Random – Susan's Reflections

10 Practical Ways to Reflect Christ in Your Business

As a small business owner, you have the opportunity to honor Christ in the way you operate your business.

Honoring God doesn’t necessarily mean sharing the plan of salvation with every customer, vendor, or employee you meet. Instead, it means consistently living out your faith in a way that points others to Christ. A well-known saying expresses this well:
“Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

Here are some meaningful ways you can demonstrate your commitment to Christ and Christian values through your business:

1. Treat Everyone with Respect

Whether you’re correcting an employee, handling an unhappy customer, or navigating a disagreement with a competitor, respond with grace and dignity. “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” — Colossians 4:6

2. Practice Honesty in Every Transaction

Be truthful in your dealings—whether paying taxes, recording expenses, setting prices, honoring contracts, or communicating expectations. “The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.” — Proverbs 11:1
“Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” — Matthew 22:21

3. Keep Your Promises

If you’ve committed to giving an employee a raise, conducting a performance review, or teaching them a new skill, follow through. Failing to keep your word is a form of dishonesty.
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” — Proverbs 12:22

4. Pay Fair Wages

Compensate your employees fairly for the work they perform. Pay them for every hour worked, honor overtime regulations, and ensure your pay rates reflect their contributions.
“The laborer is worthy of his wages.” — Luke 10:7

5. Use Uplifting Language

Avoid speaking harshly, using profane language, or belittling others. Instead, choose words that encourage, empower, and reflect God’s love.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” — Ephesians 4:29

6. Support Charities That Reflect Your Values

Many business owners support local causes. Prayerfully consider which ministries or charities to partner with.
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7

7. Assist Employees in Need

While employment law requires equal pay for equal work, you can personally bless employees facing hardship. Consider ways to quietly help—a single mom with childcare, a financially struggling employee with extra hours, or a stressed team member with a small personal gift.
“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” — Matthew 6:3

8. Model Servant Leadership

Demonstrate that no task is beneath you. Set an example of excellence, humility, and integrity in everything you do.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16

9. Seek God’s Wisdom in Decision-Making

Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in your daily operations and major business decisions.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” — Proverbs 16:3

10. Cover Your Business in Prayer

Start each day by seeking the Lord, and let employees know you’re praying for them when appropriate.
“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” — Psalm 5:3

Final Thoughts

As you seek God’s guidance and aim to honor Him in your business practices, He will open opportunities for you to share your faith naturally—with your actions, your words, and your example.

How has God allowed you to honor Him through your business?
I’d love to hear your story—feel free to share it in the comments!

Joy and Money: Embracing Contentment Through Generosity

The second fruit of the Spirit listed is joy—a word often associated with gladness and delight. While joy is frequently tied to specific events, such as a parent celebrating their child’s graduation, this type of joy tends to be temporary, fading as circumstances change.

True joy, however, is different. It is internal, unshaken by life’s ups and downs, and is a gift from God. As Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

When it comes to finances, joy plays a critical role in how we handle money. Let’s explore a few ways joy connects to our financial lives.

Joy in Knowing God Is Our Provider

Knowing that God is our provider should bring us great joy. Jesus reminded His disciples not to worry about life’s necessities, assuring them that God would meet their needs. As He said in Matthew 6:25-26, “Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

During times of financial stress, it’s easy to let worry steal our joy. But in these moments, remembering God’s past faithfulness can restore our peace. I can personally attest to this—when my husband was laid off, and our income dramatically decreased, my first thought was that God would provide. Even in uncertainty, I felt joy and peace knowing He was in control.

When you face financial challenges, take your needs to God in prayer. Jesus promised, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

Joy from Helping Others

There’s also joy in sharing our resources with those in need. Acts 20:35 teaches, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” If you’ve ever helped someone less fortunate—whether providing a meal for the hungry or offering relief after a disaster—you’ve likely experienced the satisfaction and joy that comes from easing someone else’s burden.

God calls us to care for the poor and promises to bless those who obey. Deuteronomy 15:10 says, “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” This promise should fill your heart with joy, knowing that your generosity brings blessings.

