Episode 776 Invest in Yourself - Interview with Marcus Hall Part 1
[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: [00:00:00] Thanks for joining us on episode 776 of the inspired stewardship podcast.
[00:00:07] Marcus Hall: [00:00:07] I'm Marcus hall, author of spiritual wealth, a 40 day journey to developing stewardship mindset. I challenge you to invest in yourself and invest in others. Develop your influence and impact the world by using your time, your talent and your treasures to live out your calling.
[00:00:23] Having the ability to steward your resources is key. And one way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this, the inspired stewardship podcast with my friend Scott Mader
[00:00:39] but we can get that 10 years left Don and four instead of 10 and it doesn't hurt everything else you're doing. Hey, we're on board. But you've got to be purposeful and you have to be committed to that plan to do that. And I don't think a lot of people realize a lot of the principles we're talking about are biblical principles.
[00:00:59] Every one of [00:01:00] these about saving, about providing for your family, about planning for the future. All these things are biblical that we're talking about.
[00:01:06] Scott Maderer: [00:01:06] Welcome and thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcasts. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent and your treasures for your true calling and the inspired stewardship podcast.
[00:01:23] We'll learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence so that you can impact
[00:01:31] the world.
[00:01:35] And today's interview with Marcus hall. I asked Marcus to share the key concepts from his 40 day devotional on stewardship, spiritual wealth. I also asked Marcus to walk us through the key sections of the book that help us live the standards God has for us. When we're dealing with our resources. One reason I like to bring you great interviews.
[00:01:57] Like the one you're going to hear today is because [00:02:00] of the power in learning from others. Another great way to learn from others is through reading books. But if you're like most people today, you find it hard to find the time to sit down and read. And that's why today's podcast is brought to you by audible.
[00:02:16] Go to inspired stewardship.com/audible to sign up and you can get a 30 day free trial. There's over 180,000 titles to choose from. And instead of reading, you can listen your way to learn from some of the greatest minds out there. That's inspired stewardship.com/audible to get your free trial and listen to great books the same way you're listening to this podcast.
[00:02:43] Marcus hall is an Arthur and Christian financial advisor, helping families create and develop values-based planning, investment and giving strategies. His goal is to help people understand the biblical principles of stewardship, how to apply them to real life. And fulfill [00:03:00] God's purpose for their existence.
[00:03:02] He's gained valuable knowledge on the subject by obtaining the certified kingdom advisor designation and he desires to help people integrate their Christian values into their financial decision-making. Marcus spent the early part of his career as a broadcast journalist and was awarded multiple Alabama associated press awards for his anchoring.
[00:03:21] Reporting and videography of local high school and college sports events. His passion was finding that something special about local athletes, both kids and adults and sharing their stories with his audience. He now uses those same skills honed in the broadcast industry to teach others on the subjects of stewardship.
[00:03:39] Marcus is married to Christy and has three wonderful daughters. Welcome to the show, Marcus
[00:03:47] man. It is great to be here. Thanks so much for having me, Scott.
[00:03:53] I was really excited to get your book and take a look at it. You know, this, this idea of spiritual wealth [00:04:00] is one that really resonates with me and my audience. And I was excited to get you on and have a chance to talk to you about it. So you've, you've written the spiritual wealth kind of done it as a devotional.
[00:04:12]Which I always tell people my podcast, I designed it to be almost as a devotional, a daily devotional. So I love that. So let's start there. How do you define stewardship and why do you think it's an important idea?
[00:04:27] Marcus Hall: [00:04:27] I'll tell you I've really crafted and I'll be honest. I do I've done a lot of Ron blue and his material over the past few, couple of years.
[00:04:36] And I've really just kind of ripped off his definition because I think it's the best one that I've read. And, and he says it's the use of God-given resources or the accomplishment of God-given goals and purposes. And we think about what a steward is. And it's just basically, listen, if you are an employee of any business owner, you are a steward of that owner's business and that they are hiring you to come on [00:05:00] board and they are telling you what they do.
[00:05:02] And they're giving you parameters as to how they want you to fulfill that job. And then it's up to you to do what they have asked you to do, because if you don't and steer from that, You may not be a steward of their business anymore. They will replace you with somebody else who will. And so you look at that from a Christian standpoint, is that what this book is all about and money gets the most talk and gets the most play.
[00:05:23] When we talk about stewardship and you know that, but I really wanted to focus on of course the money part, but every gift, every resources, our network, our knowledge, our experiences, all those things are gifts that God has given to us. That he has lent to us that, that we borrow for the time being and that he expects to see us do something back for his kingdom out of that.
