1 Corinthians 10:31 sets a high bar for how Christians are to act in this world. It reads,Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. If we’re to do all for God’s glory, then that certainly includes how we invest. Jason Myhre joins us today to talk about the history of faith-based investing and, spoiler alert, it goes back further than you think.

Jason Myhre is with Eventide, an underwriter of this program. Eventide is also a very specialinvestment company because its entire focus is on faith-based investing. We often think that faith-based investing is a relatively new invention. However, Christians have actually been challenged by this for a long time.

The story typically starts when the first faith-based investing mutual fund was launched in 1990’s. And we typically see this in the larger story of socially responsible investing. The first socially responsible investing mutual fund came earlier, in the 1970s. And so we tend to think of the story as starting as a secular movement in the 1970s, with Christians joining in later, where we made a kind of Christian version of socially responsible investing that fit our values and ethical commitments. But the real story is actually much, much more interesting than that. It actually began hundreds of years earlier as a Christian movement.

To tell it right, we first need to talk about how modern investing got its start. Way back in the day, the way that businesses received financing was from the rulers of societythe aristocracy.Christopher Columbus was an example of this. Columbus wanted to start a for-profit shipping company and needed capital. He ultimately got that capital from the rulers of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella.

In the early 1600s with the invention of the stock and the bond, modern investing was born. In 1600 and 1602, the British India Company and the Dutch East India company, shipping companies like Columbus, raised the capital that they needed to start their businesses by issuing stocks and bonds to ordinary investors. This was a significant advance for business, because now, instead of needing one person to put up all the capital and bear all the risk, you could break it up into many tiny pieces. Now, instead of needing a King and Queen to give you millions of dollars, you could find many smaller investors willing to put up a few hundred dollars.

It was a huge success. The British India Company and Dutch East India Company became wildly successful and their investors enjoyed great riches as a result. The Dutch East India Company, for example, grew in value to $8.2 trillion dollars (in today’s money), making it far and away the most successful company in historyfour times as successful as Apple, the largest company today. However, people soon got dollar signs in their eyes. They observed how many people made a fortune off those first stocks. So, everyone wanted in on the action and started jumping into investing, snatching up every new stock and bond that was issued.

So here’s an important point in the faith-based investing story. As the attention turned to the profit-making potential of investing, people thought less and less about the kinds of businesses they were supporting and more about getting in on the profit. An ethical vision was needed for investing. The person who would do that was John Wesley.

John Wesley was a Christian minister in England in the 1700s who started the Methodist movement. Wesley was observing the greed and lack of discernment in investing and decided to speak into it, in the way he knew how, by preaching a sermon to his congregation. His sermon was entitled,The Use of Money. This was in 1759 and it was a very practical sermon that spoke to the new world of modern investing.

I hope this history has been an encouragement to you as believers. The Church was the first to recognize the importance of investing in ways that benefit the lives of others. So, we can be proud of our history here. I also hope that this history has reminded you of the connection of investing to business and the lives of others

Our problem today isn’t so much greed for profit. Yet, we share in common with this story a lack of awareness of where our investment dollars are going, what businesses we’re supporting, and how we’re earning our returns in investing. While the issues today are different than they were back then, today, business has many problem areas, such as abortion, pornography, tobacco, and more.

Finally, I hope we can better appreciate the value that faith-based investing can offer to us as we seek to live out our faith in the way we use our money. Faith-based investing offers a way to save for the future by investing in businesses whose products and practices are, I believe, well-aligned with our faith.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

We have just over $27,000 in our health savings account. Our bank is encouraging us to invest quite of bit of that. What would you do?

I took a course on how to trade from home. How would you suggest I get started in this?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

1 Corinthians 10:31 sets a high bar for how Christians are to act in this world. It reads,Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. If we’re to do all for God’s glory, then that certainly includes how we invest. Jason Myhre joins us today to talk about the history of faith-based investing and, spoiler alert, it goes back further than you think.

Jason Myhre is with Eventide, an underwriter of this program. Eventide is also a very specialinvestment company because its entire focus is on faith-based investing. We often think that faith-based investing is a relatively new invention. However, Christians have actually been challenged by this for a long time.