Furthermore, God delights in those who give with a cheerful heart. As 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 reminds us, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Future Joy for Faithfulness

We also look forward to the joy of future rewards in heaven for our faithfulness in giving. Jesus taught that we should store up treasures in heaven by being generous on earth. As He said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

When we care for others, we are building treasure in heaven. Jesus further emphasized this in Matthew 25:31-36, explaining that when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and care for prisoners, we are serving Him. These acts of kindness lead to eternal rewards and deepen our joy in Christ.

Finding Joy Through Generosity

As we trust God to provide for our needs and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in giving, we experience true joy. This joy is not found in accumulating wealth, but in living out God’s call to be generous and compassionate. When we honor God with our finances, we discover contentment and peace, no matter our circumstances.

Six Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Small Business

Are you one of the millions of Americans considering opening a business? Before taking the plunge into business ownership, ask yourself these questions and answer them as honestly as possible.

Am I comfortable taking risks? Risk is an inherent part of starting a business. If you’re considering leaving your current job to start your business, you’ll be giving up a steady income. There’s also the risk of depending on your business to provide for your family’s needs. If you’re uncomfortable with risk, starting a business may not be the right choice for you.

Do I have money to invest in starting a business? Financial planning is a crucial aspect of starting a business. We often meet with people who don’t have any cash to invest in starting a business and expect to be able to borrow 100% of the startup costs. This is not a realistic expectation. A lender will expect the business owner to have 10- 20% of the startup funding needed. If you don’t have the capital to invest but you really desire to start a business, consider options that require little or no investment. Such enterprises include consulting services or virtual services you can do from home using only your computer.

Do I have time to devote to running a business? All businesses require time to work both in and on the business. Many business owners tell us that they work 40 or more hours in their businesses each week and work another 10 – 20 hours on the business. Working on the business includes marketing and networking efforts to find customers, invoicing, bill paying, scheduling, and many other necessary tasks that do not generate revenue.

Am I comfortable making decisions? A business owner makes many important decisions every day. These decisions include which jobs you want to bid on, the proper price to charge for your services, how you will market your services, and whether you should hire (or fire) an employee. If you are hesitant to make these decisions, business ownership may not fit your personality.

Do I have the expertise to do the work and run the business? We often encounter individuals lacking the skills to perform the tasks required to start their desired company. They plan to hire the appropriate individuals to complete the job. For instance, a non-chef may open a restaurant with the intention of employing a talented chef. This approach may prove successful until the hired chef departs for another position. Prospective business owners need to have some training and experience in the services they will offer so they can do the work themselves when necessary. They also need to be capable of recognizing when an employee is not doing the job properly or well.

Does my family support my decision? Running a business is hard work. It requires working long hours and committing family financial resources to succeed. You need the support of those in your immediate family. You should reconsider if those closest to you do not support your decision.

If you answered yes to these six questions, you may be ready to move forward with starting your own business. This series of blogs will give you more valuable information that you need to be well-prepared for success.

Filing a Final Tax Return

Losing a loved one to death is one of the most challenging circumstances in life. The IRS will require the deceased person’s representative to file a final tax return to add insult to injury.

My father passed away early in the year, and I had not completed his tax return for the previous year. I had to file it for him. A year after his passing, I had to file a final return for him as he had received social security and retirement benefits in his last year of life. These were emotional experiences for me. If you are in this position this year, you have my sincerest sympathy, and I hope this information makes the experience less stressful for you.The return must be filed by your loved one’s surviving spouse or representative.

If you are the one filing, follow these steps.

