Category: Removing Excuses

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It’s Still Under Development

I like stories with twist endings you don’t see coming. The director M. Night Shyamalan is famous for putting together some movies with great twists.

One of those movies, Unbreakable, has a lot of parallels to the Christian walk. Everyone who’s received the Holy Spirit has also received custom-designed talents and abilities from Him for the purpose of serving Him and His kingdom.

I’m not going to give away the movie ending, but it’s about an ordinary guy who finds out he’s got some special powers which enable him to be much more than an ordinary guy. Amazed but confused about how to use his gift and what to do next with it, he asks a mentor of his, “What am I supposed to do?” Knowing the nature of the gift involves interactions with people, the mentor gives it to him straight: “Go to where people are. You won’t have to look very long.”

Sure enough, he followed the advice and went to a public place, where his interactions further brought out his special abilities. That practice helped him improve his ability to harness his talents and use them productively.

If you want to serve the Lord by using your God-given abilities, you might have trouble getting started. It can be frustrating to know you’ve got something special but not know what to do with it. The most important thing? Start using those abilities. God’s not going to be mad at you for not getting it perfect the first time. Even if you’ve only got a faint notion of how they can be employed, give it a go…each experience will help you get a better sense of how to put them to good use. The practice and familiarity gains you proficiency and confidence, and that’s when things really start moving.

“Do you know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world, to not know why you’re here.”

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RSVPing in the Negative

When my two oldest kids were little, I’d often come home from work and be greeted by two little balls of energy. Mommy stayed home with them, so when I came home I’d try to give her at least some kind of break by taking them off her hands even if it was for just a few minutes. One particular day was very pleasant outside, so I went into the house intending to come back outside with one or both kids in tow shortly thereafter.

I walked in and got some big hugs from everybody. My little guy looked like he was up for a walk, so I said “Hey Buddy, I need to go get the mail. Would you like to go to the mailbox with me?”

In about as sweet a tone as you can imagine, he said “Umm, I don’t, but I wish I did.”

That little memory makes me think of some people’s walk with God. Some of them honestly and earnestly seek to do God’s will for their life. Others know they should pursue that goal, but for whatever reason, it takes a back seat to other priorities. They wish they had the time or the drive, but they don’t really have their hearts set on it. Others don’t even aspire to that much.

My little guy didn’t want to go, but he didn’t want to disappoint Daddy, either. I wasn’t mad or disappointed in him; I knew he might very well turn me down. God knows before we do how we’ll arrange our priorities. He’s not surprised when we choose not to prioritize the things He offers us.

Although it’s super easy to be distracted by the urgency of the things we encounter in this life, the Christian life is about living your life according to how God wants you to. Give it a try. I think you’ll be blessed in ways you didn’t expect.

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Like it or Not, The Buck Stops With You

It’s funny how the concept of individual responsibility and discipline has faded into the background. When I was a kid, there were plenty of limits on how much junk food I ate, how much video game time I got, and what I did with my money. As you grow up, you’re less at the mercy of someone else’s limits on your choices, and you determine your own circumstances.

I don’t know if anyone’s told you this or not, but you are responsible for the choices you make. Those choices take many forms, but please don’t fall for the false narrative our culture as a whole seems to push on people: you’re not to blame for the consequences of your decisions.

While it’s true there are some things outside our control that restrict the choices we make (car accidents, inherited medical conditions, etc.), the things I’m about to cover usually aren’t the result of one or two choices, but the result of patterns of choices. Let’s start with something we can probably all relate to.

How can I say this lovingly? Gaining five pounds is not a huge deal. I’ve come out of weekends weighing about five pounds more than I did going in. Gaining 10 pounds more than where you want to be…well…that might be okay if we’re between Thanksgiving and New Years. Putting on 20 pounds more than your desired weight…please tell me you’re noticing this?

