Financial Contentment

October 2011

Financial freedom is an elusive proposition. We frequently encounter the concept in commercials if we watch television, but we rarely encounter a person who is truly “financially free.” Even when people have tremendous wealth, they can still be bound, lock, stock, and barrel, to their money. I believe that financial contentment is the true prize, and it is a prize that can be won. There are five components to financial contentment.

First of all, we need to have an eternal perspective. When we know that God is the owner and we are the stewards, we can put today’s decisions into the right perspective.

Secondly, we need to make faith-based financial decisions. If we can say, with confidence, “I believe God would have me to…” regarding our financial decisions, then we can be financially content because we are following God’s guidance.

Thirdly, if we are married, we need to have unity with our spouse in our financial decisions. Our decisions are not “mine” or “yours,” rather; they are “ours” before the Lord. Taking the time to set financial goals and agree upon financial priorities and next steps with our spouse provides a foundation for unified decisions.

Fourthly, we need to seek biblically wise counsel. The book of James tells us that God’s wisdom yields peace and other fruit related to financial contentment. When we seek wise counsel, we are participating in a process that will yield contentment.

Finally, we need to operate consistently out of a few transcendent financial planning principles. There are six key biblical principles: spend less than you make, avoid debt, build margin, give generously, set long-term goals, and understand that God owns it all and invest accordingly.

Rather than only pursuing financial freedom for the future, what if we decided to also pursue financial contentment in the moment? I believe that we would find it to be an attainable goal and a rewarding process.

COPYRIGHT © 2011 RONALD W. BLUE & KINGDOM ADVISORS, INC.

Meet Our New Team Members

Kendra Harvey joined Beacon Wealth in September of 2011 as a Wealth Advisor in our Lynchburg, VA office. In addition to being an Investment Adviser Representative, her experience includes a strong background in the Life and Health Insurance industry. Prior to entering financial services, Kendra spent eight years as the owner of an art company that represented artists on a national and international scale.

Kimberly Jenkins is our Marketing Coordinator. Kimberly joined the BWC team as a summer intern in March 2011. She is a senior at Liberty University where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business with a concentration in Marketing. Upon graduation in May, she will also have met the educational requirements to sit for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam.

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