Gather all tax documents for your loved one as you would prepare your tax return.
All income received up to death must be included on the final tax return. If the deceased person was elderly, their income likely included: (1) retirement benefits, (2) social security, (3) IRA distributions, (4) Interest and dividends, and (5) investment Income
If they were younger and still working, they will receive a W-2 or 1099 from those they worked for in the final year of life.
If filing electronically, you must check the box “Taxpayer Died Before Filing.” If filing a paper return, write “Deceased” along with the taxpayer’s name and date of death across the top of the return. You do not need to include a death certificate or other proof of death.
If the deceased person was married, the surviving spouse can file Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately for the year of death.
All credits and deductions for the deceased person were eligible for still apply.
The appointed representative must sign the return for the deceased individual. The spouse must also sign the return if the person has a surviving spouse. If no representative was appointed and the person did not have a surviving spouse, the person handling the estate should sign the return as a personal representative.
A personal representative should complete Form 1310, Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due for a Deceased Taxpayer. A court-appointed representative can skip Form 1310 but should include a copy of the court order showing their appointment.
If the deceased person is due a refund, the representative must agree to distribute the refund to the person’s heirs in accordance with their will. If the deceased person has a tax liability, the personal representative must pay it from the estate asset.

You can use the IRS’s Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) to help you determine how to file for your specific situation: https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/how-do-i-file-a-deceased-persons-tax-return

If you have not yet filed your tax return, check back next week for tips on filing your return yourself.

Unique Ways to Express Your Love This Valentine’s Day

Are you scrambling to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your spouse or the special someone in your life? Most people take the easy way out; they order flowers to be delivered, bring home a box of chocolates, and make a dinner reservation. In 2023, Valentine’s Day spending in the U.S. came to $185 per person. Yet, 34% of adults surveyed expressed disappointment in their partner’s expression of love on the holiday. Forty percent of women felt their partner fell short of adequately celebrating the occasion.

The moral is that spending a lot does not necessarily make your loved one feel special. So, this year, instead of overspending and stressing your budget, you might consider giving gifts that take a bit of effort but cost little or nothing. Making the effort to create a gift or doing an act of kindness demonstrates your love for the recipient.

Consider what type of action or gift is most meaningful to your spouse or partner. Gary Chapman identified five languages of love: physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time together, and physical gifts. He theorized that people have preferences and will appreciate and value the gift and you if you cater to them.

If your partner’s love language is touch, consider treating them to an in-home personal spa day.

Prepare a warm bubble bath with a soft, fluffy towel nearby for drying off.
Give your partner a neck or back massage or a coupon for a massage once a month for a year.
A foot soak followed by a massage is an excellent “touch” gift.
If your partner is a lady, paint her toenails.
Make an effort to give frequent hugs and kisses throughout Valentine’s Day and every day.

For those who value words of affirmation, a handmade Valentine’s card or note will be significant.

Write a note or poem expressing the qualities that you love about your partner.
Hide messages of affirmation around the house and in lunchboxes and briefcases.
Take notice of the unique things they do for you and thank them for doing those things.
Print out the words of a song that describes your feelings and put them inside a handmade card.
Post Facebook messages telling all your friends how special they are to you.

Acts of service require a bit of effort, but you could demonstrate love to those with this love language in many ways.

Cook your loved one’s favorite meal rather than going out.
Bake their favorite cookies, cake, or pie.
Do a chore for them, especially one you know they do not enjoy doing.
Complete one or more chores from the “honey do” list that your spouse has made for you.
Give your partner a book of coupons for services you will do throughout the year.

Spending quality time together requires little more than clearing your schedule and making the love of your life the focus of your day.

Plan a day of doing their favorite things, whether antiquing, hiking, visiting a museum or art gallery, or attending a sporting event.
Recreate your first date or a favorite date.
Turn off your cell phone and watch a romantic comedy or an action movie.
Cook your favorite meal together.
Participate in their favorite hobby—play pool, paint, go to a pottery class, or go fishing.

Select a meaningful gift if your loved one values a present over words and action.

Frame a favorite picture of the two of you or your family.
Buy a favorite dessert from a local bakery.
Rather than a box of inexpensive chocolates, select a few pieces of high-quality chocolates in a beautiful red or gold box.
Purchase a plant that will live long after a bouquet of roses has been discarded.
If your loved one is a collector, a new piece to add to their collection is a thoughtful gift that will not disappointment.

