The late , great Christian entrepreneur Jim Rohn tells the story of an early encounter with his mentor in life , a gentleman named Earl Shoaff . According to Mr . Rohn , he sat down to breakfast early one morning with Mr . Shoaff to talk about where Mr . Rohn was in life and what he wanted for his future . The conversation went something like this :
Mr . Shoaff : Jim , let me see your list of goals . Let ’ s go over them and talk about them . Maybe that ’ s the best way I can help you right now .
Mr . Rohn : I don ’ t have a list .
Mr . Shoaff : Well , is it out in the car or at home somewhere ?
Mr . Rohn : No , sir , I don ’ t have a list anywhere .
Mr . Shoaff : Well , young man , that ’ s where we better start . If you don ’ t have a list of your goals , I can guess your bank account within a few hundred dollars . ( And then he did , which got Mr . Rohn ’ s attention .)
Mr . Rohn : You mean , if I had a list of goals , that would change my bank balance ?
Mr . Shoaff : Drastically .
Goal setting is powerful . In fact , it ’ s essential to living life with intentional direction rather than being carried along by the current of your weeks , months , and years . Without goals , we all drift . We become concerned with whatever is in front of us that seems urgent at the moment , to the exclusion of the things that may ultimately be the most important . This applies to your money as much as it does to anything else .
When you think about your financial future , you probably experience one of two emotions : fear or excitement . Some level of fear grips most people . Does it have its claws in you ? A lack of planning is the main thing that fuels the fear . When you don ’ t have a plan in place for your future , you end up afraid of what the future might hold , whether you will have enough , whether you are able to be and do the things you want to be and do .
A clear plan is the best antidote to your fear . In your quest to get out of debt and take hold of the Generosity Secret by becoming an obedient giver , you ’ ll need to set up a specific plan for telling your money where to go . As the old adage says , if you don ’ t tell your money where to go , you ’ ll wind up wondering where it went .
The principle we are about to present summarizes much of what the Bible teaches about financial freedom . If you follow the plan inherent in this principle , it will set you up not only for immediate financial health but also for lasting wealth . It pushes you to get your priorities right and allocate your money in a wise , God-honoring way . This principle alone , if taken seriously , will revolutionize your financial world . Are you ready ?
• The first 10 percent of your income goes back to God as a tithe .
• The second 10 percent of your income goes to debt or savings .
• The third 10 percent of your income goes to savings or investments .
Let ’ s break it down :
The first 10 percent goes back to God as a tithe . Opening your hand from around your finances
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