If you’re 30 or 40 pounds overweight, we’re not just talking about a couple days’ worth of bad decisions. This is a pattern. It’s a little tough to believe you didn’t see it coming. The consequences are now much more likely to negatively affect your health (and by extension, your bank account). The risk of problems with blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease are all now needlessly increased. Yes, you can probably take medicine for some of them, or you can bypass the need for most of those medications by addressing the problem instead of the symptoms. I have to give credit where credit’s due; the country music singer Jelly Roll hit a max weight of 540 pounds a few years ago, but has since lost about 180 pounds to drop below 360. While 360 pounds is still morbidly obese, I have to tip my cap to him; losing 180 pounds is a tremendous accomplishment. At his max weight, I wouldn’t have given him another 10 years. I’m rooting for the guy, and I hope he’s able to achieve his goal of dropping enough weight to someday go skydiving with his wife, even if it means he needs to find a new stage name. (“Pop Tart?”) If you find yourself wanting to drop some extra pounds, start with simple changes like swapping sugary drinks for water (aim to eat your calories instead of drink them). A soda or something like a lemonade every day adds up fast. (Don’t switch to the diet version, just cut it out completely.) Also, while exercise is important, diet is more important. Cardio is good for your heart and mind, while strength training builds muscle, and increased muscle mass burns more calories even while at rest. None of it makes much difference if you’re consistently taking in more calories than you burn.

Let’s talk finances. If you’re living beyond your means, that’s something to try to change right away. I’m not talking about cases where you’re temporarily between jobs, or you’re paying back a big medical bill or something like that. I’m referring to situations where you’re spending more money than you’ve got without having a better reason than “because I want it.” Yes, we all need clothing, but why does it have to be designer? If you truly need a vehicle, brand new cars are a lot more expensive to own and insure than cars a few years older. Dining out or having food delivered is convenient, but expensive, especially if it’s multiple times a week. Consumer debt is a trap you don’t want to have to deal with. If you can’t pay your credit card bills in full every month, maybe you shouldn’t use them (unless the vendor doesn’t take cash). Pay in cash when you’re out and about. Physically handing your money over to someone has a way of helping you question whether the purchase is really worth it or not. Swiping a card and using “invisible money” is so easy, you don’t even realize how much you’re pledging to pay, and the bill piles up fast. If you can’t seem to help yourself, ask your credit card company to lower your credit limit. Keep in mind that if you drastically lower your amount of available credit, your credit score will take a hit. If you’re applying for a mortgage or other loan soon, you may want to hold off on lowering the limits until after you get the lender’s decision.

Finally, are you always short on time? Why is that? If you made a pie chart of the activities you do during your free time (not when you’re sleeping and not when you’re at work or engaged in other responsibilities), which slices would be the biggest? I’m guessing a screen is involved. I don’t know if this is true or not, but the other day I heard on the radio that on average, we scroll a whopping 95 miles per year on our phones. It can’t all be worthwhile. Video games are a black hole for guys, especially. I knew guys in college who would skip classes to play video games. Too much of that and your grades suffer, and college is a pricey thing to give a half-hearted effort to. Unless you’re able to make money off your video game prowess, consider whether the time investment is worth it. I understand wanting to decompress and relax, but good grief, set a limit on how much time that takes. Other time-suck activities: binge-watching shows, watching six hours of football in a given weekend (or single day), and aimless meandering on the internet.

To sum up, you’re in charge of you. If you can’t do it on your own, ask a trusted person for help with your weak spots. When my kids were little, my wife and I were pretty careful about how many sweets we let them have. Occasionally, I’d come home from work and have some ice cream. Once in awhile, one of them would say something like “I can’t wait until I’m a daddy so I can have ice cream whenever I want.” Yeah, life as an adult comes with some privileges, but Spiderman was right: with great power comes great responsibility. Take ownership of your choices. The buck stops with you.

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Not to Alarm You, But Are You Living a Life of Disobedience?

Last week I talked about living “in the final minutes of the game.” If Satan knows he’s losing, and that the clock’s getting closer to zero, he’s going to pull out all the stops in his efforts to derail God’s plan. There are no rules of conduct he’ll voluntarily abide by.

Well God’s going to do what God’s going to do, and none of us know exactly what’s going to take place or His timeline for doing it. We know God wins, but we don’t know what the battles look like between now and then, or which of us are going to step into crucial roles in the fight.