The story typically starts when the first faith-based investing mutual fund was launched in 1990’s. And we typically see this in the larger story of socially responsible investing. The first socially responsible investing mutual fund came earlier, in the 1970s. And so we tend to think of the story as starting as a secular movement in the 1970s, with Christians joining in later, where we made a kind of Christian version of socially responsible investing that fit our values and ethical commitments. But the real story is actually much, much more interesting than that. It actually began hundreds of years earlier as a Christian movement.

To tell it right, we first need to talk about how modern investing got its start. Way back in the day, the way that businesses received financing was from the rulers of societythe aristocracy.Christopher Columbus was an example of this. Columbus wanted to start a for-profit shipping company and needed capital. He ultimately got that capital from the rulers of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella.

In the early 1600s with the invention of the stock and the bond, modern investing was born. In 1600 and 1602, the British India Company and the Dutch East India company, shipping companies like Columbus, raised the capital that they needed to start their businesses by issuing stocks and bonds to ordinary investors. This was a significant advance for business, because now, instead of needing one person to put up all the capital and bear all the risk, you could break it up into many tiny pieces. Now, instead of needing a King and Queen to give you millions of dollars, you could find many smaller investors willing to put up a few hundred dollars.

It was a huge success. The British India Company and Dutch East India Company became wildly successful and their investors enjoyed great riches as a result. The Dutch East India Company, for example, grew in value to $8.2 trillion dollars (in today’s money), making it far and away the most successful company in historyfour times as successful as Apple, the largest company today. However, people soon got dollar signs in their eyes. They observed how many people made a fortune off those first stocks. So, everyone wanted in on the action and started jumping into investing, snatching up every new stock and bond that was issued.

So here’s an important point in the faith-based investing story. As the attention turned to the profit-making potential of investing, people thought less and less about the kinds of businesses they were supporting and more about getting in on the profit. An ethical vision was needed for investing. The person who would do that was John Wesley.

John Wesley was a Christian minister in England in the 1700s who started the Methodist movement. Wesley was observing the greed and lack of discernment in investing and decided to speak into it, in the way he knew how, by preaching a sermon to his congregation. His sermon was entitled,The Use of Money. This was in 1759 and it was a very practical sermon that spoke to the new world of modern investing.

I hope this history has been an encouragement to you as believers. The Church was the first to recognize the importance of investing in ways that benefit the lives of others. So, we can be proud of our history here. I also hope that this history has reminded you of the connection of investing to business and the lives of others

Our problem today isn’t so much greed for profit. Yet, we share in common with this story a lack of awareness of where our investment dollars are going, what businesses we’re supporting, and how we’re earning our returns in investing. While the issues today are different than they were back then, today, business has many problem areas, such as abortion, pornography, tobacco, and more.

Finally, I hope we can better appreciate the value that faith-based investing can offer to us as we seek to live out our faith in the way we use our money. Faith-based investing offers a way to save for the future by investing in businesses whose products and practices are, I believe, well-aligned with our faith.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

We have just over $27,000 in our health savings account. Our bank is encouraging us to invest quite of bit of that. What would you do?

I took a course on how to trade from home. How would you suggest I get started in this?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

Did you know that Christians gave a larger percentage of their income to their churches during the Great Depression than they do now? And that was true before the COVID pandemic hit. There’s no question that church giving isn’t where it should be. We’ll talk about that first today and what’s stopping us from giving more. Then it’s your calls at 800-525-7000.

There’s no question that church giving suffered during the pandemic. While some churches actually experienced an increase in giving more than a third saw their weekly giving drop.

On average, Christians today are giving only about 2.5% of their income to the church, while during the darkest days of the Great Depression they gave 3.3%.

Most every Christian you ask will tell you they’d like to give more but somethingprevents them from doing it. The reason people cite most often is financial bondage. Some say they’d like to even give sacrificially above the tithe, but they can’t. They have too much debt. Or they have some other financial limitation or obligation.

Financial bondage can show itself in many ways. Debt is the most obvious, but there’s also hoarding and just spending foolishly. The more debt you have, the more you hoard, and the more you spend, the less you’re able to give to God’s Kingdom.

Spiritual bondage is next. Our desires, our will, is not in tune with God’s will. As a result, we make life decisions that prevent us from giving more. In spiritual bondage, we simply want other things more than we want to give.

