SEVEN PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
ARE YOU CONTENT?
WHEN EVEN THE RICH AREN’T HAPPY
MEN / GOD / LIFE
MONEY THE SOMETIMES CRIPPLING NEVER NEUTRAL KINGDOM-BUILDING POTENTIAL OF MONEY
MAR / A PR 2018 ISSUE 59 NEWSSTAND PRICE CDN $4.95
BUILDING WEALTH TO GIVE IT AWAY DAVE RAMSEY ON MOVING FROM DEBT TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE
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2 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
CONTENTS
15
COLUMNS 6 // PK Podium It’s Never Enough 8 // Lives Worth Leading The Best Defence Against Greed 30 // Sports Scene We Chose Love All Year
FEATURES 15 CHASING CONTENTMENT In our day, we don’t often look inward to master ourselves but look outward to satisfy ourselves. If we can only get more and enjoy more, then we’ll be happy. However, research shows that even those who seem to have the most still lack contentment. They have hands full of money, but happiness slips through their eager grasp.
18 MONEY PROBLEMS, MARRIAGE SOLUTIONS It’s easy to see how money becomes a spark for a fight; it’s not just a battle over saving for home renovation or a balmy vacation, money is key to our identity, and our basic human needs. When those come under attack it's easy to see how our relationships can become divided so quickly and easily.
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22 BUILD WEALTH AND GIVE
32 // The Single Life The Issue of Money 33 // Out of My Depth Money Reveals Our Character
DEPARTMENTS 10 // The Pulse Bits. Blips. Beats. Blurbs. 14 // Music Reviews Good News 34 // Power Play Toys. Tools. Technology.
Dave Ramsey explains how to go from a $500 emergency fund, to building wealth to further the Kingdom. Suddenly you see wells that need to be drilled in Haiti. You see the HIV prevention efforts in Africa… “At this stage, you’re able to open your eyes and see — maybe for the first time — how you can make a difference in the world.”
26 THE FREEDOM OF HAVING LESS
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Brock and Michelle have adopted a lifestyle of simplicity, choosing to eschew the cultural ideals of owning a big house and multiple cars in favour of a modest dwelling in a co-operative mobile home community. And while certainly not without its challenges, Brock describes his current lifestyle as “pretty luxurious, once you get used to it.”
MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 3
ON THE COVER
SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.
MONEY
Battling against poverty, attacking a mountain of debt, the call to simpler living, or wrangling the budget with your wife, it’s all on the table for the Money Issue.
The name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the Promise Keepers organization, which works with churches to minister to men across Canada. 1 // A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. 2 // A promise keeper is committed to pursuing Christ-centred friendships with a few other men, connecting regularly, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises. 3 // A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually. 4 // A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values. 5 // A promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honouring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources. 6 // A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity. 7 // A promise keeper is committed to influencing the world by his fervent love for God while loving his neighbour, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Publisher PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
EDITORIAL
PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
Editorial Director JEFF STEARNS
KIRK GILES
Questions and comments
Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills
Managing Editor STEVEN SUKKAU
Promise Keepers Canada
regarding editorial can be sent
Burlington, ON L7P 0A4
to ssukkau@promisekeepers.ca,
(905) 331-1830 info@promisekeepers.ca
ADVERTISING
JEFF STEARNS
or mailed to Promise Keepers
RICK VERKERK
Promise Keepers Canada
Canada at the address provided.
rick@promisekeepers.ca 1-888-901-9700
MATT BREIMER
Postmaster, please send DESIGN
address changes to:
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Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills,
STEVEN SUKKAU
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ISSN 1916-8403
Promise Keepers Canada
The PK Canada logo features a maple leaf, indicating our dedication to serve the men of Canada. An arrow breaks into the maple leaf symbolizing the impact we believe God wants to see Promise Keepers and men making in our nation. A special thank-you to all the pastors who continually encourage us to communicate God’s truth with grace and love.
4 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
Money, Faith and
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PK PODIUM
IT’S NEVER ENOUGH CAUGHT IN THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF WANTING MORE BY KIRK GILES
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hen I started my first job, I used to imagine how amazing it would be to make $5,000 a year. Then, when I was first married, I thought that if we could make $20,000 a year we would have life well under control. Once I started making $20,000 a year then I started to dream of the day when $40,000 a year would solve all our financial challenges. The truth is, no amount of money ever seemed to be quite enough. There were always more bills to pay, more children to feed, more car repairs to be done, and more vacations to experience. I became caught in this endless cycle of wanting/needing more. Along the way, we work harder to make more money. We compromise the time it takes to build relationships, so we can add more cashflow in the wallet. At what point is it enough? At what point do we realize that what we are gaining is not worth what we are losing? The only promise God made to us regarding finances is that He would provide for all our needs. When was the last time you took an honest look at your expenses every month with this question in mind — did I really need that? I would guess that if most of us only spent what we really need to spend, then we would collectively have enough money left over to help those who can’t truly meet their financial needs each month. Imagine if we took the excess we spend on bigger houses, faster and stronger cars, or the biggest screen TV, and used those funds instead to invest in the work of God’s Kingdom. My pastor recently preached on finances, and he made this statement: “Poverty is an issue more of friends, than finances.” The big idea is that we can work hard to gain the whole world but forfeit our very soul while we are doing it. Another way to look at finances is this: how would I spend my money differently if I believed that it isn’t really my money, but it all belongs to God? I am not against people making money. Money is not evil — the Bible teaches that it is the root of all kinds of evil, but it does not say that it is evil. I’m inspired by a friend of mine who calls himself a professional philanthropist. He believes God has given him a gift of making money, but that gift comes with a responsibility to give it away generously to those who are in need. If you feel like you never have enough, then I want to encourage you to take one step back and ask the real question, “How much is truly enough?”
6 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
KIRK GILES is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.
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MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 7
LIVES WORTH LEADING
MONEY MATTERS
THE GREATEST DEFENCE AGAINST GREED BY COLIN MCCARTNEY Comedian Steve Martin had this to say about money; “I love money. I love everything about it. I bought some pretty good stuff. Got me a $300 pair of socks. Got a fur sink. An electric dog polisher. A gasoline powered turtleneck sweater. And, of course, I bought some dumb stuff, too.”