I feel I need to drop some truth on my fellow Christ-followers here, and for some it may be uncomfortable. Here it is: If you are not living your life actively looking for ways to build God’s kingdom (either by bringing new souls to Christ or building up the faith and capabilities of those who are already His), you are living a life of disobedience.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” –Matthew 28:19-20

This isn’t a verse that says “as long as you’re up for it,” or “once you get that job,” or “when life is going well for you.” This is not an optional aspect of Christianity, this is a command. Yes, if Jesus Christ is your Savior, you’ll spend eternity with Him in Heaven, but there’s a lot of joy you’re going to miss out on if you duck the Boss’s directive.

And we get to be part of countering those efforts. Thank you John MacArthur!

I recently spent most of the day accompanying someone to the hospital for a surgery. Time seems to pass slower when you’re sitting in a hospital waiting room. It gives you the opportunity to do a lot of people-watching, and if you’re paying attention, you get to see a lot. For some, this is a place of business; it’s where they earn their paycheck. For others, it’s a place to volunteer. For many others, it’s a place of uncertainty, of worry. I saw elderly couples gingerly walking around together, taking great care to navigate obstacles I think nothing about. If the Lord sees fit to allow me to live that long, that reality isn’t as far off into the future as I’d like it to be. If I want end my time on Earth having lived a life of impact for the Lord, I need to be pushing now, and the same is probably true for you.

I’ve written in the past about the parable of the talents (found in Matthew 25:14-30). A talent in this case is a measure of weight, so a talent of gold or a talent of silver is worth quite a bit. The master called three servants together and gave them different amounts of money, according to their abilities (5 talents, 2 talents, and 1 talent), and told them to grow the money while he went away on a journey. The first two servants worked hard and doubled the money they’d been entrusted with, while the third was lazy and only returned the original amount to the master.

We all have the opportunity to demonstrate growth in our Christian walks. Those who do well with 1 talent graduate to being entrusted with 2, and those who do well with 2 demonstrate their worthiness to be entrusted with more. I feel like this blog is my “2-talent act.” I’ve been reliably posting content here for over six and a half years. I feel like my “5-talent act” is the book series I’ve posted about before. That series is a little too much for me to handle right now, but I’m growing into it. Being faithful at smaller-talent acts will help prepare me for the bigger lift, and the same goes for you. It’s become glaringly apparent though, that if I want to complete that 5-talent act, it’s not something I can just wish and hope for; I’m going to have to make deliberate efforts to get it done. It’s going to cost me something…usually my time. I’m trying to build something that will still be making an impact long after I’m gone, but if I want it to really happen I have to get moving now. I’ve already been working on it for a few years, and even though I’ve started to accumulate a few sizable manuscripts, there’s still years’ worth of work to be done.

That’s why it’s important to remember, and keep in perspective, the brevity of life. It’s easy to brush aside the idea of committing to something big God’s called you to, because people of all ages can talk themselves out of it. If you’re a teenager, you figure you’ll have plenty of time for stuff like that later. In your early career you’re still focused on getting yourself established, or even just paying rent. Maybe you get in a serious relationship, maybe little footsteps follow behind not long after. Well then, since you’ve got a young family, you have other priorities. But then you get pulled into volunteering at school activities, and then you get caught up in the college search. Then all your kiddos leave the nest and it’s just you and your special someone, or maybe just you. But then you get a pink slip, or an unexpected diagnosis. You eventually make it through that, and at some point you become a grandparent. Retirement isn’t super far away, and maybe you take a big vacation once in awhile. You eventually retire, and then you have to figure out what that looks like for you. You do some fun things and spend some time with the grandkids, but before you know it you’re trying to decide if you want to retire in place, downsize, or move into a retirement community.

“Wow, that went fast.” Sometimes it seems like it’s over in a few blinks of an eye. “I guess there’s really no ‘good’ time to get to work on the stuff God assigned to me.” That’s part of the reason why He rewards the followers that make time for His work.

Not sure where to begin? Start small and grow from there. I bet your church needs help with child care (or some other ministry). Maybe you can think of a practical way to demonstrate love to someone who needs some help (both Believers and non-Believers). Is there someone you know who could use a little discipling?