1 Timothy 6:10 warns us about spiritual bondage. It reads, For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

The solution is to pray that the Holy Spirit helps align your will with God’s will. We should do this all the time, but especially when we feel convicted about giving.

The last obstacle is emotional bondage, or we might call it a lack of emotion. You just don’t feel passionate about giving. Our natural state is to not give. if you’re in emotional bondage, you might shy away from learning about giving opportunities because they make you uncomfortable. Instead, we should feel excited or emotional about giving. It’s a very tangible form of worship which we were designed to do.

Any or all of these obstacles, can limit how much you give. But you don’t have to allow it. You can get on your knees and ask God to make your will conform to His, to give you clear direction on how much you should give and where.

Here are a couple of questions we answered from our callers on today’s program:

I would like to invest for my niece as a gift. Where is the best place to do this?

Can you help me understand how to invest properly and Biblically?

I am a veteran with a current VA mortgage. I am getting a lot of calls to refinance. Should I do this?

What is your opinion on prenuptial agreements?

My mother is retired and is 73 years old. She is asking about investments that she can make for her grandchildren. Advice?

I was guilty of a lot of financial issues in my previous marriage. How do you recover and move forward?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Did you know that Christians gave a larger percentage of their income to their churches during the Great Depression than they do now? And that was true before the COVID pandemic hit. There’s no question that church giving isn’t where it should be. We’ll talk about that first today and what’s stopping us from giving more. Then it’s your calls at 800-525-7000.

There’s no question that church giving suffered during the pandemic. While some churches actually experienced an increase in giving more than a third saw their weekly giving drop.

On average, Christians today are giving only about 2.5% of their income to the church, while during the darkest days of the Great Depression they gave 3.3%.

Most every Christian you ask will tell you they’d like to give more but somethingprevents them from doing it. The reason people cite most often is financial bondage. Some say they’d like to even give sacrificially above the tithe, but they can’t. They have too much debt. Or they have some other financial limitation or obligation.

Financial bondage can show itself in many ways. Debt is the most obvious, but there’s also hoarding and just spending foolishly. The more debt you have, the more you hoard, and the more you spend, the less you’re able to give to God’s Kingdom.

Spiritual bondage is next. Our desires, our will, is not in tune with God’s will. As a result, we make life decisions that prevent us from giving more. In spiritual bondage, we simply want other things more than we want to give.

1 Timothy 6:10 warns us about spiritual bondage. It reads, For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

The solution is to pray that the Holy Spirit helps align your will with God’s will. We should do this all the time, but especially when we feel convicted about giving.

The last obstacle is emotional bondage, or we might call it a lack of emotion. You just don’t feel passionate about giving. Our natural state is to not give. if you’re in emotional bondage, you might shy away from learning about giving opportunities because they make you uncomfortable. Instead, we should feel excited or emotional about giving. It’s a very tangible form of worship which we were designed to do.

Any or all of these obstacles, can limit how much you give. But you don’t have to allow it. You can get on your knees and ask God to make your will conform to His, to give you clear direction on how much you should give and where.

Here are a couple of questions we answered from our callers on today’s program:

I would like to invest for my niece as a gift. Where is the best place to do this?

Can you help me understand how to invest properly and Biblically?

I am a veteran with a current VA mortgage. I am getting a lot of calls to refinance. Should I do this?

What is your opinion on prenuptial agreements?

My mother is retired and is 73 years old. She is asking about investments that she can make for her grandchildren. Advice?

I was guilty of a lot of financial issues in my previous marriage. How do you recover and move forward?

Ask your questions at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab at the top of the page.

Hebrews 12:11 tells us,For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.We’re more than ready to accept God’s blessing,but we should be just as willing to accept discipline when we need it. Today on MoneyWise, we’ll talk about that and how the Lord corrects us when we use money unwisely.

We often talk about how following God’s financial principles makes sense.He owns it all anyway and when we follow his instructions on how to manage His resources we usually prosper. What we probably don’t mention enough though is that God also has ways ofcorrectingus when we go astray. Now, we should point out that God’s blessings and His corrections aren’t always financial. We should recognize that the principles taught in Scripture apply to many aspects of life and that certainly includes how we handle money.