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oney is a wonderful thing. It allows us, in the words of Steve Martin, to buy “some pretty good stuff” . . . like food for our families, a roof over our heads, warmth in our homes and allows us to enjoy vacations, recreation, etc. It can also be used to bless the poor, give us health and security, and even support missions and churches. But we can often do some dumb stuff with our money. In this way money can be a curse. It can divide families, isolate individuals from the realities of life, or result in jealousy and bitterness. All this to say for better or worse—money matters and we must learn to control money or else it will control us. In Jeremiah 22:15-16 we read the following; “Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord.” The father mentioned in these verses was not controlled by money. The opposite was true—he controlled his money. Yes, he had luxuries; a great house and wonderful food. However, though he was rich, he also did what was right and just—he defended the cause of the poor and needy. In fact, God says that his involvement in the lives of the poor and oppressed is the
8 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
sign (not just a sign) that this man, money and all, knew God. So, here’s the catch. Make money, but never, ever let it control you. The best way to defeat money’s enslaving power is to personally know someone poor. This truth reminds me of a story I heard from a friend of mine named Rich, who, as his name states, was very rich. Rich was an investment banker working downtown but lived in the suburbs. Every morning Rich would ignore a poor beggar he walked past on his way to work. One day Rich decided to spend one of his lunch breaks each week as a volunteer at the local soup kitchen. It was here that Rich got to know the beggar he ignored each day on his way to work. Over a bowl of soup Rich heard this beggar’s heart-breaking story and learned his name—Ted. No longer could Rich just ignore Ted on the morning rush to work. No, Rich would bring Ted a cup of coffee and a muffin every morning and also spend lunch hours with his new friend at the soup kitchen. Then it happened—a miracle! It was a very cold winter night. Rich was at home in his warm bed but couldn’t sleep a wink. All he could think about was his friend Ted shivering on the streets or sleeping in a dirty shelter. Rich tried to pray away his thoughts of Ted but all it did was make him more and more uncomfortable. Rich had to do something. That evening Rich brought Ted to stay with him; there
was no way a friend of Rich’s would ever be abandoned on the streets. Through Rich’s help Ted eventually got cleaned up, found a job and got a place of his own because he had a friend that loved him. What changed in Rich’s life was that this unknown beggar had a name and a story and, most importantly, became a friend of Rich’s. Rich shared with me that he felt the true worth of his wealth that freezing cold night while he was in his beautiful warm home resting in his king-sized bed knowing that his friend Ted was all alone trying to survive on the streets. He said he learned that God gave him the ability to make money so that he could give it away in kingdom service. But here’s the catch: Rich would never have learned this wonderful lesson from God if he never befriended Ted. So, here is what we learn. The greatest defence against greed and consumerism is having friends who are poor or oppressed. So, go out and grab yourself a Ted, because he will guarantee you true financial security in the kingdom of God.
/ COLIN MCCARTNEY is an ordained minister, speaker, and a bestselling author. He is also the founder of UrbanPromise Toronto and now leads Connect Ministries in Toronto where he, his wife Judith, and their two children reside. For information in booking Colin as a speaker, please visit www.connectministries.org.
“WE HAVE SEEN THAT ALL WE NEED TO DO IS SHOW UP AND PARTICIPATE FOR GOD TO USE US TO CARRY OUT HIS PLAN.” Jason Braam, Director of HR & Safety at Robertson Bright Inc.
Equip your team for spiritual success.
promisekeepers.ca/business
THE PULSE
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS THE LATEST NEWS FROM PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA PROTECTING MY 8-YEAR-OLD FROM PORN
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS
TWO HOURS AFTER INSTALLING KIDSWIFI IT HAD ALREADY BLOCKED MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON FROM SEEING A PORN SITE.
10 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
/ OVER THE years I have searched for an internet filter that would work well to protect my family. Not that long ago, a simple filter on the desktop computer worked well. However, with the addition of tablets, iPods, cell phones and laptops, there just didn’t seem to be a solution that worked well. Research showed youth were seeing porn primarily from mobile devices, and finding a filter to cover everything seemed to be confusing and riddled with holes. It was at a screening of the Over 18 documentary (www.over18doc.com) that I learned about KidsWifi. Unlike other solutions, KidsWifi is designed to filter the WiFi for your whole home, regardless of what device people are using. In addition, it promised to be simple and easy to set up. I decided to test it and see if it could be the answer. Set up was easy. Following the instructions, it only took me five to ten minutes. I plugged the unit into an electrical outlet and followed the prompts on the computer.
After a couple of hours, I checked the online parent control panel from my cell phone. I was stunned to see it had already blocked a website. The control panel not only shows a history for your whole home, but also for each device, so I was able to track the user down to my eight-year-old son. With knots in my stomach I asked him what he had been looking at online. Turns out he had been playing Subway Surfer, a free online game I had seen my kids play before. What I didn’t realize was the game included pop-up ads. While most of the ads are harmless, a site with links for porn had managed to sneak in an ad. My son never saw that ad. KidsWifi had filtered the ad and blocked it without interrupting the flow of the game. I became a fan of KidsWifi and decided I needed to tell other dads about it. Not only does KidsWifi filter the internet, but it also allows me to monitor what sites my kids go to, set time limits, and it was easy to use. I can check the parent control panel from any web browser, which means I can see it on my phone from anywhere. I can turn off internet access to a specific device without interrupting the WiFi for everyone else. I can go with the default settings or customize it to block specific sites or social media. I am definitely a fan of how it keeps my home safe. I would recommend it for anyone. Jeff Stearns Content Director, PK Canada
>> Learn more at: www.promisekeepers.ca/wifi
Make Your Home Safe Today Filtering Set your house rules for which parts of the Internet your kids (and their guests) can visit. Then add exceptions for specific devices to restrict young kids or give older kids more freedom.
Protect your kids online with KidsWifi.
Monitoring Check on the sites your kids are visiting. Look at the whole network or specific devices. Do it from anywhere with Internet access using any browser.
Time Limits Limit screen time by pausing the Internet. Set bedtimes to prevent late-night browsing. All managed from your phone or any other Internet browser.
Connectivity Keeping your kids safe is as simple as connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Using any wireless device—from computers to tablets to game consoles—you can protect your kids (and their friends) simply by connecting them to your KidsWifi network.
Plug in and Protect. It’s that simple.
promisekeepers.ca/wifi
PODCASTS NEIL JOSEPHSON ON COMMUNICATION IN MARRIAGE
/ NEIL JOSEPHSON IS the National Director of FamilyLife Canada, and is speaking at several All In National Men’s Conferences. Sharing from personal experience and biblical wisdom, Neil talks with Kirk about healthy communication in marriage.
VINCE D’ACCHIOLI ON LIVING THE AWAKENED LIFE AT WORK
TIM BERGMANN ON THE CHRISTIAN’S STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH
/ THERE’S AN INCREASING number of men who are dealing with mental health issues, and it’s no surprise that these issues seem to surface more and more this time of year. Tim Bergmann discovered his own battle with depression and anxiety in his early 30s, and while he’s found help and healing, it’s still something he struggles with today. With Biblical perspective and wisdom, Tim shares some of his struggle and what he’s learned along the way. In this interview, Tim addresses questions like: + Where is God in all of this? + What have I done wrong to be struggling with this?
/ NOT ONLY DO we spend much of our lives at work, but many men allow their career to shape their identity. Join Vince for an insightful and humourous message from the “Awakened” conference in 2006. A message that is destined to become a classic.
Tim also talks about: + Overcoming negative thought patterns. + The difference between being “set aside” and “set apart”. + Some of the fundamental beliefs he had to come back to that gave him hope and strength for moving forward.
>> Find these and other podcasts at: www.promisekeepers.ca/podcast.
