Simple Money, Rich Life

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Bob Lotich

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INSTITUTE FOR CHRISTIAN FINANCIAL HEALTH BOOK OF THE YEAR • A hope-filled money guide to increase savings, earnings, and giving and actually enjoy it all while designing a life of freedom and eternal impact, from the founder of SeedTime Money.

Broken down and stranded 1,000 miles from home with only $7 left in his bank account, Bob Lotich had reached his breaking point. He was stuck in a dead-end job, living paycheck-to-paycheck, and overwhelmed by debt. Bob had been following the world's advice with money and this was the fruit of it. In desperation, he cried out to God for wisdom, for a different way. The answer was a simple four-part formula, one based on timeless biblical principles, and, most important, it worked.

After applying this simple formula, Bob discovered that his financial stress melted away and he finally felt fully in control of his money. As he continued to follow the four steps, he paid off over $400,000 in debt, reached a personal goal of giving $1 million by age 40, and achieved a level of financial freedom he never dreamed possible. 

In his casual and approachable style, Bob (along with his fun-loving wife, Linda) shares everything he learned about achieving true financial freedom, including:
 
  • How to create a money system so you can spend less time and get better results
  •  The One-Category Budget: get 80% of the results with 20% of the work
  •  The four keys to earning more in the digital era
  •  How to automate your way to financial success in less than 10 minutes
  •  The secrets of a six-figure giver
  •  Three credit card rules that banks don’t want you to know
  •  How to save $100s each month while still buying what you love
  •  And much more!
 
Whether you are doing “fine” or are in a financial crisis, the included 21-day kick-start will leave you with specific action items to guide you to success. You can have financial security, peace, significance, and eternal impact. Let Bob show you how to reimagine money as it was meant to be: simple.

Leseprobe
**Chapter 1

The Battle Is His, but You Have to Show Up**

For the past few years, four simple words posted on my office wall have served as a constant reminder of God’s role in the challenges I face:

The battle is His.

About 3,000 years ago, the people of Judah had three separate armies coming to wage war against them. They were vastly outnumbered, and they recognized their weakness: “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Judah knew they couldn’t win this battle alone. So they turned to God.

Then the prophet Jahaziel spoke up, saying, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’ ”

He continued, “Tomorrow march down against them. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

Did you catch that? God required the army of Judah to march down to the battle line. If God was going to fight the battle for them, then why couldn’t they just sit inside the walls of the city, where it was comfortable and safe?

Yes, the battle was the Lord’s, but they had to show up. The same is true of your financial situation—the battle is the Lord’s, but you have to show up.

Let Him Fight Your Financial Battle

I know firsthand how discouraging it is when you’re looking at massive debt, insufficient income, or never-ending expenses and feel like you’ll never be able to overcome it.

I remember looking at my mountain of debt and thinking, I’m never going to get this paid off. Then I compared that with our tiny salaries, and it honestly felt hopeless. I mean, it seemed like there was only about $50 left at the end of the month. It seriously looked like it would take 30 years to become debt-free.

But here is the thing. Our God is in the business of freeing people from bondage. I know that includes the bondage of sin, but I’m convinced it also includes financial bondage—especially debt.

Let me share a secret with you. You want to know what testimony I have heard more than anything else from our SeedTime community? It goes something like this:

We had [a huge amount of debt] that we wanted to pay off. When we looked at our income, it looked like it would take us [a crazy amount of time] to get it paid off. We felt discouraged and wondered whether our effort would even make a difference. But we prayed and felt God leading us to do [an unconventional thing that we thought wouldn’t help at all]. But we decided to obey His leading. As we did, we saw the debt paid off way faster than we ever dreamed possible. We have no doubt this was God’s doing.

This is our story too. As we took steps and trusted God to do His part, we experienced miracles and watched our mountain of debt disappear within about three years.

No matter how big your financial challenge is, the battle isn’t yours. The battle is the Lord’s. But you have to show up. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because it’s His battle, He won’t require you to do something. And often that something has to be done before you see the miracle:

•Jehoshaphat and Judah had to march down to the battle line against a far superior army before God delivered them.

•Moses had to walk up to the Red Sea and stretch out his staff before it parted.

•The disciples had to begin distributing the food before it was multiplied to feed the 5,000.

If they hadn’t acted on their faith, do you think those miracles would have happened?

God is bigger than any financial problem we face, but we have to be willing to step out in faith to see the miracle. Oftentimes that step of faith is a natural step that allows God to do the supernatural.

How to Outrun a Chariot

I once heard Pastor Chris Durso preach a sermon with some insightful commentary on an easily overlooked verse. In 1 Kings, we see Elijah do something pretty crazy. “The Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.”

Elijah outran a chariot, but before he did, he tied up his cloak. If God had given him supernatural speed but he’d been tripping on his cloak the whole way, he probably wouldn’t have outrun the chariot. Elijah took the natural step so the supernatural thing that God was going to do wouldn’t be hindered.

God wants to do the supernatural in your financial life, but what steps are you taking to allow the supernatural to flow unhindered? King Jehoshaphat and his army had to march to the battle line in order to see the miracle. When we take the natural step while prayerfully asking God to do the supernatural, we open the door for the miraculous.

Could it be that some of the practical steps laid out in this book are going to allow God to do the supernatural in your life?