Deuteronomy 28 is a good example of where God clearly lays out His intended blessing for obedience; but He follows up with curses for disobedience. Though these were for the nation of Israel, the principles still apply to us. Verse 1 says, If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you todaytheLord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey theLordyour God. Those blessings include having children and abundant crops and livestock, everything the Israelites could expect if they were obedient. But in verse 15 we see the consequences for disobedience, You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

Does this mean that God will curse us and our families for generations if we fail to balance our checkbooks or we make a late payment? No, but we should look at some of the practical ways wearecorrected when we mismanage money. If you fail to live within your means or fail to plan for spending, giving and saving for the future, unpleasant things are bound to happen. You’ll run up debt. You won’t have enough to pay your bills. Or you won’t have enough income when you can no longer work. And if you continue living beyond your means, you’ll eventually get to the point where you can’t even make the minimum payments on your credit cards. Creditors will start calling and your stress level will go up. God doesn’t have to curse you for those things to happen. They’re just the natural consequence of not following His financial principles.

There’s a spiritual component to this as well. God absolutely will use the pressure and the stress in your life to bring you to repentance and to make you realize you have to change your ways. And when you do, He will bless you. So what can we learn from all of this?

First, unlike the clear warnings we see in Deuteronomy 28 and 1 Samuel 2, we won’t always know what God’s blessings or corrections will look like. But youroutcome will ultimately be good when you follow God’s path and not so good when you wander off it.

Second, the reason we’re to follow God’s principles is not because it’s a formula for financial success. Following them usually puts you in a position for financial success, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to be obedient, which makes us more like Christ and enhances our intimacy with Him. That’s what we’re ultimately pursuing with our finances and every area of our lives. 1 Peter 2 tells us, For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

What can you tell me about converting investments into income streams?

What are your thoughts about purchasing out-of-state rental properties for an income stream and how to do it?

I understand that there’s an age in which you have to take a payment from your retirement fund. What can you tell me about this?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Hebrews 12:11 tells us,For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.We’re more than ready to accept God’s blessing,but we should be just as willing to accept discipline when we need it. Today on MoneyWise, we’ll talk about that and how the Lord corrects us when we use money unwisely.

We often talk about how following God’s financial principles makes sense.He owns it all anyway and when we follow his instructions on how to manage His resources we usually prosper. What we probably don’t mention enough though is that God also has ways ofcorrectingus when we go astray. Now, we should point out that God’s blessings and His corrections aren’t always financial. We should recognize that the principles taught in Scripture apply to many aspects of life and that certainly includes how we handle money.

Deuteronomy 28 is a good example of where God clearly lays out His intended blessing for obedience; but He follows up with curses for disobedience. Though these were for the nation of Israel, the principles still apply to us. Verse 1 says, If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you todaytheLord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey theLordyour God. Those blessings include having children and abundant crops and livestock, everything the Israelites could expect if they were obedient. But in verse 15 we see the consequences for disobedience, You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

Does this mean that God will curse us and our families for generations if we fail to balance our checkbooks or we make a late payment? No, but we should look at some of the practical ways wearecorrected when we mismanage money. If you fail to live within your means or fail to plan for spending, giving and saving for the future, unpleasant things are bound to happen. You’ll run up debt. You won’t have enough to pay your bills. Or you won’t have enough income when you can no longer work. And if you continue living beyond your means, you’ll eventually get to the point where you can’t even make the minimum payments on your credit cards. Creditors will start calling and your stress level will go up. God doesn’t have to curse you for those things to happen. They’re just the natural consequence of not following His financial principles.

There’s a spiritual component to this as well. God absolutely will use the pressure and the stress in your life to bring you to repentance and to make you realize you have to change your ways. And when you do, He will bless you. So what can we learn from all of this?

First, unlike the clear warnings we see in Deuteronomy 28 and 1 Samuel 2, we won’t always know what God’s blessings or corrections will look like. But youroutcome will ultimately be good when you follow God’s path and not so good when you wander off it.

Second, the reason we’re to follow God’s principles is not because it’s a formula for financial success. Following them usually puts you in a position for financial success, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to be obedient, which makes us more like Christ and enhances our intimacy with Him. That’s what we’re ultimately pursuing with our finances and every area of our lives. 1 Peter 2 tells us, For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

What can you tell me about converting investments into income streams?