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INSPIRING MEN THROUGH AN EXPERIENCE OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ENDURANCE
“The XCC took me to levels I had never experienced before, challenging me consistently, forcing me to totally 100% rely on God to walk with me, carry me, and show me His love.” - RICK FROM ONTARIO
The Rockies Alberta June 7 – 10, 2018 Register today at promisekeepers.ca/xcc MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN
13
MUSIC REVIEWS
BY STEVEN SUKKAU
MATT HAMMITT
REND COLLECTIVE
REMEDY DRIVE
MATT HAMMITT (FCM Records)
GOOD NEWS (Sparrow Records)
THE NORTH STAR (Remedy Drive)
/ WHAT WOULD make a lead singer of a hyper-popular rock band jump into the unknown to launch a new brand of music on his lesser-known name? The answer is immediate on the first track, ‘Heaven Knows’: “I can hear Jesus calling my name, saying step out onto the sea.” In recent interviews Hammitt explains he started Sanctus Real with some friends in their teens, but after 20 years he felt a conviction to follow Christ’s leading to take a step in a new direction. The result is November’s self-titled album. While it carries some of the same electricity and clean sounds of Sanctus Real, Hammitt is more soulful and intimate than bombastic here. The tracks are anchored and propelled by Hammitt’s smoky voice, and he often drops the guitar riffs and drums in favour of piano. Together the 10 tracks are rich with reflective themes and imagery. Be warned though, sometimes the wordplay falters into well-worn cliches like on Footprints, or elsewhere inches too close to cringe-worthy territory when he sings about letting go of old hurts “Just let ‘em fall right down your face… That’s why God made tears.” Some might find a handful of the lyrical musings and advice too sugary, but combined with the beautiful arrangements it’s easily forgiven.
/ WORSHIP WITH a kick. If you who wish Mumford and Sons would lead a worship set before the sermon in church, give Rend Collective’s latest album, ‘Good News’ a listen. The band wastes no time in setting the tone with ‘Life Is Beautiful’, “I will not waste this day You made, I will be glad.” It’s hard not to become swept up in their driving joyfulness. These are raucous folk songs you’d imagine being sung in taverns with floorboards vibrating with pounding feet, mugs spilling their contents as people clap and shout. It’s all here, including fiddles, flutes and ukuleles. Though like Mumford and Sons, Rend Collective nimbly indulge the folksy traditional stylings while still adeptly putting forth modern, moving indie folk music. Moving through foot-stomping, frenetic folk to sweeping, slow worship, and seemingly everything in between on the 15-track album, the Rend Collective is always joyful but never makes light of suffering. Stand-out track, ‘Weep With Me’ touches on the paradox of praise and pain, “Yet I will sing of Your name… What’s true in the light is still true in the dark.” The band even touches on the hyperpopular electronic-pop on Marching on (feat. Hillsong Young & Free), yet still manages to sneak in some accordion. Faithful, fun and fresh, you must give ‘Good News’ a listen.
/ HEAVY, THOUGHTFUL, uncomfortable, Remedy Drive takes on the biggest themes plaguing our world. But instead of merely calling out large international companies or corrupt governments, they point back to the evil in each of us that allow us to turn blind eyes as we enjoy the benefits of exploiting the environment, people and war. To drive their point home, Remedy Drive puts their conviction into the raging and grunge masterpiece ‘Warlike’. Elsewhere the band shifts its tonality effortlessly into a contemplative rock/ alternative track like ‘Brighter Than Apathy’. Their ability to change gears musically and passion for justice both bring to mind Switchfoot, which is certainly high praise. Standout track ‘Sunlight on Her Face’ is a moving treatise on human trafficking with a sound reminiscent of Coldplay’s earlier work. The pairing of cello and drums is both haunting and invigorating. On, ‘I Don’t Belong to You’ the band sums up their general disquiet towards the world we live in; we’re not oppressed by antiquated feudal systems but serfs to companies that hoard our digital data and use it to drive our consumeristic needs: “I don’t want to be colonized, advertised at, dehumanized, or fall for lies that steal from my soul.” While recognizing the injustices all around us can be uncomfortable at times, The North Star is refreshing; the cobwebs settled in from apathy are blown out and you’re left with a clear sense of purpose.
/ STEVEN SUKKAU works in radio on the prairies of Southern Manitoba.
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C C
FEATURE
CHASING CONTENTMENT HANDS FULL OF MONEY WHILE HAPPINESS SLIPS THROUGH OUR GRASP BY ERIK RAYMOND
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hat is the goal of the Christian life? The answer to the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism says it best: “to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” To glorify God is to make much of him, to see his supreme value and ascribe greatness to him. But we do more than agree that God is great. We enter into the hearty “Amen!” of his greatness by living in such a way that testifies to the fact that God is our supreme treasure and surpassing joy. To use the analogy of the military, we live in such a way that properly reflects the honor and glory of the One who has enlisted us into service. How do we glorify God and enjoy him forever? We glorify God by learning, tasting, seeing, and showing that the Lord
“HERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SEEM TO HAVE MADE IT. THEY ARE IN THE CULTURAL WINNER’S CIRCLE BUT DON’T FEEL VICTORIOUS.”
is glorious. We come to find ourselves in hearty agreement with God that he is worthy of our whole-souled devotion. This is precisely what we have been thinking about in terms of learning contentment. Being content in God is being satisfied in God regardless of what is going on outside you. The biblical argument is that you cannot truly be content without being content in God. The apostle Paul highlights this indissoluble bond between godliness and contentment in 1 Timothy 6. He says there that false teachers were “imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain” (6:5–6). In this section of the letter, Paul is unmasking the false teachers by exposing their works. These opponents to true religion are “puffed up” with conceit, ignorant, and craving controversies. What’s more, they believe that godliness can be a vehicle for personal gain. Regrettably, every age has seen selfish people attempt to personally capitalize on the church. But, says Paul, this is just another demonstration of a deceitful, self-inclined heart. Such schemes don’t work. They can’t work, because contentment is tied to godliness after all. Think about it. Contentment is tied to godliness. At the risk of trivializing this point, I’m reminded of a bumper sticker I’ve seen: “Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace.” It’s a clever and true turn of phrase. And the same can be said for contentment: “No godliness, no contentment. Know godliness, know contentment.” Do you see how ironic Paul’s correction of the false teachers is? He basically throws their words back at them with an opposite meaning. The false teachers believe that godliness is a way to gain. They are dead wrong, but they are also spot-on. They are wrong in the way they are going about it, “merchandising the doctrine of Christ,” says Calvin;1 however, if we do think about it, there is no true and lasting gain apart from godliness. So if we are after gain, then we actually have to pursue godliness. The key here is what we mean by “gain.” John Stott explains:
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“Godliness” (eusebeia) is “gain” (porismos), even great gain ([1 Tim. 6:]6a), providing you mean spiritual gain, not financial, and providing you add contentment. Paul is echoing his earlier statement that “godliness has value for all things,” bringing blessing for both this life and the next ([1 Tim.] 4:8).2 The apostle hits his mark. Godliness is concerned not primarily with the physical, expressed in terms of money, but with the spiritual, expressed in terms of contentment. We must see how revolutionary this line of thinking is. As we saw earlier, in Paul’s day Stoic philosophers taught that people could achieve a self-sufficiency that would insulate them from the tumultuous circumstances of life (see under the heading “Contentment Is a Work of Grace,” p. 27). By looking inward and mastering themselves, they attempted to ensure that they were unmovable, unflappable, stoic. In fact, here in 1 Timothy 6:6 Paul uses the same word that was commonly used by the Stoics. The difference for Paul, however, is not the end (contentment) but the means to that end. Whereas the Stoics pursued sufficiency in themselves, we as Christians find it in God. Thomas Lea and Hayne Griffin comment: “Paul Christianized the term, using it to refer to an attitude of mind independent of externals and dependent only on God. He was not advocating godless self-sufficiency as a source of contentment. Paul believed that true sufficiency is Christ-sufficiency (Phil. 4:13).”3 In our day, we don’t often look inward to master ourselves but look outward to satisfy ourselves. If we can only get more and enjoy more, then we’ll be happy. However, research shows that even those who seem to have the most still lack contentment. They have hands full of money but happiness slips through their eager grasp. In a study conducted by Boston College, researchers talked with people whose fortunes exceeded $25 million. The goal of the study was to get the rich to speak candidly about their lives. According to the study, The respondents turn out to be a generally dissatisfied lot, whose money has contributed to deep anxieties involving love, work, and family. Indeed, they are frequently dissatisfied even with their sizable fortunes. Most of them still do not consider themselves financially secure; for that, they say, they would require on average one-quarter more wealth than they currently possess.4 Here are people who seem to have made it. They are in the cultural winner’s circle but don’t feel victorious. Paul exposes this same type of emptiness in the next
verses of 1 Timothy 6. He goes on to point out that even if you get a lot of stuff, you can’t keep it. We are all going to die eventually, and our stuff will not come with us or help us in the age to come (6:7). Further, instead of providing contentment, the pursuit of riches can often provide a snare, a vicious temptation that ends in ruin (6:9). Whether we look inward or outward, we see that promises for gain are actually empty promises. Contentment comes not from focusing on ourselves or feasting on stuff but by focusing and feasting on Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:13). Contentment comes through knowing and loving the truth. It is not enough to simply know theology; we must love the God we are studying. And it is not enough to say we love a God we do not know. Godliness is concerned with both knowing and loving.