If God has blessed you with someone special to share your life, be grateful to Him. Take time this Valentine’s Day to thank Him for the gift of romantic love in your life. Remember that actions speak louder than words unless your partner values words of affirmation about other expressions of love.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 (NIV)

6 Questions to Ask to Identify Your Perfect Job

“I hate my job,” a friend told me recently. Her feelings reached beyond a typical bad day scenario. She dislikes the work that she is doing and the people at work. A study by the Pew Research Center in the spring of last year revealed that half of workers are highly satisfied with their jobs. That means that the other half are not. And 19% of workers reported being miserable in their careers. My friend fell into that 19% of people who are miserable in their jobs.

For many people, like my friend, their work is just a paycheck to provide for themselves. She can not articulate what she would enjoy doing, complicating her situation. She is not alone.

If you do the work God has called you to do, you will not be miserable. Of course, you will have stressful days, but generally, you should feel fulfilled by your work. If you are miserable, you can take steps to figure out what God created you to do.

God demonstrates through stories in the Bible that He has a plan for each of us. God created us with unique abilities, temperaments, interests, and talents. In Exodus 31, God instructed Moses to build the Tabernacle, and He provided the names of two specific artisans whom He had filled with the knowledge to do specific jobs. The craftsmen had different skills, and they could oversee all the specialized work together. When God set the Levites apart to be priests, He assigned different jobs to different Levite families. In the New Testament, Paul tells us that God created some people to be evangelists, some to be prophets, and some to be teachers, among other callings.

God also created you to do specific work. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

To help my friend, I turned to “The Purpose Drive Life” by Rick Warren. He suggests several questions that a person should ask themselves to help them determine their purpose. I made a list of the questions from the book to help my friend consider other job options as she prays and seeks the Lord’s guidance.

Here are 6 questions Rick Warren suggests to help you determine your purpose:

What were your favorite family experiences? Favorite memories?
What were your favorite subjects in school?
What jobs have you had that you enjoyed or found meaningful?
What are the most memorable times you have had with God?
What Christian service/ministries have you enjoyed?
What have you learned from your life’s problems, challenges, hurts, and trials?

God wants you to get up excited to face each day. Your job should be more than a way to get a paycheck. It should give you joy and satisfaction knowing that you are where God intended you to be, doing the work He created you to do.

The path to finding your purpose is not an overnight journey. It would help if you took the time to answer the questions and also ask your closest friends and family to help you evaluate what you enjoy. Ultimately, it is for you to decide with God’s help.

Now is an excellent time to begin searching for a new path.

God’s Greatest Gift

My new novel, Revelations, continues the story of members of Riverside Christian Fellowship and focuses on Bill Clark and his daughter, Emily Clark Butler. Edna Clark, the family matriarch, is Emily’s last living grandparent. As her health fails, Bill and Emily uncover Edna’s darkest secrets. The latest book in the Restored Heart Series follows the family through an unsettling time and glimpses into their earnest efforts to convince Edna to open her heart to God before her time on Earth draws to an end.

Cover of *Revelations*, Book 3 in the Restored Hearts series.

As Edna’s health is failing, she adamantly refuses to have anything to do with God despite the pleas and prayers of her family. When she is hospitalized and lapsing in and out of consciousness, they take turns sitting at her bedside while reading scriptures and praying out loud to her.

Forty years ago, my family went through a similar situation. My grandmother experienced a medical emergency. As they waited for the ambulance, my parents pleaded with my grandmother to accept Jesus as her Savior. She stubbornly refused. She survived surgery but then lapsed into a coma. My parents and sister read the Bible to her and prayed aloud for her to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior. She passed away without regaining consciousness, and we were left to wonder if she heard their prayers and received Jesus’s gift of salvation while in the coma.

Several years later, my sons attended a youth conference at which a speaker shared that he had come to salvation while in a coma. He said that he heard the prayers of his family, and he accepted Christ while comatose. This testimony gave me great hope that my grandmother may have given her heart to Christ similarly.