What are your thoughts about purchasing out-of-state rental properties for an income stream and how to do it?

I understand that there’s an age in which you have to take a payment from your retirement fund. What can you tell me about this?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

Listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the futureThat’sProverbs 19:20 and what better way to gain wisdom than to ask questions? We’ll be doing that today, and specifically, frequently asked questions about money and marriage. Here to answer them is the guy who wrote the book,Money and Marriage God’s Way,Howard Dayton.Howard is the former host of this radio program and is now the founder of CompassFinances God’s Way.

Question answer #1: My husband loves me and is kindhearted. But sometimes he makes foolish decisions. Do I have to respect him when he does that?

First, pray daily for God to give your husband wisdom to make prudent financial decisions. Then, ask your husband if the two of you can pray together daily and use these times to seek the Lord and encourage your husband. In a gentle way, discuss decisions you are making as a couple. And allow him to make the final decisions for the family. When he senses you respect and trust him, he's much more likely to make better decisions.

In my experience, couples will make much better decisions if the husband and wife routinely discuss issues and seek each other’s counsel. The wife is to be the helpmate of the husband, and I can't tell you how many times her advice has been enormously helpful.

Question answer #2: My husband is a control freak. He gives me an amount of money every week that barely covers expenses. He won't tell me anything about our financeshow much he earns and how much debt or savings we have. If something happened to him, I'd have no clue what we have or where the records are kept. How can I get him to share with me?

Wow! That is a challenge.First, pray for God to give him a willingness to invite you to fully participate in the finances. Then, develop a budget for the money you're allotted for running the household. Ask him to meet weekly to pray together for God’s blessing on the family's finances and to review your spending and teach you how to wisely manage money. A husband often is much more likely to engage his wife in the finances when he sees she is eager to learn and observes her handling money well.

We need to invite the Lord of the universe into our marriage relationship if we really want it to flourish. As 1 Chronicles 20:11 says,we adore you, Lord, of being in control of EVERYTHING. And that everything includes our marriage and our financial life.

Question answer #3: My wife wants me to cosign for her brother who filed bankruptcy a couple of years ago. He’s trying to start a business. I don't feel good about it. What do you think?

Don't cosign! A study found that 50% of those who cosigned for bank loans ended up making the payments and 75% of cosigners for finance company loans ended up making the payments! If you cosign, you’re likely to pay and that's not all. Your credit may be trashed because lenders normally do not contact you when payments are late. By the time they ask you to pay, it is too late to protect your credit.

Cosigning is risky business. It makes you legally responsible for the debt of another. Proverbs 17:18 warns us,It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt.

Question answer #4: I love my husband. He’s a great guy except that his middle name should be Spender! He simply can't control his spending and our credit card debt is off the charts. It's killing our marriage. What do you recommend?

If he recognizes the problem, ask him if you can control the budget, the spending plan, and provide him with a reasonable weekly allotment he’s free to spend in any way he likes. Then, meet together weekly to pray, review the week's income and spending, and celebrate progress. This way he’ll be fully informed and his spending can be under control. If he doesn't admit the problem and is unwilling to change, suggest that you meet together with a budget counselor. Always focus on continuing to respect him and praying for the Lord to improve his spending habits.Naggingwill not help the situation.

Question answer #5: I have $5,000 in credit card debt that my husband doesn't know about. I'm reluctant to tell him because I'm afraid he'll never trust me again. What should I do?

Disclosing this credit card debt is a key for you to experience the authentic closeness the Lord intends for couples. First, pray that the Lord would prepare him to receive this news well. Second, develop a plan to pay off the debt. Third, meet with him and tell him of your desire to be completely honest. Disclose the debtandthe plan to pay it off. Seek forgiveness and ask if he would meet with you every week for a "money date" to review your finances so this will never happen again.

Question answer #6: My husband and I both have been divorced. In previous marriages, there was constant fighting about money. What can we do to avoid this inourmarriage?

Previously married couples often bring the emotional baggage of problems they experienced. Discuss the issue of frequent arguments and focus like on encouraging each other and creating a culture of celebration in your marriage. For example, you may have a half dozen maxed out credit cards. Celebrate each time you pay one off because what we celebrate we tend to do again. One of the keys to celebrating is to pick something you would really like to do or have. Make it a memory; enjoy yourself.

