True and lasting financial freedom cannot be experienced in Christians’ finances unless they understand God’s perspective on giving and sharing. God’s perspective on how to obtain lasting financial freedom is best characterized by the following principles.
1. Acknowledge God’s ownership over everything. God owns it all and we are His stewards in charge of managing His property.
2. Surrender the first part, the first fruits, to God.
3. God supplies surplus funds so that the surplus can be used to help meet the needs of others.
God has directed Christians to use their surplus funds to satisfy the needs of others, not necessarily the wants or desires.
Before those surplus funds are delegated and distributed, there are some important questions all Christians should ask regarding how those surplus funds should be shared. With whom does God direct us to share? Who is deserving and why? Should we share only with Christians, or do we have an admonition from God to help non-Christians as well? What about our families? Should all surplus funds go to the church and should the church leadership distribute the funds to whomever they feel needs the funds?
The Word of God seems to be very clear with regard to whom Christians should help with their surplus funds: family, ministering brethren, the Christian community, and the non-Christian community.
God requires that we provide for our families. “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). This provision for the family includes husband, wife, children, mother, father, siblings, and grandparents—right on down the line. “If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed” (1 Timothy 5:16). Paul’s admonition tells us to support the members of our own family. Thus, they will not be a burden on the church (or the government).
Unfortunately, most Christians have placed into the hands of the government the responsibility that was rightfully given to us by God: adequately providing for the needs of the family.
In our present American society, although some pastors and evangelists make extravagant salaries or raise huge sums of money to support an excessive lifestyle, ministering brethren for the most part are generally forced to live on far less than those in the secular world. Why shouldn’t pastors’, evangelists’, and missionaries’ incomes be comparable to those in the business world? Do we as Christians believe that God’s worker is not worthy to receive an adequate salary? “It is written in the Law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.’ God is not concerned about oxen, is He?” (1 Corinthians 9:9).
Based on the Word of God:
1. The requirement of every Christian is to supply the needs of those ministering for the Lord.
2. We are to send them out in a way worthy of God. As such, pastors should be paid as much as the average member of their congregations. If pastors feel that they are being overpaid, it is their responsibility to distribute the surplus. “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).
3. The church is admonished by God not to borrow money from non-Christian sources (3 John 6-7). The body of Christ is responsible for providing the funds that churches need to operate and to pay their staffs. “They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles” (3 John 6-7).
Christians are to provide care for the Christian community. “Honor widows who are widows indeed” (1 Timothy 5:3). The directive Paul gave for “widows indeed” concerns those who have no family to support them. Therefore the burden of support is placed on the church, and the church is to supply their needs.
How many congregations in America have, as a budgeted item, money to supply the needs of Christians in their churches who cannot provide for themselves (either permanently or temporarily), especially widows (or the elderly) who have no family or have no family who can or will provide for them? The Word of God is very plain concerning churches’ responsibility regarding meeting the needs of those within their body who qualify for such help. In fact, Jesus implied that this type of help from churches should take precedence over other obligations that He would likely consider to be of secondary importance: building programs, buying new equipment, buying a new bus, purchasing television air time, and so on.
If churches are truly fulfilling their scripturally mandated responsibilities, Christians should have no problem with giving their surplus funds to the church so that the leadership can administer those funds. However, if churches are ignoring their responsibilities, Christians may want to reconsider where they place their surplus funds. This does not include the tithe. Christians should pay their tithe to their local church or wherever they receive their teaching and spiritual nourishment, but with their surplus funds they can be more selective if the local church is not fulfilling its biblical obligation.
We are to be Christ-like examples to non-Christians through our material resources, demonstrating that Christ, not money, rules our lives. As such, we are also directed to share our surplus funds with the non-Christian community. When the Bible talks specifically about the believer, the elect, or the body of Christ, it is referring to Christians and the Christian community. Other Scriptures that deal with sharing or helping but do not refer directly to the above are intended to include the non-Christian community.
Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you (Matthew 5:42).
In truth there are perhaps 10 times as many references pertaining to sharing and helping non-believers and the community at large as there are that pertain to helping Christians only. “Whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Christians who are seeking financial freedom must be willing to use surplus funds that God has provided to help provide for the needs of others. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). In so doing, not only can true financial freedom be attained but God’s mandate for every Christian will be fulfilled.