/ Content taken from Chasing Contentment: Trusting God in a Discontented Age by Erik Raymond, ©2017. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org 1 John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, trans. William Pringle (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 157. 2 John R. W. Stott, Guard the Truth: The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 149. 3 Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, The New American Commentary 34 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992), 167–68. 4 Graeme Wood, “Secret Fears of the Super-Rich,” The Atlantic, April 2011, http://www .theatlantic. com/magazine/archive/2011/04/secret-fears-of-the-super-rich/308419.
MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 17
FEATURE
Money Problems, Marriage Solutions
18 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
UNITING COUPLES ON THE FINANCE FRONT BY STEVEN SUKKAU
M
oney problems are the number one indicators of divorce. According to Sonya Britt, a professor at Kansas State University, arguments about money are by far the top predictor of divorce. “It’s not children, sex, in-laws, or anything else. It’s money — for both men and women.” Why the tension? Why such an explosive issue in the intimacy of marriage? According to Chuck Bentley, money lies at the very root of our emotional well-being, but we often don’t realize it. A man is wired to need respect. If money is an issue at home a man feels inadequate, shamed and even blamed, he explains. Women, he says, often derive the innate feeling of emotional and physical security from money. “She feels vulnerable,” Bentley explains, “Like maybe her spouse isn't holding up his end of the deal.” It’s easy to see how money becomes a spark for a fight; it’s not just a battle over saving for home renovation or balmy vacation. “Our identity, and our basic human needs... come under attack. And that's what Satan uses to divide our relationship so quickly and so easily.” Money isn't neutral, Bentley says, adding finances have a powerful way of tangling up our hearts. Yet, while the issue has such power to divide, he notes it can be a unifying element. “When there's unity in the marriage, you can thrive and flourish and prosper financially like never before.” However, it wasn't always the case for the Bentleys. “It quickly went ways we didn't expect it to go, we found out we were radically different in our personalities and view of life... we loved each other but we had our own beliefs about money and we went into our separate corners on that issue... we stayed fairly frustrated.” For 21 years, “we were a casualty of our disunity,” he says, plodding along, hoping they would build their finances even though they didn't communicate. They weren't on the same page. While cutting up credit cards when they become a pitfall and eliminating debt is important, it doesn't indicate a healthy marriage. “I know a lot of people who are wealthy... but have enormous problems in their marriage over money.” Instead, “we had to fix us as a couple before we could fix our money problems.” In his book, Money Problems, Marriage Solutions, written together with his wife Ann, the Bentley's provide seven keys to aligning finances and spouses' hearts.
MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 19
THE FOCUS ON PURPOSE SHIFTS THE ROLE OF MONEY FROM SIMPLY CREATING A COMFORTABLE LIFESTYLE TO FUNDING AND DRIVING THEIR GOD-GIVEN MISSION. While they've literally written the book on dealing with money in marriage, Bentley says they're still a work in progress. “We continue to use the process... Satan doesn't leave you alone... he wants to distract you,” Bentley says, adding they often return to the seven keys of solving money problems in marriage including; become a peacemaker, know the definition of prosperity, find your life's purpose, live by God's philosophy of money, understand your spouse's personality, have a financial plan, and develop a process to stay on the plan. Each was a lesson that came out of their marriage; the result of trial by fire. Becoming a peacemaker emerged as one of the seven keys after the heat of a fight was suddenly dispersed when each spouse would retreat to their separate corners and pray for peace.
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“Both of you take the role of peacemaker, and that means going first... I particularly think men are challenged by this.” Men often would rather wait to be apologized to, but Bentley says the first to apologize is the bravest. “The tool of Satan is to become offended... you have to stop it immediately.” Another key for the Bentleys in their quest for a healthy relationship with money inside of marriage is finding your purpose. He notes it’s vital to use the gifts and talents God has given you as a couple to advance God's Kingdom. However, Bentley says purpose is often uncovered through pain: "Our ministry was born from our misery." Like a soldier with PTSD using that same experience to spur empathy to minister to other sufferers, Bentley encourages spouses to find a common purpose as a couple. He explains the focus on purpose shifts the role of money from simply creating a comfortable lifestyle to funding and driving their God-given mission. Another bedrock for building a healthy marriage when it comes to money is to build the basics like an emergency fund, and having the discipline to save. For those weathering a major financial storm, Bentley says never lose hope. “We're a living testimony of doing it wrong for a number of years, and God restoring years that had been wasted and lost.” He adds, never lose hope in your marriage either. The data proves the greatest financial decision you can ever make is to stay married: “It's not to split up or get divorced, it's to work through your problems, stay married and then become united.” Bentley says they wrote the book so couples would see the genius of God: “When He said two were better than one, He really meant it. All the data shows your long-term happiness is better, your financial well-being is better, your sexual satisfaction is better, your outlook on life is better, all these things improve because of your covenant relationship with your spouse.” For those hurting, he says simply ask your spouse to try again. “Don't let the enemy deceive you, don't let him destroy you by saying, ‘it's time to give up, there's no hope for this relationship.’ ” “There's always hope,” Bentley says.
/ STEVEN SUKKAU is a journalist living in Southern Manitoba with his wife and two young daughters from whom he regularly receives free makeovers.
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MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 21
Leaving a 22 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
FEATURE
a Legacy How to Build Wealth & Give BY DAVE RAMSEY
MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 23
P
roverbs says, “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses” (28:27). I don’t think most of us ever actually hide our eyes; I just think the pressures we’re under keep our heads down so we can’t see. But if we work through the following biblical principles about taking care of our family first, casting a vision for the future, and leaving an inheritance to our children’s children, we’re able to lift our heads and look clearly into the future. In my classes and books, I explain in detail what I call the Baby Steps. This is the process for taking control of your money, getting out of debt, and starting your family on the road to financial security and long-term wealth building. I’m not going to re-teach all of that here, but I will take just a second to review the seven Baby Steps:
Baby Step
1
Place $1,000 in a beginner emergency fund ($500 if your income is under $20,000 per year).
Baby Step
2
Pay off all debt except your home mortgage using the debt snowball.
