The Ups and Downs of money

What are your thoughts on the economy? I have never seen such massive swings in my life. We have seen in the past days the greatest losses and the greatest gains in a single days of trading on the NY stock exchange. We have all seen our home values plumet and our retirement accounts vaborize before our eyes.

I saw my personal 403B account drop tens of thousands of dollars in a matter of days. The first thought that came to my mind was "these market swings just added 5 + more years to my work."

Where does a person find hope in a market like this? I have personally found hope and direction in simply reviewing some of the verses in Scripture. Read the following principles that God has spoken into my life that have steered my thoughts and the verses that I have used to calm my spirit. The following statements are the little voice I heard in my heart as I reflected on the following verses

> Mike, I told you that your 403B, Money Markets, possessions would come and go...

"Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself! Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder."

Proverbs 23:4-5 (The Message)

> Mike, make sure you know who and what you are serving...Me or money.

"...You can’t worship God and Money both."

Matt 6:24

> Mike, you can't depend on the Democrats or Republicans to fix all the financial woes. This is a global meltdown. Keep trusting in me."

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

Ps 20:7
"I have never seen good people abandoned by the Lord or their children begging for food."
Ps 37:25

> Mike the main thing isn't for you to get rich. It is for you to seek Me and allow me to make you what I want you.

"...seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be

given to you as well"
Mt 6:33

"Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
Pr 30:8-9

Money, investing, prospecting, saving, spending, giving...wow. It can all becomes so complicated and stressful. I have come to appreciate three simple steps to life and money. These steps are the steps my family takes with every dollar we have...

1. Give it. We give the first dime out of every dollar to our church. Actually, we are currently giving, the first two dimes out of every dollar to the church. We do this with joy and without regret. We have given no less than 10% of our income our entire married life.
2. Save it. We give an additional dime out of every dollar to our savings for setbacks and "rainy days" funds. Dave Ramsey has challenged us with a goal of having 4-6 months worth of pay set back in savings. We have a ways to go, but we are on course.
3. Live it. We live on the remaining 70%. Much of our discretionary money we use an envelope method that conditions us to spend with greater discernment and discipline. For example, when the out to eat money envelope is empty...we stop eating out for the month.

Living these principles above has kept me from losing sleep in the ups and downs of the market. I am not worried. If God sees that I need a few more dollars...He will provide it, he always has. He owns it all (Haggai 2:8).