Originally posted 9/6/13
At this time in America’s history, God has provided an open door for the church to expand ministries that help people in need. Today, the government is turning to the faith community for help in providing aid to the poor. This open door may not last long, but while it does the church has a unique opportunity to reach those who have never been reached before.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) ended the federal entitlement program, Aid For Dependent Families (AFDC), and enacted the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF). Federal funds are now allocated to states with the requirement that the funds be used to strengthen families and help them to become self-sufficient.
The new guidelines include an opportunity for faith-based organizations to apply, through each state, for specific program funds in competition with non-faith-based organizations.
Faith-based ministries have always helped the poor, but they have been hesitant to accept government funds in the past because accepting those funds meant forsaking their religious integrity. Section 104 of the PRWORA, otherwise known as the Charitable Choice provision, was designed to release ministries from many of the constraints of the past but allows funding for programs that are effective in helping welfare recipients successfully move into the workforce.
This new opportunity for access to government funding allows nonprofit, charitable organizations to use what is called “best practices” programs for moving families from welfare dependence to independence. The “choice” part refers to the fact that beneficiaries of services have a greater opportunity to choose services from either secular social-service organizations or faith-based programs.
Charitable Choice does not provide or guarantee funding. It is a federal law that establishes how federal TANF, welfare-to-work, and other funds designated for the poor may be spent by states to purchase welfare services.
When it was written, the Charitable Choice provision consisted of four basic rules.
1. When a state opens bidding for contracts to nongovernmental agencies for specific services for welfare recipients, the state must give equal bidding opportunity to secular social service and faith-based organizations and must choose organizations that use the best practices for serving the poor.
2. Faith-based organizations may retain their religious integrity, including the hiring, firing, and disciplining of employees based on religious criteria.
3. Faith-based organizations may not discriminate against beneficiaries because of their beliefs.
4. If a beneficiary protests to accepting services from a faith-based organization, the state must be prepared to offer similar services through another provider.
One federal mandate of the Welfare Reform Act that will impact our nation is that all able-bodied adults were given a five-year lifetime limit on receiving TANF benefits. The first federal time deadline was August 2001, when many recipients faced the loss of benefits for the first time. Some states set earlier deadlines that passed before that date.
Many individual states that have moved ahead with their plans to transition adults into the workforce are finding that these people aren’t making enough money to rise above the rank of the working poor. Now there is an urgent need for ministries to help families who are moving from welfare to work but still not earning the wages they need to provide for their families.
Although it has only four basic rules, Section 104 tends to raise a lot of questions. Access to additional funds may mean new ministries, but will the integrity of the ministry suffer? These questions must be answered on a case-by-case basis. For further explanation of Charitable Choice, visit the Center for Public Justice Web site at www.cpjustice.org.
Adapted from Empowering Single Parents—Ministering Through Welfare-to-Work.
Originally posted 9/3/2013.
Every church seeking to serve the Lord should have caring programs established to help their own needy, the needy in their community, and the needy in the world.
The surpluses that the church must have in order to minister to the needy are always available. Too often, Christians are consuming or wasting them. Every church needs a regular program of sharing the biblical principles of managing money (in the home) and practical courses on planning (budgeting, insurance, housing). Once God’s people learn God’s plan for their finances, the funds will be available to meet legitimate needs.
Statistics prove that about 20 percent of the people tithe in the average evangelical church. In the churches we have surveyed, in which a consistent program of teaching God’s principles of finances has been established, the percentage is over 80 percent.
The average American family spends over $2,000 a year on interest payments alone. If they can just be shown how to become debt free, a church of 100 families would have an additional $200,000 a year available for other programs.
No successful benevolence program will happen until God’s people in the local church decide to get involved and make it happen.
Every church should have a benevolence program to help those who have legitimate financial needs. However, a benevolence program should not be a “give-away” program. There are definite biblical guidelines for those we are going to help. Every member of any local church should be able to look to the fellowship they attend as an extension of God’s provision. They should feel the freedom to share their financial needs as freely as they would physical or spiritual needs.