It’s not too late. God has work for you to do. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” I’m sure we’ll celebrate together in Heaven, but don’t let a lifetime of disobedience pass you by.

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We Went Back to Where it all Began

A couple years ago I wrote about an earlier time when two of my kids played tee ball. Man, if you’re competitive when it comes to sports, or you generally enjoy competence, you probably want to stay away from watching tee-ball games.

These days my two kids who were in tee ball are about 10 years older than when they played the sport. My son is old enough to get a job now, and this past weekend I went with him and my younger daughter to a little league complex so he could earn some cash on opening day.

We dropped him off so he could do his thing, and my daughter and I headed into the bleachers to kill some time watching a tee-ball game while we waited. (If you decide to read my previous tee-ball post, this is the same daughter who got antsy in the stroller and I took her walking around during the games.)

When I had kids playing in a tee-ball game, it was a disaster. The kids kinda had fun, but it was hard for me to watch for some reason. This time around was different, though. The game was still a disaster for sure, but it was much more fun to watch. My daughter and I had a good time being spectators.

The second baseman still stood around picking his nose. The whole team still swarmed to (and sometimes fought over) the ball anytime there was a hit. There were still sometimes two runners on the same base. For the kids, the highlight of the experience was still having team snacks after the game.

Why the difference in perspective? I think maybe it’s because none of my kids were out there, looking like they couldn’t find their way out of a wet paper bag. I can only surmise the first time around was so frustrating for me because my kids’ team couldn’t function, but this time was a hoot because I wasn’t invested in either team and I was able to just watch and enjoy the chaos. My daughter and I sat in the bleachers, laughing at the cuteness and abject comedy on display out on the field. They were a funny bunch, and they didn’t care that they didn’t know what a good play looked like.

In your life, have you walked away from serving God in the past because it was somehow too aggravating or frustrating for you to be a part of? Maybe it’s time to give it another shot. Just because it was hard for you back then doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same today. If it is, maybe now you’re better equipped to handle it. Try doing a little reintroduction to using your gifts for God’s glory. He gave you this talent for a reason; you might find this time around is much different.

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You Sure That Thing is Street Legal?

I’m not super handy when it comes to working on cars, but there’s an engine concept I think is very interesting. These days we tend to be more concerned with miles per gallon or some other measure of fuel efficiency, but it seems like not that long ago gas was cheap and horsepower reigned supreme. We might someday have car racing with electric vehicles, but there’s something special about the roar of a gas-powered engine.

In high-performance combustion engines, it may not seem believable, but it’s possible for them to be a little too powerful. Ultra-powerful engines either make the insurance companies too nervous or they make professional races unfair. To make very powerful vehicles street legal, or to level the playing field on a race track, somebody came up with the idea of a restrictor plate.

Some quick background: for an internal combustion engine, one of the things that gives it power is a design that allows a sufficient amount of air into the combustion chamber to enable the optimal explosion of the fuel, which in turn generates power. Generally (at least up to a point), more air equals more power. That’s why you’ll sometimes see muscle cars with crazy contraptions on the hood or weird air intakes built into high-performance cars that have their engines in the back.

A restrictor plate is something that intentionally limits the amount of air that can flow into the combustion chamber. Using less air, the engine can’t produce the same amount of horsepower. A restrictor plate ultimately reduces the amount of power the engine can generate.

Sounds a little ridiculous, doesn’t it? If you’re going to go through all the trouble of designing and building something that powerful, why would you intentionally reduce its potential? Wouldn’t it be better to just design and build something a little less potent in the first place?

Let’s make the connection now. To all the Christ-followers out there, you gained the Holy Spirit at the moment of your conversion. The Holy Spirit is the member of the Godhead that empowers you with the things you need to perform the tasks God assigns to you. God won’t ask you to do things without also equipping you to do them, yet too often Christians install their own versions of “Holy Spirit restrictor plates.” They hold God at arm’s length in some way, or perhaps see where God is leading and intentionally avoid pursuing that goal. God will implement His plan for you whether or not you’re on board with it, but there’s more that can come from a fully devoted heart than can come from a heart that’s only going through the motions.