[00:05:47] And I think this I mean, you know, it because you're doing the podcast and we're so involved in stewardship and talking about why that's so important is because we have to, if we're going to find our purpose in God, We have [00:06:00] to be able to be a good steward of his gifts and his resources that he's given to us because he's the one that, that owns it.
[00:06:09] He's the one that's given it. And he's the one that has the instructions of how they all work together. And I love thinking about the fact of just him having the entire puzzle that he's working with with my gifts, your gifts, somebody else's gifts coming together in ways that we could never see. Because we have no idea.
[00:06:25] All we know is is what he's trying to tell us through conversation with him through time alone with him who silent time with him and through people around us who were able to talk on his behalf and let us know what it is that God wants us to do with those gifts.
[00:06:39] Scott Maderer: [00:06:39] You know, one of the things first off, I love that you point out it's not just money.
[00:06:43]You know, my joking answer to people when they talk to me about stewardship is stewardship is not code for grab your wallet. We're starting a building campaign.
[00:06:51] Marcus Hall: [00:06:51] Yes.
[00:06:51]
[00:06:51] Despite the fact that one of my examples out of the book, as a matter of fact,
[00:06:55] Scott Maderer: [00:06:55] well, it's, it's what everybody says. You know, when you hear the [00:07:00] word is usually.
[00:07:01] When we're about to do a capital campaign of some sort in nonprofits and churches, especially that's what you'll hear that word, but, so what I loved what you said back in the beginning, and I want to call that back out. It's, you know, use of God-given resources. And I think everyone says that with stewardship, but the fact that, that Ron and that you've borrowed that definition of for God given goals, I think that's probably more key than the first half.
[00:07:27]Really, and truly
[00:07:28] Marcus Hall: [00:07:28] he has given us these resources and he's given us our money and he's given us everything that he's given us so that we can then turn that back around to do something good for the kingdom. And I love thinking about when this finally hit me in the last couple of years, God doesn't need me for anything that he needs to do.
[00:07:44] If he needs to fund a building campaign, he will make the money happen. He doesn't need Mark. And my part D to have a say in that, but the fact that he allows us. That he allows us to be a part of his kingdom work to basically say, I want you to experience [00:08:00] what I get to experience with the joy of bringing folks in and allowing them to, to, to teach them where they can learn more about what, what, what scripture says so that they can live more of a good steward life as well.
[00:08:11] That's an amazing thing that the God of creation has said, you know, Scott, Mar, I want you guys involved with me. I don't need you, but I want you guys involved with me so that you can have, you can taste a little bit of heaven. While you're alive in here on earth.
[00:08:23] Scott Maderer: [00:08:23] You can experience the kingdom too. Yes. So in the, in the book, you, you start with it, this week, we're going to talk about self focused investing in yourself and, and you start with two concepts.
[00:08:35] That, to me, resonate with that self development, self investment idea. One is understanding God's standards and the other was adapting your mind, adapting my mind to God's standards. Can you. Talk a little bit about how this kind of understanding of God's standards. How does that play out in a real world situation for a family when they're making decisions about, you know, [00:09:00] budgeting about their time, about these sorts of resources?
[00:09:03] Marcus Hall: [00:09:03] Well, and I think it's important to kind of go back as to why our range, the book this way in the first place. And it's because if, if, if, if you don't know that much about this topic, or if you believe a certain way, Then what God's word says, and he's just telling you that this is kind of, the problem we've run into in churches sometimes is we're just telling you how to act and what to do.
[00:09:22] Now. It's time for the stewardship campaign. It's time for the capital campaign, whatever we just need you to give. Now we live out weekly that are pretty important part in that as to why is it important that I'm involved in this? Why am I thinking or not thinking the way that God would want me to think about a situation?
[00:09:39] And so before I get into application of God's standards, we have to understand what they are. And, and, and the way that I'm living or the things that I believe that may have been ways that I fought for years and years and years, but are they biblical? Are they really what God wants me to do? You got to, it's a heart issue and you got to figure out, [00:10:00] listen are the ways that I'm thinking the things that I'm accepting in this world and in the way that I'm living is that in tune with what the Bible says.
[00:10:06] And if it's not, we've got to make that change first or else what he wants us to do makes no sense. There's a reason you can't be mad at an unbeliever acting like an unbeliever. They don't know any better, but as a Christian, we should be studied and we should be understanding God's word more to where we're aligning our thoughts with his.