Too often a local church’s benevolence program amounts to the pastor directing the secretary to write someone a check for food, gas, or rent. That is usually the worst thing to do. Without any controls or follow-up, giving more money is like pouring gasoline on a fire. Also this system doesn’t help those who have long-term needs due to illness, layoff, age, or the like. Benevolence is not an event, it is a vital part of ministering within the body of believers and requires several coordinated ministries.
This committee is primarily made up of laypeople who will meet and evaluate needs presented within the church. Often this requires emergency action by one or two members to evaluate needs that result from “drop-ins” at the church office (or parsonage). A well-coordinated committee will free the pastor from the pressures of some emotional appeals. The most effective benevolence committees usually have members with varied spiritual temperaments.
To meet the needs of families, resources must be accumulated in advance. Examples are food and clothing, but it should not stop there. The church should have contact with businesses that can provide part-time or temporary work. One of the most effective ways to test the spirit of people who can’t find work is to help them find it.
Other resources include the availability of legal or accounting advice, medical and dental care, and a number of well-trained financial counselors who will work with these families. Accountability is an essential part of any good benevolence program.
No successful benevolence program will happen until God’s people in the local church decide to get involved and make it happen. “Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all” (2 Corinthians 9:13).
Originally posted 9/2/13
It is well known that there are churches in every community that help the needy. These benevolence ministries are often called “Alms” ministries because they are giving alms to the poor. You are more likely to see this kind of community benevolence ministry than to see one that meets the needs of people in the congregation.
Those who dispense benevolence funds have found that it is best not to give cash to anyone—member or stranger. Instead, pay a bill, pay for a service, take someone shopping for food, or give a voucher for clothing. As accountability with people grows, you can determine whether you can entrust them with cash.
However, benevolence is more than giving money to the poor. The right way to help is to become involved in the person’s life. Accountability takes place through relationship.
The church may be great in meeting the needs of people in the community, but how easy is it for members to go to their own churches for help? Often, when the help is available, it is given to meet needs one time, then no more. We believe that it is vital to meet the needs within the church before reaching out to others, and many of these needs will be ongoing. This may mean committing to pay a single mom’s heating bill during the winter or providing a scholarship for her child to attend day care while she is working.
There should be a specific fund to help congregational members. Because the Bible talks about a special third tithe to care for widows and orphans, some churches take up a special widows and orphans offering the fifth Sunday of the month, about four times per year.
Benevolence funds should be available when any member has a need and should be dispensed through a committee. Each committee member should be able to dispense up to a certain amount without consulting others. Higher amounts should require discussion between two or three members. Church members should neither have to wait until the committee meets each month nor fill out forms like people outside the church because you already know these people.
Most benevolence ministries are open to the public for short periods of time during regular church business hours. Some operate two days per week for three to four hours. Others operate daily for one or two hours. The schedule is dependent on the availability of a staff person to oversee the ministry and on availability of volunteers.
Because you may not know those who are coming to your church for help, it is important to provide some accountability. Forms are necessary, but this may be handled through an interview process. A second visit may include meeting with a budget counselor. The idea is not just to give funds to the needy, but to start that important relationship-building process.
Benevolence ministry provides a great opportunity for the church to reach out to those in need and make a real difference in their lives. For more information on developing and running a successful benevolence ministry, search the topic “benevolence” on Crown’s website.
Adapted from Empowering Single Parents—Ministering Through Welfare-to-Work.
Originally posted 9/1/2013.
by Rick Boxx for Integrity Resource Center
My three-year-old daughter’s birthday party brought a surprise lesson on integrity. As Rebekah opened the big attractive box, with a beautiful red ribbon, you could see the excitement dance in her eyes as she viewed the new American Girl doll. This finely crafted piece of workmanship was definitely the hit of the party.
As I examined the contents of this box I became keenly aware as to why this company has been so successful in selling expensive dolls. Not only was the doll created with excellence, but it also came with a miniature bear and a book explaining the story behind this doll.
What caught my attention, however, was the level of thought that went into the packaging. The box’s purpose was to house the doll until it arrived at its new home. It was much heavier stock than normal, making it almost indestructible. It also had a special color scheme and ribbon to match the American Girl theme. Every detail of this gift had been addressed to assure total satisfaction. Even the service of this organization was extraordinary.
As I pondered the lesson to be learned from this experience, I remembered Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.” Providing quality products and services in our vocation reveals our commitment to integrity. Performing with excellence is part of the journey towards integrity.