Baby Step
3
Put three to six months of expenses into savings as a full emergency fund.
Baby Step
4
Invest 15 percent of your household income into Roth IRAs and pretax retirement plans.
Baby Step
5
Start college funding for your kids.
Baby Step
6
Pay off your home early.
Baby Step
7
Build wealth and give.
The first three Baby Steps are all about taking control of your money. In those steps, you’re correcting bad behaviors, getting out of debt, putting some money in the bank, and basically cleaning up a mess. Those months or years can be tense, but they are crucial to changing your legacy. Once you hit Baby Step 4, though, you start to feel a different kind of tension. For maybe the first time, you’re able to relax a little bit, take a breath, and realize that you’re in a position to build wealth. And that’s when you start facing the questions that popped into my head that day as I was looking at my new car. For this, there’s a different process in place that works alongside the Baby Steps. I call it NOW–THEN–US–THEM, and it’s the framework for your legacy journey.
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NOW: TAKING CONTROL When you first have that wake-up moment and start doing a budget and working through the Baby Steps, you are laser focused on taking control of your money and cleaning up a financial mess. I call that stage the NOW. At that stage, you may be broke, behind on your bills, struggling to put food on the table, and always worried about making one paycheck last until the next one arrives. Picture it for a moment: You are at the kitchen table with your head down, slumped over a pile of bills. You can’t look up, because there are about a dozen different crises right under your nose. All you’re trying to do is take care of all the little fires going on right now. That’s not a fun place to be, but that’s where a lot of us start. In the NOW, your job, first and foremost, is to take care of your family. The Bible says, “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). At this stage, if you are a believer, you should be tithing (giving a tenth of your income) to your church, but now is not the time to give extra beyond that. And you shouldn’t feel guilty about that either, because you are obeying your biblical mandate to take care of your family. This is also not the time to invest or fund the kids’ college accounts. The long-term plan is to completely change your family’s legacy, but that may seem like a tiny dot on the horizon at this stage. In the NOW, the goal is to stop the bleeding and get your feet under you.
THEN: GETTING A FUTURE FOCUS Getting through NOW may seem like an eternity because you are working so hard and feeling completely stressed out, but over time, you start to take control of things. As you keep moving through the Baby Steps, you start to relax and are able to breathe again. Finally, you start to get a little wiggle room. If you’ve already been through the NOW, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You might even remember a specific moment when you realized that things were changing. That’s a great place to be because as soon as the pressure eases, you are able to lift your head up a bit. When that happens, you can take your eyes off the NOW and start focusing on the THEN. The THEN stage challenges you to adopt a future focus. By this point, you should be at Baby Step 4, investing 15 percent of your income into retirement, and Baby Step 5, funding your kids’ college accounts. You can even start attacking the mortgage to pay off the house early, which is Baby Step 6. That’s a much different place mentally, spiritually, and emotionally than the NOW, isn’t it? With NOW, you’re just trying to make it through the end of the week, but in THEN, you’re able to look out at the future you’re working so hard to create for your family. Scripture says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs
29:18 kjv). At this stage, you’re getting a vision for where you’re going, which is crucial to your long-term success.
US: CREATING A FAMILY LEGACY While you’re working on NOW and THEN, you often have tunnel vision because you’re so focused on getting your own finances and future under control. But once you start building some wealth, and as you get closer to finally paying off the mortgage, you start to realize that you really are going to retire with dignity. You’re not ready to retire yet, but that tiny dot on the horizon has gotten bigger. It’s coming into focus, and it doesn’t feel like a daydream anymore. This is going to happen, and you’re going to be fine. Just breathe that in for a second. Imagine your family — your kids, your grandkids, and maybe even your future great grandkids — taken care of for generations to come. I call this stage US because it’s not just about you and your spouse anymore. The Bible says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). This isn’t about getting out of a mess; this is about changing your family tree. In the US stage, you’re talking to your kids about money and making sure they have the emotional and spiritual maturity to manage the wealth you might leave them someday. You’re also teaching them to build wealth themselves. And more than anything, you’re making sure they’re not confused about God’s ownership and their role as manager of what He’s provided. If you’re not intentional about growing your kids’ characters and ability to handle money, you can work your whole life to build wealth only to have it end up ruining them. As you work through US, you’re making sure that will never happen.
THEM: LEAVING A LEGACY FOR OTHERS As you get to the end of the legacy journey framework, you know that the bills are paid — that’s NOW. You know that you’re going to be able to retire with dignity and send your kids to college — that’s THEN. You know that you are taking
steps to prepare the next generation to carry your new family legacy forward — that’s US. And then, finally, you see the big picture — the THEM. The THEM stage represents all the needs in your community and around the world, and you begin to see how God can use you to meet some of those needs. Your vision expands and you start to see the world through Christ’s eyes. Suddenly you see wells that need to be drilled in Haiti. You see the HIV prevention efforts in Africa. You see mosquito nets that can be used to prevent malaria. You see the hungry children right down the street. You see the broke, scared single mom at the other end of the pew who can’t pay the light bill this week — and who might need a reliable car too. At this stage, you’re able to open your eyes and see — maybe for the first time — how you can make a difference in the world. God can do amazing things through us in that future. But we have to take it one step at a time, first through NOW, then THEN, then US, and finally to THEM. And that’s where we get to help change the world. That’s a powerful legacy.
/ DAVE RAMSEY — America’s trusted voice on money and business, Dave Ramsey is a personal moneymanagement expert and extremely popular national radio personality. His company, Ramsey Solutions offers a message of hope, through various means, to anyone who wants to better understand the principles of proper money management. Ramsey has authored seven best-selling books. “The Dave Ramsey Show” is heard by more than 13 million listeners each week on more than 600 radio stations and digitally through podcasts, online audio streaming and a 24-hour online streaming video channel.
FEATURE
LESS 26 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
DITCHING DEBT FOR A SIMPLER LIFE BY ROB HORSLEY
B
usyness seems to be about the only constant thing in our lives. We spend a great deal of time and energy keeping ourselves occupied with long work hours in hopes of ‘getting ahead’ in our lives — both professional and personal. We equate idleness with laziness, and value productivity and efficiency above all else. Having more means working more, and anyone with less simply hasn’t earned it. Being busy is just part of being a normal human being. Same goes with debt. Student debt, home debt, credit card debt, and bills on top of bills on top of bills…these are all things that normal people just deal with. “It’s good debt,” we tell ourselves as we struggle to balance a mortgage with car payments, utilities and the cost of raising children. Debt keeps us focused and on task — it’s just something ‘normal people’ deal with. But for others, like filmmaker, author and activist Jared Brock, a ‘normal’ lifestyle of constant busyness and debtchasing stopped being appealing. Jared, along with his wife Michelle, is one of the cofounders of Hope for the Sold, an organization that advocates against the sexual exploitation of women around the world. Together, they have created films such as Red Light Green Light and Over 18, films that explore the legalization of prostitution around the world and the harmful effects of pornography respectively. Jared is also an author of such popular titles as A Year of Living Prayerfully and the 31-day devotional Bearded Gospel Men. But in the last several years, he and Michelle have also adopted a lifestyle of simplicity, choosing to eschew the cultural ideals of owning a big house and multiple cars in favour of a modest dwelling in a co-operative mobile home community. And while certainly not without its challenges, Brock describes his current lifestyle as “pretty luxurious, once you get used to it.” Brock says the genesis for he and his wife Michelle came during a backpacking trip to Lake Nicaragua in Central America during their early 20s. The lake, once considered a “national wonder” according to Brock, was at that time covered with plastic water bottles. Later that same day, the Brocks witnessed a legless teenager using a plastic straw to extract water from a rusty fire hydrant, something Jared describes as a perspective altering experience. “The combination of environmental degradation and human suffering just broke me. I knew I needed to start making practical changes immediately,” he says.
