planned. He drove on to Reynold's Plantation later that day and was told by a co-worker, "Be sure to look for a press release tomorrow."

Stormy assumed the press release was about the ground-breaking, but discovered the next day that the relationship between Reynolds and the state of Georgia had been severed.

Stormy called me and I said, "What does this mean? We have plans!"

We went through Christmas last year without much worry. We made more plans. We decided to sell the house...put "blush and lipstick" on the house to make it look good so it would sell.

God provides financial surplus so that we can save for the future, give to the needy around you, and invest. The purpose of investing money is to grow your money or to produce an income. Where should we invest our money?

Invest in the Kingdom of God

We are told by Jesus to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and that where our treasure is reveals is where our heart is too (Matthew 6:31). So, we should not serve money as a master or seek to grow rich (I Timothy 6:10), but we can use money to serve the Lord by investing in the Kingdom of God. Supporting missionaries, tithing to our local church, giving to the poor in Jesus' Name, supporting Christian ministries, and blessing Crisis Pregnancy Centers are all ways we can invest in the Kingdom of God.

When my husband, Mike was a young man planning to go to seminary to answer the call of God on his life, an older man invested in the Kingdom of God by investing in Mike. He gave him a sales job with a generous base pay and commission. This money paid tuition at seminary, the beginning of a lifetime of ministry. Not only was this man investing in the Kingdom of God, he was investing in my husband's dreams.

Invest in Your Dreams

 We invested in my husband's dreams too. Before we had children, we both worked. But, Mike and I lived off of his income and saved mine. We put the money in savings, along with the extra money Mike earned, to use during our seminary years. We could have lived extravagantly during those early years of marriage, but instead we were very frugal so that we could invest in Mike's dream, the call on his life.

God puts dreams into our hearts. Invest in making those dreams come true. Do you have a dream to paint? Invest in painting lessons. Is it your ambition to write a book? Invest in software to help with the layout. Is your dream to fly a plane. Flying lessons are expensive, but you can put a little aside each month until you have the money to invest in your aviation dream.

Invest in Other People

Should I re-title this article?" I thought to myself, "Because everyone I know thinks that they don't make enough money. They will read the title and think that there is no way they can live below their means."

Is this an impossible dream or can people on less-than-desirable incomes live below their means? This is an important concept to address because it is one of the secrets to financial success, along with seeking the Kingdom first and delaying gratification.

If you are living beyond your means, you have accumulated debt because you are spending more than you earn. If you have debt, becoming debt free will necessitate you living below your means and using the extra money to pay off debt. It always costs more money to be in debt, so get rid of the debt and begin to live below your means.

Taking the Second Step in Financial Maturity

"Well, we live within our means," you might say. "We have no debts, but we have a hard time saving any money." That is a good step toward the goal of living below your means, but it isn't good enough. You see, if you are living within your means, you have nothing saved up for your retirement and nothing left over to give away (I'm not talking about tithing--that should be done first!).

To live in financial freedom, we must learn to live below our income. The extra money we find can go to our savings account for future purchases and investments. The eventual goal for the Christian is to be dependent on no one, but to pull our own weight, financially and otherwise. We also want to be able to give to the poor.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each of us should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each should carry his own load," (Galatians 6:2-5 NIV).

We talked about God's abundance in Extravagant Living I. Remember that God owns it all, He wants it all, and He is more than faithful. We also decided to let Christ speak through provision and lack of provision. Let's talk some more about enjoying the lavish blessings of the Lord. I want to enjoy extravagant living!

Stick with the Plan

"It would make more financial sense to let the bank foreclose on my house," my friend, Jack declared and went on to explain why.

"What do you think?" Amy asked, glancing at me when Jack was finished with his logical reasoning.

"It's a lack of integrity," I replied immediately. Christians pay off their debts and keep their word.

Financial principles don't change with the times or economic cycles. They are consistent. God wants us to have integrity, keeping our word and commitments in all areas of life, including finances. If we borrow money, promising to pay it back, then we pay that money back. Our yes is yes!

God's methods of handling finances work! But, more importantly, they are His commands to be obeyed. Don't forget His principles for managing money.

• Tithe first
• Hard work is God's method of provision
• Give generously of time, resources, talent, and money
• Stick to a budget
• Be kind to the poor
• Save for the future
• Care for family's needs, including older relatives (not government's responsibility)
• Invest wisely

Trust God

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment," (I Timothy 6:17 NIV).