Does your work measure up to the standard of kings? If not, consider the following actions.
* Survey the end users of your products or services for recommendations.
* Write down what excellence would look like in your work.
* Develop time-specific action plans.
* Implement.
* Return to step one.
Diligently following these steps may someday allow you the pleasure of serving as a role model for others, like American Girls was for me.
Rick Boxx is the President of Integrity Resource Center (IRC), a nonprofit ministry providing biblically-based resources, training and counsel to business and ministry leaders. You can learn more about IRC by visiting their web site at IntegrityResource.org or by emailing.
Originally posted 8/16/2013.
The vast majority of Americans do not have a will or a trust. If they died today they would leave the distribution of their assets to the state. Without a doubt this represents poor stewardship. Most people recognize the need to have a will, but they never get around to having one written. A great many people had a valid will at one time, but either the witnesses have died or the state laws have changed, invalidating their wills.
Regardless of the reason, the simple truth is that if your will cannot be probated, or proved, in court, it is worthless. The state agency assigned to handle intestate (having no legal will) properties will divide them among the surviving heirs as the agency sees fit, after extracting probate costs, state inheritance taxes, and federal inheritance taxes. Rather than spend a few hundred dollars in attorney costs to have a will prepared, many of these estates will spend several times that in court costs before the assets are distributed. A simple will can avoid these problems. For more complicated estates consisting of larger assets, a trust may be more advantageous.
To help you to understand what kind of estate planning is best for your family, we have addressed the 12 most frequently asked questions concerning wills and trusts.
Yes, you can in most states. A self-drawn will is called a holographic will. The rules governing holographic wills vary from state to state, and you must thoroughly understand the laws of your state to ensure your will is proratable in court. For this reason, we would suggest that all wills be proofread by an attorney.
In order for a will to be probated, the judge will most likely require that the will be verified. If you used only two witnesses and the state requires two, both must be alive and able to substantiate the general contents of the will. It is always best to have three or four witnesses. If less than the required are available, you will need to amend your will with a codicil to have other witnesses verify it.
If you do keep it in a safety deposit box you need to be sure that someone else has access to the box. Since a safety deposit box cannot be opened except by court order, the process can be lengthy and expensive. We suggest that you name your spouse and your attorney or accountant as authorized signatories.
Possibly. You need to have an attorney in the new state review your will to be sure that it conforms to that state’s laws.
Generally, your estate is governed by the state in which you reside at the time of your death. Thus, a valid will drawn in your state will most likely control the distribution of assets in another state.
Yes, you still need a will. Joint tenancy means that the surviving tenant owns the property if the other tenant dies, but if there are assets owned outside the joint properties they will not be covered. You will need to check with an attorney to determine how jointly owned properties are handled in your state, in case of the death of one of the owners.
You can name anyone you desire to act as executor of your will and estate. That person’s duties are to probate the will and distribute the assets according to the dictates of the will. Unless otherwise stipulated, many states require an out-of-state executor to post a bond. Some require that the bond be equal to the value of the estate. If you use a professional executor, there will be a fee involved. This can vary from an hourly fee to a percentage of the estate value. Any such fees should be clearly spelled out in a contract and attached to the will or trust.
A trust is a legal contract to manage someone’s assets, before and after death. There are two basic types of trusts: a living trust and a testamentary trust. A living trust is drafted and implemented while the assignee is still living. Within a living trust is another division: the living trust can be either revocable or irrevocable. If it is revocable, the assignee reserves the right to modify the trust as long as the assignee is alive. If the trust is irrevocable, the trust cannot be changed once in force, nor can the property assigned to the trust be recovered by the donor. A testamentary trust becomes valid when the person dies.
A trust is not a public document, like a will, and it does not require probate, thus ensuring privacy. In many cases, assets held in trust could be free from estate taxes.
That depends on the value of the estate at the time of your death. Through a marital deduction allowance, each spouse can leave the other an unlimited amount of assets. However, assets left to someone other than a spouse are subject to estate taxes.