But what does this look like? “Simple living is about creating a margin of time, energy, and money to focus on living out your kingdom calling,” says Brock. “For my wife and I, this means living in a co-op trailer park, not owning cell phones, sharing one used car, not having debt or Netflix, etc.” But while this might seem radical to ‘normal people,’ Brock insists that this re-structured lifestyle has actually been immensely advantageous for the type of life he and his wife Michelle strive to lead. “We have tons of time to work on the projects that we feel God has called us to,” he says. “It's important to remember that the water we flush down the toilet is cleaner than most of the world's drinking sources. We're quantifiably rich. I literally never take things like clean water and fresh socks for granted anymore.” But beyond issues of environmentalism and social justice, Brock says there’s a very clear spiritual component to the idea of simple living, a practice that he says leaves him more open to God’s calling than a lifestyle of busyness and debt-chasing ever could. “My favorite verse is Psalm 90:12: ‘Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’ Literally: Realize that life is short and learn to live well,” he says. “I don't want to miss whatever God wants to do in and through me.”
“SIMPLE LIVING IS ABOUT CREATING A MARGIN OF TIME, ENERGY, AND MONEY TO FOCUS ON LIVING OUT YOUR KINGDOM CALLING”
MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 27
“I also love the old poem by bearded gospel man C. T. Studd,” he adds. “‘Only one life, it soon will pass, only what's done for Christ will last.’” While he doesn’t expect everyone to adopt the idea of simplicity anytime soon, Brock does think that there is an onus on people who consider themselves Christians to, at the very least, think about how they might un-complicate their own lives. “Christians are called to adopt a stewardship mindset, not a consumerist mindset,” he says. “If we spend our time and money the way everyone else does, is Christ really making a difference in our lives? The Great Commission isn't the white picket fence American Dream. We need to be radically different. Our life should naturally make people ask questions.” Brock admits that his way of life is definitely outside the mainstream, and is likely to still be seen as a little ‘on the fringe’ by most people. At the same time, he questions the way of life that many individuals and families currently find themselves in, and challenges people to think about whether or not their currently lifestyle is really working for them. “Most people are living wildly outside their means, drowning in debt, no room for giving or service. It's easy to label minimalists and simple-livers as granola-crunching hippies, or in our case, trailer trash — but is rampant consumerism really the kingdom way?” Brock admits that it hasn’t always been easy to maintain such a different lifestyle, and there are things he sometimes misses about his old life, though he adds that overall the drawbacks haven’t been enough to make him seriously reconsider his way of life. “A few times a year — mostly on the road — we really wish we owned a cell phone. But everything is a cost-benefit analysis. “I’m more concerned about digital addiction than not being able to flag down a tow truck.” Skeptics may point to the fact that Jared and Michelle don’t have any children of their own as a reason for doubting whether or not a life of simplicity is really possible, especially
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for people who already have kids. After all, it’s one thing for one person or even a couple to sell their possessions and move to the forest. When asked how doable a lifestyle of simple living is when kids are involved, Brock admits it might be challenging — but it can still be done. “I have a few friends who seem to be succeeding,” he says. “They live in smaller houses in less-alluring areas, drive older cars or cycle, and limit their outside commitments in order to focus on running churches and ministries or developing communities or kingdom businesses.” He adds that some parents might see a simpler life, particularly one with more financial freedom, as a way of actually enhancing their ability to be parents. “We have a pair of friends who save up their money so they can adopt Ethiopian orphans. They have three so far. Their kids are so cool…certainly more interesting than a massive mortgage payment.” Brock says that for his family, rejecting a ‘normal life’ in favour of a simplified lifestyle was “a no-brainer.” And while some may still find it difficult to sacrifice the cultural pressures to live a lifetime of chasing financial comfort and security, he suggests that there might be a better use of time if people would consider that maybe, just maybe, there’s another way of life that might serve them, and more importantly the Kingdom of God, a little bit better. “Time and wealth are both finite resources. Life is short, bitterly so, and you can waste much of it climbing the corporate ladder or chasing counter-Christ ambitions,” he says. “Alternately, you can ‘sacrifice’ a little bit of comfort and a few possessions and gain a wealth of time and money to re-allocate towards your kingdom calling. “As Jim Elliot said: ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’”
/ ROB HORSLEY is a freelance writer, daytime cable guy, and the former Managing Editor of SEVEN. He lives with his wife and daughter in Saskatoon.
Impact lives with the gospel Join the movement!
gideons.ca/join MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 29
SPORTS SCENE
WE CHOSE LOVE ALL YEAR
TEAM OF MISFITS BECOME CHAMPIONS AND GIVE GOD THE GLORY BY CARTER BROOKS
“He constructed this locker room. He put these great men next to each other — these great fathers, these great husbands, these hard workers.”
T
he 105th Grey Cup will go down in the history books as one of the greatest Canadian Football League championship games ever played. Held at TD Place Stadium at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, this late November 2017 matchup between the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders will unequivocally be remembered for a host of reasons. Canadian country music icon Shania Twain made her return to the Grey Cup (via dogsled) as the half-time entertainment for the first time since 2002, the Argonauts completed a comefrom-behind victory — in which their
30 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
first lead of the game came with 53 seconds left to play, — and most notably, a colossal batch of snow was served up just in time for kick-off, creating extremely jocular football conditions for both players and fans alike. But for Christians taking in the yearly spectacle, the main attraction of Grey Cup 105 undoubtedly came shortly after the final whistle sounded. DeVier Posey — a 27-year-old former National Football League wide receiver — had just played the game of his life for the victor Argos, and was receiving the appropriate accolades associated for such an accomplishment,
when the TSN television crew turned their microphone and lens to the 6-foot-2, 210 pound California native. Even before jubilantly celebrating his capture of the nation’s greatest football trophy with his teammates, Posey took five minutes away from his team and showed the entire stadium and television viewing audience just how deeply rooted he is in his faith. Basing his on-field interview off of the verse, “To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen!” (Galatians 1:5), Posey also managed to provide some other behind-the-scenes insights into the 2017 Grey Cup Champions.