[00:10:24] And so it's not about what we want. And. Scott. I would probably say this a few times while I'm talking to you, my flesh is strong and my flesh understands what it wants and what it desires. And that's not ever in tune quite honestly, with what God wants me to live. And so I have to spend time with him to understand what his thoughts are and what he wants me to to think and to live by so that I can change my mindset and I can change my world view and that.
[00:10:49] It can, it can align with his and what he wants now, in answer to your question, as far as, how does that apply? Well, honestly, until you [00:11:00] understand those things, you can't put anything that God says about finances into play. And God says a lot about daily finances and we miss that a lot in the Bible.
[00:11:09] And you know this because you talk about this all the time. I know. But there are so many verses that deal with, and so many situations in the Bible that deal with debt that deal with what should your lifestyle be? Now? There is no verse. You, you can look up, there's no chapter verse that will, that will tell you.
[00:11:25] All right, Scott, you are to spend X amount of dollars each month on your family's lifestyle. There's nowhere to find that. And the thing that I
[00:11:33] Scott Maderer: [00:11:33] play does not say that you should budget for cable TV in the Bible. There you go. There you go. Pass it. Yep.
[00:11:38] Marcus Hall: [00:11:38] No, without a doubt, but what it does by having a relationship with him, you can understand it.
[00:11:42] I tell folks, I can't give you the answer to that question. When they asked me what should I be spending? I don't know. What is God telling you about that? You got to figure that out with him and let him lead you through that. And that will help you then if your heart is aligning with his, a lot of times, listen, there are situations that [00:12:00] debt can be caused by unforeseen circumstances.
[00:12:02] There is no doubt, but I think a, a majority of the time it is not a spending issue. It's a heart issue. And that the things that should be important in our lives aren't necessarily the things that it's, it's not aligned perfectly in what we spend our money and our time on, and that needs to change and adapt to his word.
[00:12:22] Scott Maderer: [00:12:22] Well, and that's the, the, you know, again, getting back to you can tell me all day long what you value, but if you really want me to believe it, show me your checkbook and show me your calendar. Let me set it up to show up, you know, because if they don't and, and, and again, what's important to you, you say God's important to you.
[00:12:40] How often does God show up in your checkbook? And, and I'm not just talking here about giving
[00:12:45] Marcus Hall: [00:12:45] how much time, how much time are you spending with him? And that, that is something that is so easy. To lose track of Oh yeah. It takes, listen. I, I lead a men's class at my church here in town and I will tell them, [00:13:00] I understand what it, what it's like to be in that one-on-one connection with God.
[00:13:05] And you know what it's like as a Christian, but you, you were just cooking, man. You were right there with him. You're getting what he's laying down. You're living like you need to be living, you know what that feels like you, you know, that, that spiritual high, what that feels like, why in the world do I allow my flesh to then take back over?
[00:13:20] And get off track and lay the Bible down for a day or two, which easily turns into seven or 10, which easily turns into there's now, you know dust on it within a few weeks. And that it's so easy. And that's why I think this is such a, such a important topic to look at because it's daily living, it's daily commitment to, to be living the way that he wants us to well,
[00:13:44] Scott Maderer: [00:13:44] and that, you know, that daily commitment, that idea of.
[00:13:50] You know, you talked about a heart issue and the other word you used is alignment. You know, I think as Christians, a lot [00:14:00] of times, it's easy to think about being aligned to God on Sunday morning. It's really hard to remember that on Thursday afternoon, you know, if you aren't deliberate and intentional about how you set up your life to do that
[00:14:14] Marcus Hall: [00:14:14] are our best selves on Sunday mornings.
[00:14:16] Whether you, depending on when you go to the morning or the, or the lighter service you're in perfect alignment for those few hours. And that's, I talk to my guys all the time about listen, when we're going through old Testament scripture, when we're going through different stories that are really hard to understand sometimes.
[00:14:30] What in the world is, is, is God trying to tell us through this scripture? That once we get outside of these four walls here at the church, and we're given all of our perfect Sunday school answers right now, it makes a difference on Monday morning, if we're involved, if we're committed, because it is not a one and done situation, right.
[00:14:45] I guarantee. And you know, if you are not. In his word and talking with him and praying on a daily basis, you are going to lose track very quickly, and you're going to become misaligned very quickly because now your desire [00:15:00] and your heart is going to take back over. And, and God told us when we when we were led by our heart to, he told us that it's not a good thing.