So I’d ask you…why not take off that Holy Spirit restrictor plate? If God’s determined to use you, He’s going to use you whether you object or not. Trying to interfere with it is just going to make things hurt more. Why not save some pain, unleash all that horsepower, and see something that’s really high-performance?

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – 1 Peter 4:10 NKJV.

(I didn’t originally mean to have the “manifold” pun in a post about muscle cars, but now that it’s there, I’m having a hard time taking it out.)

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In the Interest of Interest

Money is probably one of the biggest obstacles for a person’s taking a leap of faith in terms of stepping out of their comfort zones to do something they feel God’s calling them to do. I bring this up now because interest rates are in the process of rising, and they’ll likely rise several more times over the coming year to help start getting a handle on inflation. To help try to make that obstacle a little easier to overcome, I’d like to spend some time today talking about how to pay less for stuff by getting better interest rates, which in turn, means you’re using the resources God’s provided you with wisely and can do more with those resources in your charge.

Ideally if you want to buy something, you’d pay it in full right then and there at the site of the transaction. Cash used to be the dominant way to do this, but it’s not nearly as common anymore. There are times, however, when you don’t have enough cash available (either in your wallet or in your bank account) to make a large purchase. You’ll likely need to borrow money from a bank or credit institution to cover the cost of a house or vehicle, for example. Those institutions, in turn, will charge you money for the service of borrowing their money. (You’ll make payments to them, but the total amount you hand over will be way more than the original amount you borrowed.)

Credit cards are a similar thing, but at the same time they’re a different animal. Debit cards are nice in the sense that they’re sort of the electronic version of cash. You purchase something with a debit card, and it takes the money right out of your account. Just like cash…if you don’t have enough for the purchase, you don’t get to walk away with the thing you’re trying to buy. A credit card, on the other hand, doesn’t require you to have enough money available to pay for whatever you’re buying. In fact, credit card companies would prefer that you not pay off your credit card bill in full, because it gives them the opportunity to charge you large amounts of money for the privilege of using the credit they’ve extended to you. Don’t get lured in by earning reward points. I’d recommend that if you’d like, you can use credit cards to purchase things you were going to buy anyway, but try not to use them for impulse buys. When making a purchase, if you don’t have the money to pay for it right then and there, consider whether or not it’s worth going into debt for.

Okay, so…let’s pretend you’re a lending company…either a credit card company, somewhere that gives out car loans, or a mortgage company. Someone you’ve never met applies to your company for some credit. Each time you lend money to someone, you’re making an investment in them that involves some amount of risk. What do you use in making your decision about whether or not to extend credit to them?

It turns out these organizations use something called a credit score. Every person’s track record of the way they’ve handled credit or debt in the past plays some role in their credit score. If the lending institution sees an applicant who has a very good credit score, they’ll view that applicant as a safer investment than someone with a low credit score. Those with a high score are more likely to be able to secure larger amounts of credit at cheaper rates.

If an applicant has a low (or worse, no) credit score, they’re seen as a risky bet. They may be approved for credit, but it will likely be in smaller amounts, and will almost surely pay higher interest rates. A higher risk means there’s a greater chance that they won’t reliably pay back the full amount of money owed. To offset this risk, institutions will grant the credit at higher interest rates. (Even if the applicant defaults, the money gained from the high interest rate helps recover some of the money they’ve initially laid out.) A bank’s favorite scenario? When a person with a high interest rate pays off the full balance, but does it as slowly as possible. The bank not only recovers its initial outlay, but also gets to pocket all that high interest as profit.

Now let’s look at it from the other side. If you’re applying for credit, you want to get money for the lowest possible interest rate. Your best bet is to build up your credit score before you even apply for credit. Credit scores run from a low of 300 to a highest possible 850. In general, a “good” score is 700 and up. An “excellent” score is anything above 800. Most people have a score that falls somewhere between 600 and 750.

What factors determine a credit score?

As it turns out, demonstrating good credit habits will naturally build your credit score. As you may expect, the biggest chunk comes from your track record of payments. Thirty-five percent of your credit score comes from your payment history. If you pay all your bills in full each month (including housing, installment loans, and credit cards), that’s 35% in your favor. It demonstrates reliability.