“First off, I want to give glory to God, our Lord and Saviour,” Posey said to TSN’s Matthew Scianitti. “Without Him, nobody would be on this field. He brought these special men together. Every man in this locker room has been through adversity at some point in their lives. (Head Coach) Marc Trestman just got fired (by the Baltimore Raves), all the way down, (Montreal) let Bear Woods and S.J. Green go. We came together and we loved each other; we chose love all year. When we had bad losses, coach Trestman came in and loved on us. He never ripped us. And love prevails. Love always wins.” Loving one’s teammates can be very easy… when things are going well, that is. But as Posey alluded to in his post-game chat, things weren’t always well within the locker room. Some players had been cut, others had been traded, while even highly-touted Head Coach Marc Trestman had recently been fired from his job in NFL. But, it was the perfect mix of talent and leadership that ultimately pushed the underdog Argonauts over the top, knocking off the heavily favoured Stampeders for the league crown. Leading the way was 2017 Grey Cup Most Valuable Player, DeVier Posey. The former Houston Texan, New York Jet and Denver Bronco put together a 7-175-1 statline in the Grey Cup with seven receptions for 175 yards, including a touchdown. And no, it wasn’t just any touchdown, it was a recordsetting, end zone-diving, 100-yard passing play — the longest such play in Canadian Football championship game history. When asked about that play, and his team’s overall effort in the victory, once again, Posey did not hold back. “I just want to give thanks to the Lord, without Him I wouldn't be here,” he admitted. “He constructed this locker room. He put these great men next to each other — these great fathers, these great husbands,
these hard workers. Everybody in our locker room has been through adversity. And we battled. If y'all can't tell by our record, we're fighters; we love each other. And this ain't mine man, I'm doing this for my boys. I love these dudes.” Interestingly, with the spotlight on himself as the Grey Cup MVP, Posey decided to turn the viewing audience’s attention to the rectitude and character of his fellow teammates — an incredibly selfless gesture from the former Ohio State Buckeye. “All I can do from these guys is learn,” the 2012 third round NFL draft pick said. “Most importantly, I can learn how to be a better father and a better husband. Because these guys are better at that than they are players. And I love them for that.” With broad NFL experience, a CFL alltime record, a Grey Cup Championship, and a memorable altruistic post-game speech to his name, DeVier Posey has fully embodied the verse found in Galatians 1:5, “To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen!”
/ CARTER BROOKS is a news writer and sports columnist situated in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On top of reading and writing, coaching hockey is his favourite pastime. Carter can be reached at carterbrooks1994@gmail.com.
MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 31
THE SINGLE LIFE
CAN’T BUY ME LOVE
HOW MUCH OF WHAT WE OWN ATTRACTS ATTENTION TO ITSELF INSTEAD OF GOD?
W
hy did Jesus speak so much about money? Many of the parables deal with money and possessions: like the parable of the lost coin, the parable of buried treasure, and the parable of the precious pearl. About 10 percent of the verses in the Gospels deal with money. One of my favourites is “For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” (Matt 6:21) One of the reasons Jesus spoke about money is because all of us can identify with it. We can identify with the pressure to earn enough to meet our needs, and the many needs of those around us. And Jesus understands this pressure. Singles who don’t have children may not have the same financial pressures as those who are married or those who have children. Yet as singles, Jesus’ teaching on money can cause us to evaluate how we treat what he has given us. So what can we learn about Jesus’ teaching on money?
MONEY HAS THE ABILITY TO PULL US AWAY FROM GOD With money comes the temptation to rely on it as means of feeling selfsufficient. “This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You
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BY PAUL BOGE
fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.’ Luke 12:19-20. Even when money is scarce, the temptation exists in believing that money alone can give life meaning. We can cling to a belief that “If only I had more dough everything would be easier.” But Jesus warns us that “Even in abundance life does not consist of one’s possessions.” (Luke 12:15b) This is also the case with talents. A young employee new on the job is likely to cling to God for wisdom. But as he gains experience, as he gains confidence in his skills to solve problems, the temptation comes to rely on ability instead of God. Suddenly, work is not just something a person does, but it becomes their identity. With money often come possessions. And with possessions comes responsibilities. And responsibilities take time. How much of what we buy interferes with time on our knees? How much of what we own attracts attention to it, instead of pointing us with gratitude to God? The wise follower of Christ keeps their focus on the cross and the resurrection. Not on what is (or is not) in the bank account.
MONEY HAS THE ABILITY TO BE USED TO DO GREAT THINGS God loves a cheerful giver. And when our hearts are in tune with Christ, we
will love to contribute to his Kingdom. This can come by donating time and money to missions causes, or a businessman who creates jobs for people, or someone whose skillsets can be used to better the lives of others. “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42.
MONEY REQUIRES US TO BE DILIGENT MANAGERS OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US Proverbs 16:11 tells us “A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; all the weights of the bag are His concern.” God wants us to be diligent with every penny we earn and every penny we spend. A written monthly budget can help with this. Somebody who had recently lost the love of their life once told me that “if money is not being used to help someone else, then it’s just paper in your hands.” Money can’t buy us love. But it can be used to show love to God and others whom He has put in our lives.
/ PAUL BOGE is the author of The True Story of Human Trafficking in Canada set for release in May, 2018. He’s an engineer who works in project management. He’s single and lives in Winnipeg. paulb@boge-boge.com
OUT OF MY DEPTH
PROOF OF OUR FOLLY
HOW OUR RELATIONSHIP TO MONEY ALWAYS REVEALS OUR CHARACTER BY PHIL WAGLER
C
harles Vance Millar was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, bachelor, student of human nature, and practical joker (a rather lethal cocktail). One of his twisted joys was dropping a dollar bill on the sidewalk and watching people’s reactions at the discovery. He knew something about money and how it tugs at the human heart. Millar’s life, however, is most fascinating because of is his final will; a document that became fodder for gossip, law courts, and the media for years after his death. On October 31, 1926 he died of a heart attack. When his will was opened it continued his test of human nature: would greed win out over principle? He left three equal shares in the Ontario Jockey Club to three men: two of which were moral pillars and vocal opponents of horse-racing and one who was such a shady character he would never have been allowed into the prestigious club. He left the church ministers shares in the Kenilworth Jockey Club, forcing them into a moral dilemma even though it turned out all the agonizing was another cruel joke: the shares were worth a half cent each. He also bequeathed $700,000 worth of shares in the O’Keefe Brewing Company to seven Protestant ministers who were voices of temperance and prohibition. This joke was all the better because O’Keefe was a Catholic-run business and Millar didn’t even own the shares.
To three lawyers who despised each other Millar left equal partnership in his Jamaican vacation home. And, best of all, Millar kick-started what became known as the Great Stork Derby; a contest promising the bulk of his inheritance to the woman who gave birth to the most live children in the decade following his death. Millar didn’t know that within three years of his death the Great Depression would ravage the economy. So, by 1933, with a third of Canadians unemployed and families struggling, the Derby became more than fun and games. In another inevitable revelation of human nature, the will was challenged in court by distant relatives. It withstood those legal challenges while families feverishly waddled toward the prize. By October 31, 1936 — ten years after Millar’s death — four women were tied with nine registered births each. Cha-ching! True to the will, each received $125,000 when the average weekly income was $12.50. And, this made Charles Millar, the childless bachelor, the “father” of 36 children! Now, that’s quite a hoot! But, the true and troubling motivation for Millar’s playful will was revealed in this first line from his last testament: "This Will is necessarily uncommon and capricious because I have no dependents or near relations and no duty rests upon me to leave any property at my death and what I do leave is proof of my folly in gathering and retaining more than I required in my lifetime." Why do we only see this when it’s too late?
The point here is not to guilt you into giving. The point is what money reveals about us and draws out of us. What do dollar signs bring to light about our worship and principles? Jesus clearly indicated that even giving can be done selfishly (Matthew 6:2). The Apostle Paul reminded the Colossian Christians that greed was not just a moral issue, but actually idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Contentment is the greatest gain, he told his protégé (1 Timothy 6:6). Moses wrote that bribery twists us and blinds us (Deuteronomy 16:19). The Word of God wills us toward a deep consideration about the seductive power of money. All this is absolutely relevant close to a century after Charles Millar’s death. Will Canadian Christian fellowships and organizations shrug-off their principles regarding the sanctity of life in order to secure government monies for summer intern grants? Will greed rule our homes even though it is impossible to live blind to the stark injustices of the world? Will the decisions about the mission of our churches be based first on whether or not we can afford it rather than faith-filled obedience to the Great Commission? What do we do when the cashier gives us more change than is right and our daughter is watching? What will we do in the now? And, what will it reveal?