[00:15:06] That is not a good thing to be led by, by my flesh and my heart and my desires. They should be aligned with his.
[00:15:12] Scott Maderer: [00:15:12] So. Yeah, let's again, let's kind of dive in and get a little, a little nitty gritty or practical. You mentioned you can't tell somebody, Hey, you know, you should spend $600 and no more on XYZ. You know, again kind of reminds me of the old joke of how much car is too much car to own any car.
[00:15:30] That's about $3,000 more than the car I own, you know, that's now no longer a biblical. And we kind of do that. We compare to other people.
[00:15:38] Marcus Hall: [00:15:38] W how,
[00:15:39] Scott Maderer: [00:15:39] how do you actually. You know, know what God is speaking into your life when it comes to your, your time and your money and these resources, you know, how do you listen to that?
[00:15:50]And begin understanding and adapting your mind to those standards.
[00:15:54] Marcus Hall: [00:15:54] We've talked about being in alignment and talked about different things. And one thing I haven't mentioned yet is the Holy spirit. And that's what [00:16:00] this is all about is that we confuse it so often with just our conscious or just different things.
[00:16:06] You know, our inside telling us, you know, something. I think a lot of times for Christians, we mistake what that really is. That's the Holy spirit telling us what is right. And what is wrong. And I'll tell you right now, again, it's not a, a bolder plate answer in that. You know, Scott, the Holy spirit is going to tell you to do this.
[00:16:24] Well, we may be in the same situation, but he's in the hell of me to do something differently. And, but that's hard for us to that. That's hard for us to understand unless we're, one-on-one in connection with the spirit. And I think in, in living out. The principles that God wants us to these things that he talks about when it comes to money.
[00:16:43] It doesn't matter if you are poor or rich, which by the way, if you're listening to this. That means you either have a computer or a cell phone or something electronic to me meet just listened to this podcast. Let me tell you, I don't know what you feel like you're actually in the top 10% worldwide of rich of being rich and, [00:17:00] and, and, and, and having money.
[00:17:01] So no matter what you think they're black or white men or woman married or not married, what I love about the things we're talking about here is that these principles are transcendent principles. These principles were right a thousand years ago. These principles are right now and they will be right until Jesus comes back one day.
[00:17:19] And I love that we are able to look at things like when it comes to debt, the Bible, doesn't say that debt is a sin, but let me tell you that it, that it gives us all kinds of examples of why we need to be out of debt. As well, there are lots of reasons why we do have that. I understand that, but there's also like I do with my clients is making sure that we have a plan.
[00:17:41] How do we effectively get out of this over time as well? And what are our priorities as far as doing that? Because what you're doing is. Only by getting rid of of, of debt by getting rid of some of these other spending problems that we have and things that we shouldn't be desiring that we're we mix up kind of the top path of [00:18:00] when we get our money, when our income comes in and hits the bank account, what are the first things we're doing with that money for most people?
[00:18:07] And the ones that were probably in trouble from a spending perspective is probably that lifestyle is number one. And we're spending on everything that we want to spend on first. It's the car, it's the bigger house. It's whatever it is, are all the little things that just add up, you know, the cups of coffee.
[00:18:21] We always use the Starbucks coffee as, as, as, you know, $4 a day, whatever it is we want to eat, just having to go out to eat without a doubt, and that all, we spend all that money first. And then we look at, okay, I know, Hey, we got to pay my taxes and I got to pay all of, all the bills or the loans, whatever, or they throw me in jail for payments.
[00:18:41] So we do that a credit card type to do that. And then you get there to the month and you've not given anything, you haven't saved anything. There's no way to create margin that way. And what the Bible is trying to tell us and what God is trying to tell us is let's invert those habits. And up top, [00:19:00] let's have a plan up to up top to say, how do I give, how do I save?
[00:19:06] How do I pay off debt? And then out of what's left. I live my lifestyle out of that. If we simply inverted that comb that pyramid, however you look at it. If we simply inverted that so many of our spending problems would go away almost instantly. Well,
[00:19:23] Scott Maderer: [00:19:23] and, and, you know, full disclosure, those of you that if you ever work with me as a coach, the budget form, I'm going to send you the top two lines are about giving and the next three lines
[00:19:33] Marcus Hall: [00:19:33] are about savings.
[00:19:34] I've never seen your budget for them. So there you go.
[00:19:37] Scott Maderer: [00:19:37] I've never shared it with you. It's same alignment because, because you're right. It's usually the problem is I can't afford to give means your budget's upside down.