Usually within six months of death, the state will require an appraisal of the estate. The taxes are due and payable at that time, although in practice both the state and federal tax collectors will normally work out a plan to convert the assets necessary to pay the taxes so that the estate doesn’t suffer a severe dilution through a forced sale. Liquidity, or cash, in an estate is very important, since taxes must be paid in cash. Otherwise, assets must be sold to satisfy the tax obligation.
You can change your will through the use of a codicil. The codicil is subject to the same laws of probate, so it is important that it be drafted properly. Attach all codicils to the original will and store them together. Remember that only the original will or codicil is probated, so protect them carefully.
Almost 80 percent of all American adults have no valid will. If they died, they would leave the distribution of their estates and guardianship of their children to the state; plus the estate would have to pay a sizable amount of taxes and fees. In order to ensure that the estate has to pay the least amount of taxes and that your estate is rightly distributed as you would want it to be divided, a will is mandatory.
By Andrew Pryor for Sound Mind Investing
When purchasing my current home, I met with a mortgage lender who, as standard procedure, had pulled my credit report. To my dismay, there appeared on the list numerous credit accounts that I had closed years earlier. There were others that I forgot I even had (remember that time you were offered a 20 percent discount on your Macy’s purchase if you would agree to charge it to your new Macy’s credit card?).
In addition to the active and closed accounts, there was a list of everyone who had looked into my credit over the past two years (most of which were credit card companies who later sent me unsolicited “special” offers). The credit agencies had used my credit history to “pre-qualify” me to various companies (such as banks, car dealers, credit card companies, mortgage lenders) who were looking for new customers. So there were several inquiries on my report that made it look as if I had been applying for credit with wild abandon!
Our credit report showed us in a very positive light. We haven’t a mark against us. But there were accounts open that I didn’t use, let alone need, and I was energized by the fear that they could, in any way, hinder my ability to close my home purchase on schedule (or get other credit I may need down the road). So that began my mission to tidy up my credit report. My research began with a few questions. First, how did the credit agency get my private information and what does a credit rating ultimately mean? It seems that periodically my creditors (banks, credit card companies, etc.) provide this information to the leading credit reporting agencies — Equifax (www.Equifax.com or 800-685-1111), Experian (www.Experian.com or 888-397-3742), and TransUnion (www.TransUnion.com or 877-322-8228).
Over the years, as I traveled the credit highway, taking out and then paying off car loans, student loans, credit cards, etc., my creditors reported my activities to these agencies. This information is used to establish a “credit scoring” method which gives points based on the weights of various credit experiences such as bill-paying history, late payments, age of accounts, and so on. (Interestingly, counter to what you might think, the shorter you keep credit accounts, the worse it affects your rating.) Each lender assigns “points” and “weights” according to its own criteria. You’ll never know quite where you stand until the lender has obtained your credit report and gone though this process. This was very unnerving to me.
To remedy these kinds of problems, your first task is to get copies of your credit reports. A law was passed by Congress in 2003 that requires each of the three major credit-rating agencies to provide consumers with one free copy of their credit report annually. In order to get your free credit reports, you’ll need to visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or any of the three agencies listed above.
The first thing I needed to decide was which of the three agencies to contact for my information. They all have credit data on me, and presumably, it’s similar in each case. You can also add your credit score for an additional fee for reports that don’t already include it.
The law entitles you to receive one free credit report from each agency every 12 months, but it’s your choice whether you order all three at the same time or order one now and others later. The advantage of ordering all three at the same time is that you can compare them. However, you will not be eligible for another free batch for 12 months. The advantage of ordering one now and others later (for example, one every four months) is that you’ll become aware of any inaccurate or potentially damaging information more quickly.
After entering all the information, voilà! My report was displayed on my computer monitor for my perusal. You can also order a report for mail delivery if you’d rather. After printing out my report, I began looking it over. My main area of concern had to do with what I found in the “revolving credit” section of my report. I had only one credit card…that I was aware of. But my credit report said I had three additional credit cards — two retail store cards and one Visa card. This was leftover debris from my earlier adventures in using credit. I called the two retail companies (using the telephone number provided on the credit report) and had the accounts closed effective that day. I also asked them to send me a confirmation letter as well as send a letter to the credit reporting bureau. Next, I called the Visa company. I thought I had closed this account over two years ago! Indeed, they told me my Visa account was “technically” closed (whatever that means), but promised to send the appropriate documentation to Experian to let them know the account was officially closed.