Question answer #7: My husband doesn't know Jesus Christ as his Savior and doesn't want us to give. I am afraid to disobey the Lord. Should I insist that we tithegive 10%so that we don't miss God's blessing?

No, if your husband does not want to give, don't force him; rather, cooperate with him. Second Corinthians 8:12 says, "If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." In other words, if you desire to give, God is pleased even if your husband doesn’t allow you.My suggestion is to ask your husband if you could give a portion of what you can save from the part of the budget that you manage.

Question answer #8: My husband wants to buy a new car every three years even though we have to use lots of debt to do it. How can I show him in black-and-white that we should be buying used cars for cash?

Unfortunately, many people have car debt all their lives. According to Lending Tree, the average monthly new car payment is now just over $550 a month! Go online tobankrate.com/calculatorsand find the one that computes the compounding growth of savings. Review this with your husband so he can catch the vision of the financial impact of regular savings.

I encourage people to develop a strategy to be able to pay cash for a new car. A very practical way is to drive your existing car until it’s paid for. After you pay off the loan, keep putting that amount in the bank so when it’s time to buy the next one it can be done with cash.

Question answer #9: My wife is a compulsive spender. She wastes money on clothes and on her gambling addiction. What should I do?

Gambling can destroy your finances. You must do these three things. First,love her and that includes praying earnestly for her freedom from gambling. Second, encourage her to seek professional help for her gambling problem, preferably with a Christian counselor who will apply biblical principles to the healing process. And finally, take control of the family finances for her protection and your family’s.

For everyone’s benefit, the amount of money available to her should be limited. Provide her a reasonable budget for clothing and a modest allotment for personal needs, but control the rest of the finances.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

What are your thoughts on the recent rise of affordable cryptocurrencies? And do you think it would be wise to speculate on these?

With my divorce, I received an IRA. It’s been sitting for 10 years and hasn’t earned anything. Should I do something else with it?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the futureThat’sProverbs 19:20 and what better way to gain wisdom than to ask questions? We’ll be doing that today, and specifically, frequently asked questions about money and marriage. Here to answer them is the guy who wrote the book,Money and Marriage God’s Way,Howard Dayton.Howard is the former host of this radio program and is now the founder of CompassFinances God’s Way.

Question answer #1: My husband loves me and is kindhearted. But sometimes he makes foolish decisions. Do I have to respect him when he does that?

First, pray daily for God to give your husband wisdom to make prudent financial decisions. Then, ask your husband if the two of you can pray together daily and use these times to seek the Lord and encourage your husband. In a gentle way, discuss decisions you are making as a couple. And allow him to make the final decisions for the family. When he senses you respect and trust him, he's much more likely to make better decisions.

In my experience, couples will make much better decisions if the husband and wife routinely discuss issues and seek each other’s counsel. The wife is to be the helpmate of the husband, and I can't tell you how many times her advice has been enormously helpful.

Question answer #2: My husband is a control freak. He gives me an amount of money every week that barely covers expenses. He won't tell me anything about our financeshow much he earns and how much debt or savings we have. If something happened to him, I'd have no clue what we have or where the records are kept. How can I get him to share with me?

Wow! That is a challenge.First, pray for God to give him a willingness to invite you to fully participate in the finances. Then, develop a budget for the money you're allotted for running the household. Ask him to meet weekly to pray together for God’s blessing on the family's finances and to review your spending and teach you how to wisely manage money. A husband often is much more likely to engage his wife in the finances when he sees she is eager to learn and observes her handling money well.

We need to invite the Lord of the universe into our marriage relationship if we really want it to flourish. As 1 Chronicles 20:11 says,we adore you, Lord, of being in control of EVERYTHING. And that everything includes our marriage and our financial life.

Question answer #3: My wife wants me to cosign for her brother who filed bankruptcy a couple of years ago. He’s trying to start a business. I don't feel good about it. What do you think?

Don't cosign! A study found that 50% of those who cosigned for bank loans ended up making the payments and 75% of cosigners for finance company loans ended up making the payments! If you cosign, you’re likely to pay and that's not all. Your credit may be trashed because lenders normally do not contact you when payments are late. By the time they ask you to pay, it is too late to protect your credit.

Cosigning is risky business. It makes you legally responsible for the debt of another. Proverbs 17:18 warns us,It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt.