The next-largest chunk of your credit score (30%) comes from your credit usage. If you don’t pay off the balance in full each month, how big a balance do you carry over? What percentage of your available credit are you using? Carrying a balance on one or more credit card isn’t the end of the world, but if you want to raise your credit score, you definitely need to use no more than 30% of your credit line per account, and it would be even better to get those balances down to zero each month. Just because you have credit available doesn’t mean you should use it. Showing restraint works in your favor. Additionally, getting an account balance down to zero is a great thing, but if you close the account after doing so, it decreases the total credit available to you. If you’re still carrying hefty balances on other accounts, closing an account will mathematically increase the percentage of remaining credit you’re using, which could drop your score. It’s better to pay off the balance and then simply avoid adding any new debt to that account. If you really want to close the account you should wait until you’ve paid down more of your total debt.

Those two items, making payments on time and showing restraint in your credit usage, account for nearly two thirds of your credit score. If you want to improve your score, start there. The remaining 35% is broken up into smaller categories that will be less impactful in the immediate term, but play a significant role over a longer period of time.

Another 15% of your credit score comes from the length of credit history. How old are your oldest and newest accounts? What’s the average age of all accounts combined? There are a few other considerations in this category, but for the most part, you just have to have time on your side for this one. Keep reliably making those payments.

Ten percent of your credit score comes from your credit mix. There are fixed obligations (rent/mortgage, student loan payments, the cable bill, etc.), variable obligations (credit cards), and some that are sort of in between (the electric or water bill). Showing you can manage more than just one type shows you can handle the responsibility of credit. At only 10%, this isn’t a huge factor, but it still plays a part if you’re in the gray area between “poor” and “fair” or “fair” and “good.”

The final 10% comes from “new credit.” Don’t open lots of new accounts in a short period of time. Lenders will see a lot of new accounts and wonder why the credit you’ve already got isn’t enough. Is it due to mismanagement? Are you in some kind of financial trouble? It just adds a perception of risk to the mix.

A handful of items go into a basic credit score, but by demonstrating that you can handle various lines of credit, you also make yourself more likely to get the best rates. Access to better rates means you free up resources you can use in your pursuit of furthering God’s kingdom, however you’ve been called to do it.

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Don’t Make Plans To Fail

For a few summers I was a lifeguard at a Christian conference center. One time there was a youth retreat going on when I was on duty at the pool that had a pair of diving boards. One of the youth leaders, Allen, was having fun racing the teenage guys in the pool.

It’s important to understand that Allen was middle-aged and wasn’t quite at his “fighting weight” anymore. Just about all of the young bucks at the pool that day could have smoked him in a 100-yard dash or pushup contest. You wouldn’t look at him and think that he was all that quick in the water. What they didn’t know was that Allen had spent a ton of time in the pool as a young man, and as a longtime member of the swim team, had practiced countless entries into the water, converting his momentum into underwater speed. Before he got into youth work, he was my lifeguarding boss (and we even got into a very sticky situation on the water).

From my lifeguard chair I had the best seat in the house. Allen took on all comers; he and any challenger would both start on a diving board, and on a signal they’d both take off running, dive in, and race to the far side of the pool.

It just wasn’t fair. It was so lop-sided that it stopped being fun for the challengers. Allen started giving them all kinds of advantages. He gave them the higher diving board while he took the lower one. He gave them a head start. He’d only be allowed to have one full stroke to make the far side.

It was close a few times, but nobody seemed able to beat him. A trend started to emerge though. Suddenly, as though it were contagious, many of the young guys would develop “leg cramps” during the race, which was obviously the reason they couldn’t keep up. It got to the point where, even standing in line, challengers would accurately predict that they’d cramp up during their race.

These guys were setting the table for their own failures. Failure is easier to tolerate when there’s an excuse for it, even if the excuse is flimsy or fake. I won’t lie, these guys were outmatched, but setting the table for your own failure, or purposely arranging an excuse for yourself, is giving yourself license to not try your hardest.