It’s important to clean up these old accounts because they are considered to represent available credit. Even if you never use the cards, potential lenders get the impression that you have a large amount of credit at your disposal. In their eyes, this makes you a higher-risk borrower.
The reports are pretty easy to understand once you’ve read the instructions and picked up on what the many abbreviations and codes mean. Along with the credit report, the agencies provide information on how to report mistakes, handle disputes, or report fraudulent activity. As these things go, my experience in cleaning up my credit report was relatively hassle-free. Hopefully, yours will be also.
Published since 1990, Sound Mind Investing is America’s best-selling financial newsletter written from a biblical perspective.
Originally posted 8/6/13.
By Robert Dickie
One third of Americans report that they will be job hunting this year. This goes much further than the more than 23 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed, including discouraged job seekers who have given up the hunt, 12.5 million actively looking for work, and 8 million people with part-time jobs who need full-time employment.
In today’s economy, a job is no longer something that binds employer and employee “til death do us part.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people hold an average of 10 to 15 jobs during a career.
After 35 years of helping people reach career and financial goals, Crown has advised millions of people in developing a career. To get to work this year, here are eight proven tips for finding a dream job.
Your next great job begins with you. No economy, political party, or corporate entity can be responsible for your success. Begin your job hunt knowing that you can do this. As Thomas Jefferson noted, “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
Knowing yourself is the first step to creating a career that will meet your goals in life. Evaluation tools such as Career Direct® and others help provide a roadmap to your greatest strengths and skills. Before investing years of your life or possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in education, take serious time to reflect on where you want to be and what strengths you have. Don’t spend more time researching the next car you plan to buy than you spend researching your career and your interests.
If branching out into something new, find a mentor. Get some experience working or volunteering with them and get acquainted with an industry you’ve always been intrigued by through getting to know influential people in that field. However, be careful to make the relationship mutual. Respect their time and try to take their advice more often than not. A great mentor will be a person with a long track record of proven success in their industry.
In an increasingly specialized society, consider your greatest strengths in your field and become the expert. Instead of trying to be a generalist, develop skills in your niche and actively market your expertise. Consider starting a blog where you routinely give advice and engage with other thought leaders in your field. Develop a class or skills training session that you can teach, and market that to industries and groups that could benefit from your talents and become clients. Many full time jobs come from consultant relationships that lead to long-term work.
You are your number one product! You must brand yourself digitally so people can find you and know who you are. Capitalize on networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Aboutme.com.
Consider investing in a website and blog for yourself – in your name – so that prospective clients can easily find you.
Also, do some online house cleaning. Prospective employers today will look at Facebook and other online locations to get to know the people they may hire. View these online social media accounts and your blog as an extension of your résumé. In fact, most potential employers will see this before they ever see a résumé since you are most likely to be hired by friends and your network contacts. Does your online profile make you look like an executive or a college party animal?
According to a recent survey of people who found jobs, 77 percent did NOT get work through job ads. Such business job hunt websites are usually best for locating entry-level work (not a bad thing) but for long-term gain, nothing beats personal connections. Join local business networks. Get involved in your community by volunteering with non-profits. Network with your temporary employment agency that can actively work with you to find job openings.
View networking as a full-time job and do something everyday that helps you build and maintain your network. In fact, never eat alone; make every lunch and dinner count. An unlisted job market exists as business leaders stay on the look out for available and talented people.
Part-time employment and flexible arrangements are, in fact, becoming the norm as the American job market is transitioning to a Free Agent Economy, in which part-time, flexible, and often short-term opportunities provide long-term income. As reported in USA Today, “Many businesses plan to bring on more part-time workers next year, trim the hours of full-time employees or curtail hiring,” so that part-time job may be your best offer. And long-term unemployment is a turn off to hiring managers.
In a poll reported at Forbes magazine, managers said that people out of work longer than two years were viewed more negatively than people with a criminal record but holding down a job. However, being out of work from 6 months to a year was not a concern to most managers.
Finding a great career may take some time. On average, for every $10,000 you’re trying to make in salary, it takes a month of searching. So consider the job you want and do the math. But don’t stop your job hunt with a mailed cover letter and résumé. Take your prospective boss to lunch. Attend company events. Creatively pursue opportunities to meet the decision makers. Consider asking for an interview even if the company isn’t hiring just yet—anything to start a conversation about how you can help them meet their company goals in the New Year.