Question answer #4: I love my husband. He’s a great guy except that his middle name should be Spender! He simply can't control his spending and our credit card debt is off the charts. It's killing our marriage. What do you recommend?

If he recognizes the problem, ask him if you can control the budget, the spending plan, and provide him with a reasonable weekly allotment he’s free to spend in any way he likes. Then, meet together weekly to pray, review the week's income and spending, and celebrate progress. This way he’ll be fully informed and his spending can be under control. If he doesn't admit the problem and is unwilling to change, suggest that you meet together with a budget counselor. Always focus on continuing to respect him and praying for the Lord to improve his spending habits.Naggingwill not help the situation.

Question answer #5: I have $5,000 in credit card debt that my husband doesn't know about. I'm reluctant to tell him because I'm afraid he'll never trust me again. What should I do?

Disclosing this credit card debt is a key for you to experience the authentic closeness the Lord intends for couples. First, pray that the Lord would prepare him to receive this news well. Second, develop a plan to pay off the debt. Third, meet with him and tell him of your desire to be completely honest. Disclose the debtandthe plan to pay it off. Seek forgiveness and ask if he would meet with you every week for a "money date" to review your finances so this will never happen again.

Question answer #6: My husband and I both have been divorced. In previous marriages, there was constant fighting about money. What can we do to avoid this inourmarriage?

Previously married couples often bring the emotional baggage of problems they experienced. Discuss the issue of frequent arguments and focus like on encouraging each other and creating a culture of celebration in your marriage. For example, you may have a half dozen maxed out credit cards. Celebrate each time you pay one off because what we celebrate we tend to do again. One of the keys to celebrating is to pick something you would really like to do or have. Make it a memory; enjoy yourself.

Question answer #7: My husband doesn't know Jesus Christ as his Savior and doesn't want us to give. I am afraid to disobey the Lord. Should I insist that we tithegive 10%so that we don't miss God's blessing?

No, if your husband does not want to give, don't force him; rather, cooperate with him. Second Corinthians 8:12 says, "If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." In other words, if you desire to give, God is pleased even if your husband doesn’t allow you.My suggestion is to ask your husband if you could give a portion of what you can save from the part of the budget that you manage.

Question answer #8: My husband wants to buy a new car every three years even though we have to use lots of debt to do it. How can I show him in black-and-white that we should be buying used cars for cash?

Unfortunately, many people have car debt all their lives. According to Lending Tree, the average monthly new car payment is now just over $550 a month! Go online tobankrate.com/calculatorsand find the one that computes the compounding growth of savings. Review this with your husband so he can catch the vision of the financial impact of regular savings.

I encourage people to develop a strategy to be able to pay cash for a new car. A very practical way is to drive your existing car until it’s paid for. After you pay off the loan, keep putting that amount in the bank so when it’s time to buy the next one it can be done with cash.

Question answer #9: My wife is a compulsive spender. She wastes money on clothes and on her gambling addiction. What should I do?

Gambling can destroy your finances. You must do these three things. First,love her and that includes praying earnestly for her freedom from gambling. Second, encourage her to seek professional help for her gambling problem, preferably with a Christian counselor who will apply biblical principles to the healing process. And finally, take control of the family finances for her protection and your family’s.

For everyone’s benefit, the amount of money available to her should be limited. Provide her a reasonable budget for clothing and a modest allotment for personal needs, but control the rest of the finances.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

What are your thoughts on the recent rise of affordable cryptocurrencies? And do you think it would be wise to speculate on these?

With my divorce, I received an IRA. It’s been sitting for 10 years and hasn’t earned anything. Should I do something else with it?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

Once upon a time in America, envy was considered bad form and looked down upon. But today in our materialistic society, envy is almost considered a virtue. Advertisers spend billions to convince you that you’re not happy with your lot in life. However, make no mistake, the Bible still calls envy a sin.

Let’s start with a definition. This is from an evangelical dictionary, Envy is the sin of jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others.’ That’s pretty straightforward and it tells us that the words envy and jealousy are interchangeable. Why is envy a sin? Because God’s Word says so in several places. But most notably, as in the 10th Commandment in Exodus 20:17: You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. And of course, covet is another word for envy.