/ PHIL WAGLER lives in Surrey, BC and serves as a mission mobilizer with MB Mission.
MARCH / APRIL 2018 SEVEN 33
POWER PLAY
TOYS / TOOLS / TECHNOLOGY FROM HERE TO THERE AND FUN ALONG THE WAY BY SANDY MCMURRAY
AMBIENT SOUNDS
// asoftmurmur.com
Close your eyes and listen. Imagine a winter night by a crackling fire, or a beautiful spring morning with birds singing, or a gentle rainstorm with distant thunder. Does that sound better than the noise around you right now? A Soft Murmur is a web site for ambient sound, created for times when the natural sounds around you are too loud or distracting. If you're trying to study or concentrate, put on some headphones and try this site. A Soft Murmur is also available as a free app for iOS and Android devices.
FREE PHOTO EDITOR
// pixlr.com Pixlr is a photo editor that works in your web browser. It's simple, powerful, free, and you don't need to install anything. Use Pixlr to edit images from your computer, from Facebook, or from a web address, or start a new project from scratch. Pixlr can handle layers and masks and other features usually found in professional tools like Photoshop. Pixlr is made by 123rf.com, a company that sells stock images, video, and audio clips. It requires Adobe Flash, and displays some ads while you edit, but it's free and easy to use — a great starter tool for anyone who wants to learn digital editing.
34 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2018
FREE LEARNING
// khanacademy.org I know what you're thinking, but no, this has nothing to do with Star Trek. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. They want to provide learners of all ages with unlimited access to free educational content they can master at their own pace. Khan courses are available in multiple languages and cover preschool learning, math, biology, chemistry, physics, economics and finance, history, grammar, and more.
GREETING CARDS
// greetingsisland.com Remember when greeting cards were supposed to go away, replaced by e-greetings? Sure, it's the thought that counts, but sometimes people only appreciate that thought when it comes in a real envelope and costs five bucks. If you have a good printer at home, Greetings Island offers the tools you need to make attractive cards at home. The site has free templates for invitations, greeting cards, and calendars that look as good as the real thing. If nothing else, bookmark this site for the next time you almost forget an important birthday or anniversary.
FREE MUSIC
// archive.org/details/etree // freemusicarchive.org etree.org is a community that preserves and shares live concert recordings in a lossless, downloadable format. The Internet Archive has teamed up with etree.org to preserve and archive as many live concerts as possible for current and future generations to enjoy. You won't find a lot of pop music here. All music in this collection is from trade-friendly artists and is strictly noncommercial, both for access here and for any further distribution. Artists' commercial releases are off-limits.
COUPONS AND DEALS
// app.flipp.com // redflagdeals.com // redflagdeals.com/go/freebies/ Coupons and grocery flyers are so 20th century. Companies would tell you what's on sale this week. Smart savers would compare notes to ensure they got the best deals available. Here in the paperless future (ha!) we have apps and web sites devoted to finding and sharing the best deals. Flipp is an app for iOS and Android that collects local flyers in a searchable format, so you can enter "chicken wings" (for example) and find the best place to buy this week. Red Flag Deals is a site where people share deals they have discovered, as well as codes and secret discounts at popular stores. Free ways to save money? Sign me up.
DISPOSABLE EMAIL
// 10minutemail.com Who needs a disposable email address? Maybe you want to sign up for a site that requires an email address just to register. And maybe you don't want to give up your real e-mail address and end up on a bunch of spam lists. 10 Minute Email provides a handy, free solution. Visit the site, click the link, and boom - you have an email address that expires after 10 minutes. Any messages sent to that address show up automatically on the web page. You can read them, click on links, and even reply to them. Before you know it, the address is gone.
IF THIS THEN THAT
// ifttt.com IFTTT (rhymes with "gift") is a free service that connects digital devices and services, using IF-THEN login, to automate useful actions. For example, if you add a contact to your phone, IFTTT can copy that contact to another address book automatically. If you "like" a music video on YouTube, IFTTT can add the song to a playlist on Spotify. If the weather forecast calls for snow, IFTTT can send you a text. If this, then that! Every service on IFTTT has a page where you can learn more about them, and see the simple "recipes" that others are already made. IFTTT is available for both iOS and Android devices.
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HOOPLA
// hoopladigital.com Did you know you can go to the library without leaving home? Hoopla hooks you up with digital books, movies, music, comics, and TV shows. All you need is your library card. Once you set up your account you have access to everything your library makes available. You can stream audio and video content over the internet to your computer or device, or download to enjoy later. There's no cost and no late fees — titles are returned automatically and removed from your device at the end of the lending period.
FREE AUDIOBOOKS
// librivox.org
Librivox is like Project Gutenberg for audiobooks. Most of the books in their collection are in the public domain. The books are read by volunteers, so the quality varies, but there are some gems here worth checking out, including classic novels.
FREE BOOKS
// gutenberg.org Project Gutenberg was founded in 1971 to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books. The project tries to make these as free as possible, in long-lasting, open formats that can be used on almost any computer. Thousands of titles are available. The releases are available in plain text but, wherever possible, other formats are included, such as HTML, PDF, and EPUB. If you have a smart phone, tablet, or an e-reader device (like a Kindle or Kobo) you can download free books or read them online.
/ SANDY MCMURRAY writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca.
NEXT ISSUE
FATHERHOOD Being a dad is an incredible calling, one that comes with its own unique challenges and triumphs. This issue we ask the question, what does it mean to be a father in today’s ever-changing world?
Why do we do it?
Because others can’t or won’t. Because liking something on Facebook just won’t get it done. Because we’re serious about fulfilling the Great Commission.
Fill a jerrycan today. Help change a life tomorrow.
We do it BECAUSE WE CAN.
A fun way for you and your family, class, or small group to help keep MAF planes flying.
Learn more about Mission Aviation Fellowship and our vision of seeing isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in Christ’s name.
Order your MAF jerrycan collection box online at mafc.org/fuelforlife or call us toll-free: 1.877.351.9344.
ONLINE:
PHONE:
MAIL:
www.mafc.org
1.877.351.9344
264 Woodlawn Rd. W., Guelph, ON N1H 1B6
All of life is ministry “I think every believer is called to be in fulltime ministry whatever their life situation.” Caleb Courtney [MTS] is a husband, father of four, high school teacher, worship leader and just completed the Master of Theological Studies program. He knew he could only afford a one-year leave to complete his masters, so he began planning a few years ago. Caleb has seen God open every door along the way. A percentage of Caleb’s salary was saved to fund a leave from his teaching job, and he received scholarships and awards. He also took advantage of flexible course modes such as online, evening and one-week intensives. This made it possible for him to still put his family time first. Caleb is now returning to work and plans to take on more of a teaching role at his church. “People have this idea of full-time ministry as being full-time in a church,” he says. “I think every believer is called to be in fulltime ministry whatever their life situation.”
Tyndale offers flexible full-time and part-time study options to meet your needs. Learn more. Visit Tyndale.ca or call 1.877.TYNDALE.