[00:19:46] Marcus Hall: [00:19:46] And what happens is if we spend all that and then you get to the bottom and then. Not only have you not saved or given or anything like that, but you're probably from a margin perspective, you're probably in a worse situation than you were in the first place at the start of the month.
[00:19:58] Right. And the [00:20:00] only way to create a positive future for yourself financially. Is to continue creating margin along the way. And I love that with my clients. And it seems like even, even recently, there's been an even bigger rash of my folks who were, who were telling me we want to pay off the house, help us come up with the right plan to pay off the house.
[00:20:20] And it doesn't mean you take everything you have in cash and throw it at it immediately. That may not be the most effective way to do it. But I think it's a very effective way to say, all right. What if we can get that 10 years left done in four instead of 10 and it doesn't hurt everything else you're doing, Hey, we're on board, but you've got to be purposeful and you have to be committed to that plan to do that.
[00:20:42] And I don't think a lot of people realize a lot of the principles we're talking about. Are biblical principles there in the Bible, every one of these about saving, about providing for your family, about planning for the future. All these things are biblical that we're talking about.
[00:20:55] Scott Maderer: [00:20:55] Right. You know, the you know, you said it doesn't say debt as a sin and [00:21:00] you're right.
[00:21:00] It doesn't use that language. It does describe debt as bad. It describes it as stupid. It describes it
[00:21:06] Marcus Hall: [00:21:06] as slave to the lender.
[00:21:08] Scott Maderer: [00:21:08] You are a slave you. Yeah. No, that was those
[00:21:12] Marcus Hall: [00:21:12] words that here's, this is, and I will, I will tell you it. And seeing people that I work with closely being able to go through that experience of saying, I want to change this, or I just want to purposefully get rid of this.
[00:21:26] And they don't even understand until I think it's gone sometimes how big of a burden it really was. And I just, I just had a couple that I work with went to the first year of financial planning with them. And who just told me as we were kind of having the catch-up conversation, kind of getting ready for the next round of reviews, things like that, that they told me they could physically see and feel the difference.
[00:21:50] The husband wasn't as concerned and worried about the future, because we had put some things on paper and started a plan and got some things done the first year. And we're working on some other things, but that it had affected their [00:22:00] marriage in such a good way. When you talk about applying these principles and why you want to do this.
[00:22:05] It can make not only your own life better, but it can make your marriage and your family life better because you're alleviating pressures that don't have to be there, you know, as well as I do. What are the top couple of things that cause breakups and relationships. Yeah.
[00:22:19] Scott Maderer: [00:22:19] Monies and money and in-laws
[00:22:23] Marcus Hall: [00:22:23] and cheating. Infidelity. Yes. But money is right there. You're talking fidelity and he's right there at the top with it. If you can alleviate that stress. What can that do to just be able to say at the end of the month, listen, we've got money left over the weeks to pay on credit cards or on bills, roam loans, right?
[00:22:40] How can we give, or how can we save? And now you've got options. It's so much better. It is so much better to have options than to be forced into being a slave to that loan that that money has to go there or they're coming back and they're taking that car away or they're taking that house away.
[00:22:57] Scott Maderer: [00:22:57] Well, the money comes in, all the money goes out.
[00:22:58] Only the names are changed in
[00:23:00] [00:22:59] Marcus Hall: [00:22:59] between. So,
[00:23:00]Scott Maderer: [00:23:00] The you know, the, the other, and again, we've already said it, but I want to call it out again, if you've gotten into debt because of things that have happened to you, and that can happen, you know, you're without insurance for a while, you have a medical situation
[00:23:15] Marcus Hall: [00:23:15] and you're not
[00:23:16] Scott Maderer: [00:23:16] hiring 50,000 pounds, nobody's blaming
[00:23:19] Marcus Hall: [00:23:19] because even there, it's not a blood.
[00:23:21] Scott Maderer: [00:23:21] But that still doesn't mean you want to stay there. You know, there still may be ways to change that situation. You can still take action against it. You know, it's not a blame thing.
[00:23:31] Marcus Hall: [00:23:31] Well, and, and, and I, I tell folks, I tell folks something, every time we sit down, because it's amazing with what we do, I am not.
[00:23:39] I am not any more intelligent than anybody else, but I do have training on the financial side, but I work with very intelligent people who do very creative and do very, very hard and difficult things to me. And I'll tell them, listen to some of them. If I go to work with them tomorrow, either by eight 30, I've either got somebody very confused.