Originally posted 8/5/2013.
By Chuck Bentley Washington Times (7-4-2013)
George Washington would roll over in his grave—bumping into his fellow Founding Fathers—if he knew the scope of America’s public debt. Among the values shared by America’s first leaders was an absolute fear of debt, given the pain and misery that followed it. As America celebrates another birthday, their convictions should be studied again.
John Adams, our nation’s second president, once observed: “There are two ways to enslave a nation. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.”
That conviction does not hold true today. Though the national debt is now $16.7 trillion—and growing—and though the United States borrows 46 cents of every dollar spent, our current leadership assures us that there is nothing to worry about.
“We don’t have an immediate crisis in terms of debt,” President Obama told ABC News recently. He went further: “In fact, for the next 10 years, it’s gonna be in a sustainable place.”
Notice the word, “immediate” in the president’s assessment of the current debt problem. He also revealed his view of debt by declaring himself to be comfortable with “sustainable” debt.
“Sustainable” debt is not justification for more borrowing. It’s a slippery slope as policy cycles from printing money to creative borrowing fueled by the assumption that a market will continue to exist for U.S. debt.
George Washington would not approve. “To contract new debts is not the way to pay old ones,” he cautioned.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “To preserve our independence, we must not let our leaders load us with perpetual debt. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of caring for them, we will be wise.”
The Jeffersonian principle for acquiring debt held that no generation should borrow more than it could pay back within about 20 years. “We shall all consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and morally bound to pay them ourselves,” Jefferson said, and many agreed at that time.
To take on a public debt that would burden your children was considered taxation without representation. It was an immoral act for elders to consume more than they could pay for, and infringe on the choices and liberty of their children, who had no vote or choice in the matter.
“Before the Great Depression, balancing the budget and paying down the debt were considered second only to the defense of the country as an obligation of the federal government,” noted writer and historian John Steele Gordon.
Our 19th president, Rutherford B. Hayes, reflected that view, advising: “Let every man, every corporation, and especially let every village, town and city, every county and state, get out of debt and keep out of debt. It is the debtor that is ruined by hard times.” Still, only our seventh president, Andrew Jackson, achieved a debt-free America, although other presidents paid down some of the nation’s obligations.
“How gratifying,” Jackson wrote in 1829 as he began his presidency, “the effect of presenting to the world the sublime spectacle of a republic of more than 12 million happy people, in the 54th year of her existence free from debt and with all [her] immense resources unfettered!” By January 1835, he achieved his dream.
A controversial figure, Jackson made many enemies with his cut-the-budget programs and with his attack on a powerful central bank he considered too big to fail and too big to allow control of much of the nation’s wealth. Jackson distributed his budget surplus in banks across the growing country, a move that led many to speculate in land. National debt returned in the collapse of what may have been America’s first housing bubble.
Many of our nation’s Founders watched with horror as families were destroyed by debt, including Jefferson himself. While he reduced the national debt, he struggled with his own finances.
Nevertheless, he held firm to his ideals. “I place economy among the first and most important of virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared,” he wrote.
But for witty teaching instructions in economics, it’s hard to usurp Benjamin Franklin, whose timeless truths (such as “a penny saved is a penny earned”) found in Poor Richard’s Almanac and an essay, “The Way To Wealth,” continue to instruct our society.
Franklin warned: “Think what you do when you run in debt; you give to another power over your liberty.”
Freedom from debt is true liberty, as “the borrower is servant to the lender,” just as we learned in the Bible from Proverbs 22:7.
Today what Americans owe—and the interest we must pay—is accumulating at a record pace. In 2010, the United States accumulated more than $3.5 billion in new debt each and every day. That’s more than $2 million per minute. It’s a shopping spree almost impossible to imagine.
It’s time to fight for financial freedom of the next generation. Our children and grandchildren are being saddled with “unsustainable” debt that will surely lead to a crisis if we continue on this course.
We are fast becoming the generation that enslaved our children because of our own reckless addiction to spending and borrowing. As the 31st president, Herbert Hoover, observed, “Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt.” I say, rather than pass along our debts, let us bless our children by beginning to pay down the debt with a definite goal to achieve the vision of Andrew Jackson to “unfetter” our national resources.