My inspiration for this book, Revelations, originated from the speaker’s testimony at the youth conference. I wanted to encourage my readers with the hope that it is never too late to accept forgiveness of sins from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Many of you have prayed for loved ones to come to Christ for decades. Keep praying and believing. Hold onto hope while taking advantage of every opportunity to speak to your loved ones as the Holy Spirit leads. Pray that God will open their hearts and reveal Jesus Christ to them. Stand on God’s promise in Isaiah 55:11, “My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

The birth of Jesus Christ, His sinless life, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His victorious resurrection are the true reasons for Christmas. They are the basis for our hope of forgiveness of our sins and a future in Heaven with God. It is the greatest gift imaginable. For those who know the joy of salvation, it is hard to understand why many people reject this gift.

As we look forward to Christmas in a few weeks, we focus on finding the perfect gifts for those closest to us. Yet, the best gift is always available to us and is free. During this season, pray that God provides you with opportunities to share His love with others and that He will reveal Jesus Christ to many.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 1:2

May your Christmas season be blessed with the knowledge that the greatest gift the world has ever known is yours for free if you will only accept it.

Revelations and the other books in the Restored Hearts series, Restorations and Reconciliations, are available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Elizabeth-Ball/author/B0047P60V2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Thankful for God’s Blessings

I hope you have much to be thankful for as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year. We typically host our children and grandchildren. Our celebrations are usually loud and energetic, with three sons, two daughters-in-law, and eight grandchildren. This year’s Thanksgiving will be much different since my husband is recovering from his second surgery within six months. We will celebrate quietly by ourselves and focus on thanking God for the many blessings He has poured out of us.

Our greatest blessing is that God has called us to be His children. I am very grateful that God opened our hearts many years ago to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We live by God’s word, which provides a solid foundation for us when we encounter difficulties in life. We all endure challenges, but we know God walks with us no matter what we face.

We are thankful for the wonderful family God has blessed us with. We have close relationships with all of our sons, and we are very grateful that they live near us. We get to spend time regularly with our grandchildren, and they are the delight of our lives.

I genuinely enjoy my job and feel blessed to work there. God placed me in a position that provides excellent job satisfaction and allows me to contribute to the success of small businesses in our region. I can contribute financially to our family and provide the blessings of excellent health insurance.

I am thankful for a wonderful church family filled with prayer warriors. We commit to praying for one another’s needs, knowing the Lord answers our prayers.

I am thankful for a large extended family and the opportunities I have had to spend time with most of them this year.

I am particularly thankful for doctors, nurses, and all those in the healthcare industry. While surgery is no fun, my husband’s two surgeries corrected problems that were diagnosed early. He will fully recover, and I am very, very grateful.

As we have officially entered the ranks of senior citizens, I am grateful for social security and retirement plans. I am thankful that God has given us the wisdom to manage our money for our retirement years.

I am grateful for God’s word and the wisdom it imparts to those who read it prayerfully.

I am thankful for the opportunities that God provides for us to give to the building of His kingdom through tithes and offerings. As we give, we are building true wealth in Heaven and are helping to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. No gift can compare with the promise of salvation and eternal life.

Psalm 95: 1, 2, “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”

Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Business Owner?

Are you among the millions of Americans who dream of owning a business? People want to own their own business for many reasons, and the most common one I encounter is: “I want to be my own boss.”

Factors to Consider in Business Ownership

Business ownership has many advantages, including running the business how you want to run it and calling the shots. If you are a successful business owner, you will likely earn much more than you could as an employee. Many people, however, do not succeed as business owners. My job as a small business consultant is to equip people with the tools to help them succeed.

Here are some factors to consider when evaluating whether business ownership suits you.

