Financial Intentionality

We’ve all been there.

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You are reviewing your bank or credit card statement, and you look at your spouse with wide
eyes, “Where did it all go?”

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There may be a tinge of shame, or guilt, or maybe even hopelessness. You briefly review the
items, tell yourself that you’ll reign it in next month… but the cycle keeps occurring.

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The reality is, our financial lives can often be a source of stress and anxiety, and we can’t always
change the numbers on our net worth statement in the short run. But what if we looked at this
aspect of our lives as a huge opportunity given by God to demonstrate that we trust Him and that
we believe what His word says about our finances?
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It all starts with intentionality.

I’ve been a financial advisor for a decade, and I’ve seen many
successes and many failures. But the clients who exude the most contentment and confidence
have been intentional in the realm of their finances.
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As Andy Stanley says, “Unless you stop long enough to decide ahead of time where you want to go, you will live your life unaware of the sacrifices necessary to get there.”
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Consider the following…

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Fact: God speaks about money and possessions 2,300+ times in the Bible.
Implication: If it’s discussed that often, it must be important to Him.

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Fact: God is the owner; we are simply the stewards (Psalm 24:1 and 1 Chronicles 29:11-12).
Implications: As stewards, God gives us freedom and creativity in our earning, saving,
spending, investing, protecting, and giving. We have a huge opportunity to honor and reflect
Him in these ways.

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Fact: Money issues are a major cause of divorces.
Implications: By bettering our communication and confidence around money, we can bring
unity to our marriages.

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Fact: Most of our money habits are formed prior to age 18, with some research indicating that
most of the habits are set by age 7!
Implications: Our children are observing how we earn, save, spend, invest, protect, and give.

As a society, we don’t like to talk about money. It makes us uncomfortable. It’s sensitive. It can
be awkward. But if we’re creating a family legacy, we must answer the question, “How will my
financial life be different than the world’s version?”

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When you train for a marathon, you don’t begin by running 26.2 miles. You begin by running
shorter distances, gaining strength and confidence, celebrating the small victories, and eventually
competing. Likewise, we don’t need to have it all together financially overnight. But by taking
intentional, small, disciplined steps, we can create a lasting financial legacy that is embodied by
contentment, confidence, gratefulness, peace, excellent spousal communication & unity, and
generosity.

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You don’t have to be an Excel nerd like yours truly, but taking the steps below will get you on
the right path. The details and mechanics are a subject for another post, but know we have
resources available on all the topics below to help you get started.

1. Pray

• How does God want to use your time, talents, and treasure?
• Romans 7:18 says “…for I have the desire to do what is right, but not the
  ability to carry it out.” As humans, we have a natural tendency to NOT do
  the things we KNOW we should do. We need to let God into this sphere of
  our life if we expect any transformation.

2. Explore Your Financial Values

• What were some life-shaping memories of money growing up?
• How does
  that affect the way you think about money now?
• What are your beliefs, values, dreams, and goals with your resources?

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3. Take Inventory

• Tally up your Net Worth, Gross Income, Net Income, and average
  monthly expenses. Doing the hard work of taking inventory provides
  clarity and lessens confusion. But remember, Net Worth does NOT equal
  Self-Worth!

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4. Where are you going?

• Do you have a general understanding of where you want to (eventually) be
  financially? This is understood with the fact that God can give or take
  away at any moment (“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
  blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21)

5. Include your children in your giving

• Share with your children who you’re giving to and why. To go a step
  further, carve out a small portion of your giving and let them direct it.
• Giving breaks the power of money, and there’s no better time to do that
  than in early childhood.

Do you want to create a legacy that lasts? A legacy that transcends dollars and cents? By
leveraging God’s wisdom and taking intentional steps, you can set yourself and your family on a
path to greater peace, contentment, unity, and generosity.