America and her leaders should commit to reining in its spending and borrowing that would tyrannize the next generation. American families must show the way by doing in our personal lives that which we expect of our federal, state, and local leaders.
Originally posted 7/4/2013.
Any business generally reflects the values of its principle owners or managers. It is the reflection of these values that determines whether a business is labeled Christian or non-Christian.
If a business is to be used to serve God, it should have but one overriding purpose—to glorify Him. As such, there are five basic business functions that, together, constitute the activities of a Christian business:
(1) Evangelizing
(2) Discipling
(3) Funding God’s work
(4) Providing for needs
(5) Generating profits
As a means of funding God’s work, many Christian business owners or managers have chosen to give a tithe from the business.
The principle of tithing from a business is not dramatically different from tithing out of personal income. Actually, most Scriptures on giving in the Old Testament deal with business-generated income, since few people were actually employees in the sense they are today. The vast majority of people in Old Testament times were employed in agriculture, as were most Americans prior to the 1950s.
The precedent for tithing from a business is clear in God’s Word: “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce” (Proverbs 3:9).
In the Old Testament the Hebrew people brought approximately 23 percent of their increase to the Lord’s storehouse. The keepers of the storehouse, the Levites, in turn used what was given to care for the widows, needy foreigners in the area, orphans, and the Levites.
In the New Testament, no longer did the people bring their tithes and offerings to a physical storehouse. Instead they gave of their increase in tithes, offerings, and alms to the church body. In turn, the church used the tithe for spreading the Gospel. The offerings were used for the general and administrative support of the church, and the alms were used to care for the poor, widows, orphans, and otherwise needy.
The Scriptures seem to imply that the tithe’s purpose is to be a testimony of God’s ownership, and thus it is meant to be individualized. It was never intended that everyone or every business should give the same amount or in the same way but that each should give bountifully and cheerfully (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
Giving should come from our hearts. For that reason, the tithe should not be considered a “law” but, rather, as an indicator of obedience to God’s laws. This seems to be confirmed in the book of Malachi: the prophet confronted the Jews with their sins of disobedience, using their lack of tithing as an example.
It was the great 19th century preacher, Charles Spurgeon, while addressing a home missions inaugural conference at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in south London in 1889, who said, “In all of my years of service to my Lord, I have discovered a truth that has never failed and has never been compromised. That truth is that it is beyond the realm of possibilities that one has the ability to out give God. Even if I give the whole of my worth to Him, He will find a way to give back to me much more than I gave.”
Because it is impossible to out give God, it becomes a moot point to question whether a business should tithe on gross or net profits. “By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides” (Mark 4:24). If a business strongly believes in honoring God from the increase He provides, that business should consider tithing from the gross profits and trust that God will provide what is needed after the business pays any creditors and the other expenses.
Many times business profits are tied up in noncash assets, such as building, equipment, stocks, or product. An answer to the tithing question that some Christians businesses have chosen to follow is to give a partial ownership in the business as a tithe. So, as the business prospers, so does the Lord’s portion.
Although there is a biblical admonition to give from the firstfruits, or the increase of the business, a business should not give from the portion that belongs to any creditors or any employees. Business tithes should be given from business profit after overhead expenses, employees’ salaries, and creditors have been paid. Each employer should then tithe on the amount they receive as a salary.
Corporations, unlike businesses, are usually owned by a conglomerate of people from all walks of life and different religious beliefs. Since one person usually does not own all the stock in a corporation, an individual might consider giving a tenth of the increase in his or her individual stock in the corporation to the Lord.
An alternative method might be to take one-tenth of the company stock and set up a Christian foundation with it, then set a goal to control the company’s future growth and declare the dividends to God’s work.
Individuals as well as businesses should look for ways to give, rather than trying to find ways to prevent or hinder giving, remembering always that God is more interested in our hearts than in any actual gift amount.
There is an admonition in God’s Word to give from our firstfruits, or the increase. This would apply to business as well as personal income. However, a business owner must remember that the business tithe should be only on the profits that belong to the business, not on what rightfully belongs to creditors, stockholders, employees, or others.
Originally posted 5/13/13