It is hard work. After many years, you may achieve a level of success that allows you to depend on your employees to run the business when you take a vacation. However, your work situation will likely differ significantly in the early years. You may work 40 – 60 hours in your business and then another 20 or more hours to pay the bills, make the work schedule, invoice clients, complete the payroll, promote the business through marketing and networking, and plan for the company’s future.
It requires good organizational skills. Business owners typically wear all the “hats” in the first few years of the business. You will be the manager, salesman, accountant, and marketer. You will take inventory, order supplies and merchandise, stock the shelves, write proposals, take out the garbage, and clean the bathrooms. You must be well organized to accomplish all these tasks and not let things fall through the cracks.
Family support is essential. Whether your spouse works with you in the business or has an outside job to generate a steady income, you need to work as a team. If your spouse disagrees that starting a business is a good idea, they may resent you and the business. It would be best if you were honest with your family about the commitment of time and financial resources that will be involved. If your family does not support your decision, you should seriously reconsider business ownership at this time.
Establish good credit before you take the business ownership plunge. Good credit will be required if you need financing from a commercial lender or an investor. Suppliers will also want you to have good credit before they sell to you. If your credit is poor, you may be able to purchase inventory and supplies; however, you will have to pay for orders in full before they are shipped. If you seek to be a government contractor, you should know that government buyers will only buy goods and services from businesses with a history of good credit or whose owners have excellent credit.
Save money to invest and work in the industry before you start a business. A lender will consider you a reasonable risk if (1) you have a variety of experience in the industry, (2) if you have a significant amount of your own money to invest—typically 20 percent of the start-up costs, and (3) if they believe you will be successful.
Pray diligently and seek God’s will. You should not start a business without praying and seeking God’s will. If the company you are considering is God’s will for your life, He will give you peace and open doors of opportunity. For instance, the perfect retail space may become available for rent at an affordable rate, or a colleague who knows your skills may offer you an opportunity to work on a government contract. God has a perfect plan for you, and He will reveal it to you if you ask Him. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11. God loves you more than you can comprehend and wants to give you good things.

Business ownership can be a tremendous financial and emotional blessing if you are cut out for business ownership and choose a business that is right for you.

God’s word has much to say about employers, finances, and managing money in ways that reduce stress and honor God. To learn more, my Bible study Honoring God with Your Money is a great resource.

Honoring God with Your Money

When you sit down to pay bills, does it create stress and anxiety for you? Do you feel guilty for not tithing, but you barely make ends meet? Is your first thought, if only I could make more money? If so, you are not alone. For most people, a lack of money does not cause their financial pressure. They do not budget their current salary or live within a budget, allowing their wants and desires to dictate their spending. However, when you see your earnings as a blessing from God, most of your stress turns into financial peace. The first step is recognizing that God has entrusted you with your income. Next is embracing the principles that He laid out in His word. If you consistently live outside of your means, you live in debt. God does not want us to live as debtors.

Bible study on stewarding financial resources — Honoring God with Your Money

I read Dwight L. Moody’s book Pleasure and Profit in Bible Study several years ago. It inspired me to do a word search on what the Bible says about money which led to searches on riches, wealth, poverty, giving, charity, tithing, and greed. I realized that the Bible has much to say about money and finances and began to create teachings based on those guidelines so others could live in financial freedom.

From these teachings, I created a Bible study, Honoring God with Your Money. Part One of this book is an in-depth study of what God’s word says to us on the subject of:

The role of money in our lives
Appropriate attitudes toward money
The foolishness of trusting in money
Tithing, offerings, and charitable donations
Business practices

Part Two applies the biblical teachings and budgeting principles and helps you create a budget for your family to achieve your financial goals.

This Bible study is an excellent tool for young people about to graduate from high school or college, newly married couples, and anyone who struggles to manage their finances. Individuals, couples, or small groups can work through it. Also, I have developed teaching materials for instructors to use in small group settings. If you would like these materials, please email me at susan.ball5@aol.com, and I will happily email them to you. I do not charge for these materials.

Recently, Deborah Morrison interviewed me for her YouTube channel, Greater is Jesus in Me. In the interview, we went through all the sections in the book and discussed the blessings of managing money according to godly principles. Deborah split the interview into two parts.

Part 1 of interview: https://youtu.be/_3QFxywuzqo

Part 2 of interview: https://youtu.be/euThkOk0Kr0

God intends for money to be a tool to help make your life easier. He does not intend for money to be a source of stress. As you go through this study, I pray that you will allow God to bless you with financial peace and empower you to use the financial resources that He entrusts to you to care for your family, help others, and honor God.

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