Like the sin of pride, envy also leads to many other sins. In James 4:2-3, we find,You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

There’s a difference between envy and the proper motivation to better one’s life. For the one, you’re willing to work hard and you’re content with what the Lord provides. But with envy, you feel entitled and deprived. You feel that someone, namely God, owes you something. Envy is ugly and destructive. James 3:16 tells us, For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Envy or jealousy is a powerful emotion that we must always be on guard against.Proverbs 27:4 warns, Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

So how do you know if envy has taken hold in your life? Look at your finances. Are you living beyond your means? Are you running up credit card debt to finance a lifestyle that you can’t afford? We used to say that this was, Keeping up with the Joneses. Now some people call it FOMO, an acronym for Fear of Missing Out. You want what others have and you’re willing to go into debt to get it. If you don’t get it under control and learn to live on less than you make, you’re headed for financial disaster. Here’s what you can do:

First, pray that the Holy Spirit would give you contentment with what the Lord has provided. Hebrews 13:5 reads, Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.’Second, if you need help setting up a budget and finding ways to cut your spending, sign up with one of our volunteer coaches. A MoneyWise coach can come alongside you and take you step by step through the process of getting your finances back on track. Just go to MoneyWise.org and click, Connect with a coach.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

I’ve had a CD mature recently and wanted to see what else you’d recommend with similar security but with a higher interest rate.

I have some student loans. Part of it is government and part is private. We’ve been putting all that we can into paying off the private loans. But due COVID, the government ones are on hold. Should we use the money that would be going to the government ones into something else or should we just deal with their loans instead?

Should I take some money out of my 401(k) to help pay for my husband’s very expensive dental work?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Once upon a time in America, envy was considered bad form and looked down upon. But today in our materialistic society, envy is almost considered a virtue. Advertisers spend billions to convince you that you’re not happy with your lot in life. However, make no mistake, the Bible still calls envy a sin.

Let’s start with a definition. This is from an evangelical dictionary, Envy is the sin of jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others.’ That’s pretty straightforward and it tells us that the words envy and jealousy are interchangeable. Why is envy a sin? Because God’s Word says so in several places. But most notably, as in the 10th Commandment in Exodus 20:17: You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. And of course, covet is another word for envy.

Like the sin of pride, envy also leads to many other sins. In James 4:2-3, we find,You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

There’s a difference between envy and the proper motivation to better one’s life. For the one, you’re willing to work hard and you’re content with what the Lord provides. But with envy, you feel entitled and deprived. You feel that someone, namely God, owes you something. Envy is ugly and destructive. James 3:16 tells us, For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Envy or jealousy is a powerful emotion that we must always be on guard against.Proverbs 27:4 warns, Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

So how do you know if envy has taken hold in your life? Look at your finances. Are you living beyond your means? Are you running up credit card debt to finance a lifestyle that you can’t afford? We used to say that this was, Keeping up with the Joneses. Now some people call it FOMO, an acronym for Fear of Missing Out. You want what others have and you’re willing to go into debt to get it. If you don’t get it under control and learn to live on less than you make, you’re headed for financial disaster. Here’s what you can do:

First, pray that the Holy Spirit would give you contentment with what the Lord has provided. Hebrews 13:5 reads, Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.’Second, if you need help setting up a budget and finding ways to cut your spending, sign up with one of our volunteer coaches. A MoneyWise coach can come alongside you and take you step by step through the process of getting your finances back on track. Just go to MoneyWise.org and click, Connect with a coach.

On today’s program we also answer your questions:

I’ve had a CD mature recently and wanted to see what else you’d recommend with similar security but with a higher interest rate.

I have some student loans. Part of it is government and part is private. We’ve been putting all that we can into paying off the private loans. But due COVID, the government ones are on hold. Should we use the money that would be going to the government ones into something else or should we just deal with their loans instead?

Should I take some money out of my 401(k) to help pay for my husband’s very expensive dental work?

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them [email protected]. Also, visit our website atMoneyWise.orgwhere you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, purchase books, and even download free, helpful resources like the free MoneyWise app.

Like and Follow us on Facebook atMoneyWise Mediafor videos and the very latest discussion!Remember that it’s your prayerful and financial support that keeps MoneyWise on the air. Help us continue this outreach by clicking the Donate tab on our website or in our app.