How young were you when you first learned that famous verse about money? Whether or not you were raised in Sunday School, almost every culture recognizes some version of this biblical maxim: “For the love of money is a  root of all kinds of evils. ” (1 Timothy 6:10, ESV, emphasis mine) I struggled with this theology for a while; it doesn’t seem accurate. When you look at the full range of all the evils in the world and the damage that different sins cause, it... Read More

Money will either bless you or curse you. It can be a rescuing blessing in the hands of your Savior. Your desires for and use of money can reveal what is ruling your heart (see James 4:1–3, Deuteronomy 15:10) . Money can also be an invitation to experience blessing by being a blessing. Generosity allows us to respond to others’ physical needs, and as we do, participate in activities that are literally of eternal consequence (see Acts 20:35, Malachi 3:10) . But... Read More

When you receive unexpected money, what is the first thing you want to do with it? Luella and I were in our early days of ministry, with two hungry children, barely making it on the meager salary our little church was able to pay us. I must admit that in those days, I struggled a lot with envy and often wondered what God was doing. One afternoon an anonymous envelope came in the mail containing a $100 check. It seemed to me like a million dollars, and I immediately started to plan all the... Read More

Why are there so many workaholics in the church? Why are so many Christians successful in their career at the expense of their spouse and children? Why do we struggle to find time for ministry, prayer, and Scripture reading but spend way too much time in the office or our work inbox? You could argue that this a priority problem , where we list career above God and family; I wouldn’t disagree. You could propose that we have a scheduling problem , and revising our daily routine and... Read More