There’s a simple way to gain financial success. But most people won’t do it.
As soon as you are old enough, put away money every month in a mutual funds account that will earn interest, and don’t touch it. As your income grows, keep adding more money.
And don’t touch it.
Also, if you live in the right place, buy a house, and pay it off as soon as you can. Buy a gently used car instead of a brand new one. Budget money to give to the church and people in need. Use some of it to simply encourage people with tiny gifts.
Enjoy some of it too, and go out to dinner occasionally.
Save for a rainy day because storms will come, and you never want to have to go into debt, and you definitely don’t want to stay in debt.
Pay off everything.
A good practice to get into is to take 20 percent of your paycheck to save and give immediately. Pretend it’s not even there.
Don’t ever think some of your money is your money, and some of it is God’s money. It all belongs to God, so handle it with that perspective. Money is a blessing to the faithful believer, so save some, give some, and enjoy some. But it is a curse for those who live in the darkness.
Always pursue God, your family, friends, and yourself before pursuing money. It’s good for there to be financially successful Christians in the world, but it’s even better for there to be faithful ones. You might come across a real opportunity to become extremely wealthy someday, but it may come with a price that you are not willing to pay.
Seek to be financially stable, so you do not become a slave to debt, but also seek to be content with what you have, so you do not become a slave to ambitious desire.
Dr. Terry Tripp 