How many Christians out there today intentionally do not try their hardest to live the life that Christ has called them to? There’s no denying that a life completely dedicated to Christ is one that’s laced with struggle, exhaustion, agony, hours spent pleading with God…and unparalleled rewards. Yet so many of us set the table for our own failures. Imagine if we could talk with everyone that’s slipped from this life into Heaven, the honest answers we’d get if we started asking questions. “I didn’t give God my all during that life because…”

I believe the day is coming when some of Christianity’s practices or views will be outlawed or “canceled” here in the United States, the very country that was founded for the purpose of practicing freedom of religion. Since we’re not there yet, consider taking advantage of the religious freedoms we currently have. God has a purpose for your life, and He’s calling you to follow hard after Him. No excuses.

Lord God, we know in our heads that this life isn’t the permanent one, but the loud sounds, the bright lights, and the sparkly things here in this life seem like they’re able to distract us more than they should. Please help us have the right priorities, no more excuses, and a willingness to make sacrifices now for the sake of an eternity of satisfaction at having glorified Your name. Amen

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Your Money Can’t Work for you if Someone Already has Dibs on it

I’m not sure why I didn’t realize this earlier, but it recently occurred to me that lots of people get themselves into trouble when it comes to money and I might be able to help them by offering a few tips.

I’m speaking specifically about debt in this case. Maybe you’ve learned about debt the hard way, or maybe nobody’s ever told you the basics before, but my goal for this post is to help some people get on the right track to worrying less about their financial situation so they can focus more on the purpose God’s given them. After all, with high levels of debt, it’s easier to lose focus on striving toward becoming the person God wants you to be. If you’re weighed down by worry about your debt load, I’d like to help you get started on a path that allows you to reach more of your God-given potential.

Money itself isn’t a bad thing, but a love of it is dangerous. Money is a valuable tool in this life. Having the knowledge to wield that tool effectively means you have the capacity to accomplish more by using it wisely, preferably to the glory of God. Because debt might be holding you back from doing the stuff God wants you to do, here’s some practical insight.

We’ll start with the basics. Let’s say you owe a lot of money to credit card companies. I can give you the first couple of steps you need to take, but it’s important for you to realize that even if you dig yourself out of debt, you’ll probably end up right back in the same hole if you don’t curb your tendency to buy stuff you can’t afford. That’s something you’re going to need to address right away. Make the switch to only paying cash if you need to. (Having to physically hand over something tangible has a way of making people question whether or not the purchase is actually necessary or if it’s more of a luxury.) Alternatively, enact a rule that you won’t ever buy something the first day you think about it. Forcing yourself to “sleep on” such decisions will help you cut out a lot of impulse buys.

Ok, after you get a handle on spending habits, the hard work begins. Here come three steps to follow. Each step should be completed (or nearly completed) before moving on to the next step.

(Before I get started, a note to the parents of kids under 18. Starting this month the Federal Government is giving advance payments each month for the rest of the year that will total half of the year’s child tax credit. If you normally have to pay taxes when you file, don’t spend this money, because getting an advance on your tax credit is going to result in a larger tax bill when you actually file. If you normally get a refund though, this is a great place to start for step 1.)

Step 1: Using money you can scrounge from your budget, money you can swing from a side gig, or even irregular windfalls like stimulus money, yard sale proceeds, or gifts, save up $500-2500 for your emergency fund. You determine the amount by looking at where you are on the scale of expenses. If someone else pays your rent and you take either public transportation or a ride-sharing service to get where you need to go, it’s okay to shoot for the lower end. If you have a mortgage and a vehicle or two, shoot for the upper end. This money is not to be spent unless…you guessed it…there’s an emergency. Cars break down, kids destroy stuff, water heaters reach the end of their life and quit working. The idea is to avoid going further into debt for unexpected expenses, and life is full of unexpected expenses. This money should be available quickly (not locked up in a certificate of deposit, for example), and should be considered your new “zero balance.”  That means if you’re keeping $500 as your minimum, $500 in your account actually means you have zero. A balance of $510 means you have $10 to play with. The emergency fund is not to be used for regular bills…your regular bills should be covered by your budget. This is not for celebrations, splurges, or any sort of “I want” situation. The emergency fund is kept for unexpected but necessary expenses. If you use money from your emergency fund when you’re in a later step, halt progress on that later step until you replenish your emergency fund.

