My Continuing Journey to Financial Freedom in Christ Jesus …
I was born and raised in a religious and charitable family and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Personal Lord and Saviour when I was in second year college.
Although we were religious and not lazy, my parents were always in debt. Just like my parents and many Filipinos, I believed that money was the root of all evil. I would always associate wealth with greed. So, I avoided it at all cost!
I never saved nor invested because I believed that doing so was a reflection of lack of faith. It was only at age 30+ when I started to hear about biblical financial stewardship from our pastors. Since my “toxic faith”, as successful Filipino Christian entrepreneur Bo Sanchez would call it, was deeply rooted it took me awhile to start understanding biblical financial stewardship.
Over the past many years, after many misfortunes in my extended family (i.e., expensive hospitalizations and medical expenses) and bad financial choices (i.e., failed businesses of family members), I came to realize I was already financially bankrupt.
At first I could not believe and accept what was happening. Whereas before I was the one generously giving to my family, supporting pastor friends, and lending to friends without interest, am now the one heavily in debt.
But eventually I accepted my condition and became thankful it happened to me at age 40+ and not at age 60+ when it would be harder for me to start anew. (I saw my old aunts, former school teachers, suffering poverty in retirement and I didn’t want that to happen to me.)
So, two years ago I left my job as a government employee and engaged in a business of my own.
During these past two years, I felt almost alone in my entrepreneur’s journey. Except for a few, I never received enthusiastic support from my mostly employee friends and relatives. (I learned later that employees and entrepreneurs have totally different mindsets when it comes to wealth and wealth creation.)
But during those lonely moments, God would always direct me to Deut 8 (Do Not Forget the Lord) particularly Deut 8:17-19 which says “17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.”
God assured me that He will bless me in His perfect time but He wanted to prepare my heart first for the coming blessings because for Him my soul is more important than all material wealth. During those many months of being alone in my entrepreneur’s journey, I was alone with God.
I also enjoyed reading Deut 28:1-14 (Blessings for Obedience) but once I reach the second half of the chapter I would stop reading because it is a long enumeration of Curses for Disobedience (Deut 28:15-68). I realized later that it was my rebellious human nature resisting the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I realized that God cannot truly bless us if we obey Him only 99.99%. He demands total obedience.
It was only when I completely surrendered to His will that I started to see God’s plan for my life and business more clearly.
As I daily encounter challenges in life and business, am encouraged by St Paul in Phil 3:12-14 which says “12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
As I continue in this journey, I’ve committed to God to share to others what He has been teaching me so that they too will enjoy the financial freedom which Jesus Christ promises to those who believe.
To God be the glory!
I was born and raised in a religious and charitable family and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Personal Lord and Saviour when I was in second year college.
Although we were religious and not lazy, my parents were always in debt. Just like my parents and many Filipinos, I believed that money was the root of all evil. I would always associate wealth with greed. So, I avoided it at all cost!
I never saved nor invested because I believed that doing so was a reflection of lack of faith. It was only at age 30+ when I started to hear about biblical financial stewardship from our pastors. Since my “toxic faith”, as successful Filipino Christian entrepreneur Bo Sanchez would call it, was deeply rooted it took me awhile to start understanding biblical financial stewardship.
Over the past many years, after many misfortunes in my extended family (i.e., expensive hospitalizations and medical expenses) and bad financial choices (i.e., failed businesses of family members), I came to realize I was already financially bankrupt.
At first I could not believe and accept what was happening. Whereas before I was the one generously giving to my family, supporting pastor friends, and lending to friends without interest, am now the one heavily in debt.
But eventually I accepted my condition and became thankful it happened to me at age 40+ and not at age 60+ when it would be harder for me to start anew. (I saw my old aunts, former school teachers, suffering poverty in retirement and I didn’t want that to happen to me.)
So, two years ago I left my job as a government employee and engaged in a business of my own.
During these past two years, I felt almost alone in my entrepreneur’s journey. Except for a few, I never received enthusiastic support from my mostly employee friends and relatives. (I learned later that employees and entrepreneurs have totally different mindsets when it comes to wealth and wealth creation.)
But during those lonely moments, God would always direct me to Deut 8 (Do Not Forget the Lord) particularly Deut 8:17-19 which says “17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.”
God assured me that He will bless me in His perfect time but He wanted to prepare my heart first for the coming blessings because for Him my soul is more important than all material wealth. During those many months of being alone in my entrepreneur’s journey, I was alone with God.
I also enjoyed reading Deut 28:1-14 (Blessings for Obedience) but once I reach the second half of the chapter I would stop reading because it is a long enumeration of Curses for Disobedience (Deut 28:15-68). I realized later that it was my rebellious human nature resisting the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I realized that God cannot truly bless us if we obey Him only 99.99%. He demands total obedience.
It was only when I completely surrendered to His will that I started to see God’s plan for my life and business more clearly.
As I daily encounter challenges in life and business, am encouraged by St Paul in Phil 3:12-14 which says “12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
As I continue in this journey, I’ve committed to God to share to others what He has been teaching me so that they too will enjoy the financial freedom which Jesus Christ promises to those who believe.
To God be the glory!
