Secrets of a Highly Effective Steward

Nobody plans to start their first working New Year with a heavy heart and more debt than they can handle.  It may happen to some of us, but we don’t dream this sort of thing on ourselves or on anyone. 

Twenty years ago, when I graduated from college and started teaching at a high school, I made a grave mistake of spending money I didn’t have to buy things I couldn’t afford to get started in my first career.  What I thought would be possible to pay off with my first paycheck in the fall, followed me all the way to the New Year, for a total of 9 months. 

It’s amazing how much schooling one can go through in life and still never get a chance to learn anything about personal finance.  After having gone through about 20 years of education, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, it always saddens me to know that I was never given a chance to prepare myself for the financial world that awaited me.

What’s even sadder is the fact that while my best friend was keeping me accountable in my Christian faith journey, including my romantic life, I went through this whole financial ordeal alone.   We shared and prayed for each other about pretty much everything, but for some strange reason, it never occurred to me that he could have helped me in the financial arena of my life.  To be honest, I never really talked to anyone about money until I got married 6 years later.  

My financial stewardship journey really started about 10 years ago, shortly after the birth of my first child.  After even more expensive mistakes due to my financial illiteracy, I came across Biblical financial stewardship teachers like Dave Ramsey, Larry Burkett, Howard Dayton and Ron Blue.   Now, I love equipping people and churches with the understanding of what Bible says about money and also provide practical tools to live out the life of freedom Jesus Christ came to provide through his life, death, and resurrection. 

Are you starting 2018 with debt and a heavy heart?  You are where you are but you don’t have to stay there.  Bible teaches us that the borrower is the slave of the lender and I know exactly how heavy that felt.  Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired, finally ready to do something about your finances? 

Secrets of a highly effective steward are pretty simple. 

1.     You have to understand that everything belongs to God, and we are temporary managers of God’s treasures.

2.     You have to spend less than you earn.

3.     You have to save for a rainy day and your future.

4.     You have to stay away from debt.

Are you ready to get started?  Contact me at paul@jangfinancial.com if you want to help disciple your congregation as God-honoring stewards, or if you yourself want to grow as a steward seeking to hear from our Lord upon his return, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21, 23) 

Questions to ponder: 

1.     If God were to rate the way you have been managing the treasures he has entrusted to you, how would you fare?

2.     Do you have a good working cash-flow plan (AKA budget)?  Does your budget reflect your values and goals in life?

Paul Jang

Pastor | Personal Financial Coach to Individuals & Financial Stewardship Ministry Consultant for Churches

www.jangfinancialcoaching.com