Step 2: Start tackling the debt. This is the one that takes time and persistence. After you’ve established your emergency fund, continue using the same type of income you were saving to build the emergency fund and instead apply it toward paying more than the minimum payment on your credit card bills. Credit card statements are now required to have a section that tells you how long it will take you to pay off your balance if you only make the minimum payment. By taking several months to pay off a purchase, you’re not getting away with anything…you’re actually inflicting a good amount of financial harm on yourself. With high interest rates in the teens, even a minor balance will take a ridiculously long time (and a ridiculously large amount of money) to pay off a small balance. So if you want to get out of debt, you’re going to have to make more than the minimum payment on your accounts. The best way to use a credit card is to pay off the balance in full every month. (And no, don’t just buy stuff to get the points or rewards for your credit card’s rewards program!)

Lots of people that are heavily in debt carry balances on multiple accounts, and they play a version of a shell game to shuffle the debts around from one account to another while carrying a debt load on yet another account. If you really want to get out of debt, you need to make your money work more efficiently for you. Let’s say you’ve got five accounts that you’re reliably making minimum payments on. It’s good that you’re meeting your obligations, but let’s start retiring some of those debts. Now that you’ve built your emergency fund, it’s time to keep the momentum going. The additional funds you were using to establish your emergency fund should now be added to the minimum payment of one of your accounts. Even if it’s only an extra $20 per paycheck, add it to the minimum payment you’re making on one of the accounts.

Your success will likely depend on the type of person you are. If your attitude is “I want to get out of debt without paying one cent more than I have to,” then your plan should be to start throwing all the extra money you can possibly muster at the account that’s charging the highest interest rate, regardless of how large the different balances are. Once you pay that off, you’ve grown the potency of your arsenal; you’ll now be able to use the money you used to build your emergency fund plus the amount you used to make the minimum payments on the account you just paid off. If your monthly minimum payment was $30, your new capability will be that $30 per month plus the amount you used to build your emergency fund. One of your debts is paid off and you’re gaining momentum.

This strategy is the one that makes the most rational sense, but in reality it can be disheartening for some people because it might feel like it takes forever to make any progress. If you know you’re going to need some small victories to encourage you along the way, you may need a different approach. If that’s you, take a look at your complete list of debts and start making extra payments on the account with the smallest balance. Add whatever additional principal you can to the minimum payment, and keep chipping away at it until that balance is down to zero. After that, do the same thing as in the other example: add your newfound cash flow to the minimum payment on a different debt. The bigger the debt that you pay off, the more cash flow you’ll be able to create and apply to paying off other debts.

The idea is to concentrate your extra cash on one account at a time. By all means, continue making your minimum payments on all your accounts, but any leftover capacity you’ve got should be directed at only one account. (If you’ve got an extra $20 a month for paying down debt, it’s better to throw that whole extra $20 at one account rather than throwing an extra $4 at five different accounts. Persistence is important, hang in there. It may take some time, but being debt-free is within your grasp!

Step 3: Built your savings large enough to contain at least three months (but up to six months’ worth) of living expenses. Even without global pandemics, this is a common goal for a lot of folks. Mortgage or rent payments are likely going to be the largest expense, but don’t forget car payments (if applicable), grocery bills, utility bills, any subscriptions that you don’t plan to cut in the event of financial hardship, insurance expenses, gasoline/commuter costs, and anything like alimony or child support payments. Layoffs, natural disasters, market downturns, and any number of other triggers can set off a financial catastrophe for earners, and having a cushion large enough to last you a few months will give you more options as you await resolution (find a new job, wait for the insurance check to arrive, sell your house, or whatever that resolution looks like).

By the time you’ve completed all three of these steps, you’re in a much better situation than you were before you started. Persistence and focus are your key assets in this fight.

You don’t have to be religious to put this advice to good use. Know someone that could benefit from it? Please pass this along to them. Too many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Whatever your life story or wherever you come from, our society is better off if people and families can effectively manage their cash flow and keep their financial house in order. Spread the word!