God Owns it All!

We look at our financial situation with a standard of living in mind to make us happy. We pursue financial goals using biblical principles. We tithe, give, stick to a budget, and stay out of debt so that we can enjoy an affluent lifestyle. When we struggle financially, we are surprised and, often, angry.

God has a different perspective, being more concerned about our character than our comfort. He is forming Christ in us. In His eyes, everything belongs to Him and He can do as He chooses. We belong to Him, our money belongs to Him, and our stuff belongs to Him. His heart is to use these things for His glory.

God's heart is also to bless us! He gives us things to richly enjoy, lavishing us with good gifts! He has the freedom to do what is best in our lives, without asking our permission. Our family's standard of living has remained consistent throughout our married life while our income has varied greatly. When there is more month at the end of the money, the Lord provides supernaturally.

God Wants it All!

Extravagant living begins with surrender. Acknowledge that everything you are and everything you own is His. He doesn’t not want competition in your heart. Fully surrender to His Lordship!

Extravagant living is not what we have, but what is in our hearts. A surrendered heart bubbles with joy.

God is More than Faithful!

We can get a handle on everything in our lives, except finances and chocolate. Why is that?

Chocolate, smooth and creamy, stimulates endorphins and satisfies our need for sugar and iron. How can anyone doubt the life is good when biting into a rich dark chocolate bar? Yes, it is fattening and yes, it is full of "bad fats." But, really, who can resist it? It even looks tempting. 

Money, on the other hand, is not that pretty, and doesn't taste good. Ah, you say, but look what money buys. Well, there you have it. Money, in our  minds, represents, all that can be purchased with it from homes to trips, from clothes to chocolate. There is little, we believe, that money cannot buy.

What Money Can Buy

Money is important because we use it to purchase things we need to stay alive, warm, and dry, such as food, clothing, rent, and gas for our car. The things that make life easier, such as cars, cell phones, computers, and CD players cost money too. And most of our dreams and desires (trips, business ideas, dates with our husband, conferences) cost money too.

We can't seem to get away with money, so if we struggle with money management, we can't just stay away from money. An alcoholic can avoid liquor, bars, and parties where hard drinks are served. However, a glutton, can't just avoid food for the rest of her life, she must learn self-control. A glutton wants more food than her body needs.

Many of us are money-gluttons. We want more money than we need.

What Money Can't Buy

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that," (I Timothy 6:6-8NIV)

God tells us, in His Word, that food and clothing are enough, that we can be content is we are fed and clothed. Wow! That doesn't even include shelter. I believe that God wants to bless us with so many good things. He wants to give us homes, cars, cell phones, computers, vacations, and neat gadgets. But we don't wait for him to give us anything before we are out, in our own strength, grabbing for all that we can get.

Nutritionists tell us that if we eat healthy most of the time, we can splurge a little once in awhile. But, the American diet is like a continual feast with tons of rich food consumed on a regular basis. Feasting is not a rare thing, but a common way of life.

Last time we talked about reasons to start your own business and pitfalls in Starting Your Own Business I. Today, let's talk about character traits of a good businesswoman and choosing what kind of business to start.

Upbeat/Positive Attitude

Starting a business requires faith in God. It is hard, if not impossible to start a business if you are not trusting God, knowing you can trust Him no matter what.

My friend, Brad, lost his job and, a month later, got into a car accident. Both times, he kept his eyes on the Lord, proclaiming to all who would listen, "God allowed this to happen. So He will bring good out of these situations." His faith encouraged others, but more importantly his faith sustained him through the trials. He believed that God keeps His promises even when bad things happen.

If you start a business, bad things will happen sometimes. Customers won't pay, orders will be lost, mistakes will be made, sales might slow down--will you keep your eyes on Jesus when these things happen or give in to worry?

Integrity

My husband, Mike Curtis is the most godly man that I have ever met. He has never told a lie, cheated on someone, taken revenge, or done a dishonest thing in his business. As a result, customers trust him to keep his word and do good work. They know that they get what they pay for because he is trustworthy. Can people trust you? Are you a woman of integrity? Are you tempted to cheat, steal, or lie? Do you give in to temptation in these areas?

Walk uprightly with the Lord and God will bless you in all your ways, including your business. Have a reputation that is above reproach. God will take care of your business if you honor His Name. A good reputation will not only be good for your business, but will bring glory to God!

Hard Work

"What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?" I asked my friend, Zack, a young man of eighteen.

"We're going over to my grandparents' house to do some lawn work for them," he answered with a big smile.

"That is so sweet of you!" I commended him. I silently made note that his attitude at serving and working hard was different than other young men his age and I told him so. I was impressed.

"Oh, I enjoy hard work," he grinned.

Wow! Someone who enjoys hard work is miles ahead of the game. Learn to love working hard. Profitable businesses are built by hard work. If you are considering starting your own business, plan to work very hard!

Going the Extra Mile!

With the economy shaky, many businesses are downsizing. Our children's soccer coach lost his job a year ago and is starting his own personal training for children business. He is now leading our homeschool coop's P.E. class. One of my musicians (I am a worship leader) injured his back and is starting a T-Shirt company. His designs are amazing and I look forward to wearing his products. After months of job searching to no avail, my niece is beginning to sell Avon. Our pilot friends lost his job in flight instruction and has started a home improvement and repair company.

My husband and I have had a family business since the early nineties, enjoying the joys and challenges of self-employment. Several years ago, we incorporated our business, making it an umbrella for several businesses, including my new publishing company, Powerline Productions, that my friend, Laura and I are getting off the ground.

It seems that I am surrounded by people who have, or are starting, their own businesses!

Reasons for Starting Your Own Business

Reasons abound for starting your own business. What a blessing it would be to be your own boss and have a flexible schedule. You could plan your work hours around the children's school hours and family needs. There is potential to make more money, thus sowing more into the Kingdom of God. You also have the opportunity to cultivate your own leadership skills and impact employees and customers. There is so much to make starting your own business attractive, why doesn't everyone start their own business?

Here is a little reality check. If you are used to working nine to five, or some other forty hour a week job, starting a business will be a shock. Most business owners put in at least 70 to 80 hours a week, especially when they are getting their business off the ground. Many times, there is no profit (and thus, no paycheck) for two to three years. There are, of course, exceptions to this, but, for the most part, starting your own business is a huge undertaking, best begun with lots of prayer and clear direction from God.

"There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD," (Proverbs 21:30 NIV).

The most important reason to start your own business is that God calls you to start a business. His heart and plan is for you to be blessed so that you can be a blessing to those around you. If God's plan and destiny for your life includes starting your own business, it will impact the people around you for His glory. That doesn't mean that it has to be a ministry, but that you minister through it to your employees and customers. Don't even try to start a business that isn't God's will or plan for your life. If a business doesn't honor the Lord, it is not God's will.

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed," (Proverbs 15:22 NIV).

Get counsel from trusted friends and family members before beginning your own business. What do they think? Write down their counsel and prayerfully consider it! It is good to talk to mature Christians, other business owners, and people who know the real you to get a broad range of counsel and insight.

Pitfalls to Owning Your Own Business

Before we talk about the character traits necessary to owning your own business, let's talk about three very big character flaws that cause problems for business owners. If you see yourself in these pitfalls, don't despair. The Lord can change and mature us in Him. Work on these areas and get them straightened out before you start your own business. I have seen these three things cause businesses to fail.

I had been adding my purchases up in my mind, while I shopped down one aisle after one another, trying to stick to my budget. With joy in my heart, I piled my carefully chosen items on the check out belt. After the last item -- a head of lettuce-- is safely on the belt, a Diet Coke catches my eye. I am thirsty, I suddenly realize. And the Diet Coke is cold. I give in a buy 20 ounces of soda for $1.39. I could have bought four times the Diet Coke -- for much for less -- if I had gone back to buy the 2 liter.

My daughter heads to Kohl's to buy a new pair of jeans and comes home with a pair of jeans, a belt, and three shirts. "There was a great sale!" she explains to her confused father.

"I picked up this home repair book on the way out of Lowe's," my husband says later with delight. We already had a similar book in our home library, but he seemed to have forgotten.

We all make impulsive purchases. Usually they is always something on sale or something near the check-out lane. My husband had a lawn business during his seminary years. After a long day, he was hot and thirsty and stopped every afternoon at 7-11 for a Gatorade. This added up quickly to more than our budget could handle. Solution? We bought Gatorade powder at Sam's Club and he took it in a thermos, saving us lots of money in return.

Figure out what tempts you to spend impulsively. Once you find this out, it will keep you spending responsibly.

Avoid Temptation