[00:23:57] I'm not a hurt myself. I might have killed somebody in some of these jobs that they have. [00:24:00] I just don't have the training they have. And I've said, listen, there should be a high school, senior class or a freshmen college class. That is dictated that we have to take that has something to do with what is a checkbook?
[00:24:10] What is a credit card? What is a credit score? Just some, if you want to prepare folks for adulthood, what are, w w what are these taxes? What are, what are these things and what does it mean? But I will have people sit down and start apologizing to me that they don't understand things better, or their investments, whatever.
[00:24:24] And I go, Hey, listen. What it doesn't matter, any decision you've ever made before. Here's where we are now. Right now, what we need to do is whatever situation we're in, for whatever reason we got here, whether it was your fault, or it just happened that there was no, no one to blame for that, except for situation that occurred.
[00:24:41] Now, we need to understand what our options are. We need to understand where we need to go, how we need to get there. And then we need to say, listen, Let's make a plan, let's set some goals and let's start attacking those things along the way, and then celebrating when we hit something. And then, and then, and then creating some new ones and then making things better and [00:25:00] better, but you can not undo anything that's ever been done.
[00:25:02] You can only make great decisions going forward. And so I just want folks to realize, listen, you may be in a situation you don't want to be in and you're ready for a change. It takes a mindset. That's again, going back to the original, it goes back to the mindset and what's been important to you over time.
[00:25:16] Is, is this now important to you to get these things straight? Because until you decide to, it's not just going to happen. And when you do make that decision, for instance, if you do have a large debt, that that is just, you didn't get there overnight. And so you're not going to come out of it next week either, right.
[00:25:32] But that's the importance of setting the goal, whether it takes six months. Two years or 10 years, but to have something to mind, because until then, you're, it's just a dream. It's just a pipe dream until you have a written financial plan and you have, you have those goals written down and they're measurable and they are attainable and you're willing to do it.
[00:25:50] And you're able to do it. And there's a way to finish it off right there. Not a goal until that point.
[00:25:56] Scott Maderer: [00:25:56] And then you actually have to put it into and work and do it.
[00:26:00] [00:26:00] Marcus Hall: [00:26:00] Yes, I continue. And you may have to revise along the way because other things happen, but you continue on and revise that and keep going.
[00:26:07] Scott Maderer: [00:26:07] So, and I think that kind of moves us into the next section of the book.
[00:26:11] You talk about planning by God's standards as well. So how does the Bible help us focus on planning and preparing and laying the foundation and doing those things we were just talking about and yet. Kind of help us not worry about it. It helps us keep contentment and yet also drive forward. You know, that that's, it seems like a paradox.
[00:26:36] Marcus Hall: [00:26:36] No, it really is because you are trying to deal with the unknown. I don't know anything that's going to happen past this second that we're talking right now. So I can make all the plans in the world. But if something happens that I'm not foreseeing or that I can't. I can't see any of it. Things are going to change, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't make some plans and set some goals down the road.
[00:26:55] And I, I go back to a couple of verses and in first Timothy five eight Jesus [00:27:00] tells us basically what, in those verses in that we need to plan for our relatives and for our household. And I think a lot of the focus there is on widows. At that point, but I, I really had to talk to my pastor about that, about how that really applies to we're responsible for our families.
[00:27:14] And we're responsible for our households. Again, when we talk about stewardship, my God has stewarded me with a, an awesome wife and three beautiful girls that I am responsible for. Not just financially. But physically, emotionally, it is my responsibility to take as good of care of them as I possibly can.
[00:27:32] And I can't do that without him being involved because it's his plan. It's what he wants me to do. And so he's telling us we need to be planning. For those things. But he also says, when you look at Matthew, he, he, he talks about the birds of the field and then the birds of the air look at what I do for them.
[00:27:50] They're not even I'm created in God's image. We are created in God's image. Look at what I do for these animals that have nothing to do with me that are not created the way that you're created, look at how I take [00:28:00] care of them and how they don't worry about what happens today or tomorrow or beyond you shouldn't either.
[00:28:05] And so there is that fine line between how do I plan without worry? And again, that goes back to my time with him. And I am guilty sometimes. And this is the, you know, w w you're looking at the start of the year right now. And so we've just gone through looking at what are my goals going to be for the year.
[00:28:22] If you own a business, you probably looked at the business goals. And for the last few years I've been in business goals, personal goals, even how many books I want to read things I want to accomplish during the year, everything is on there. Listen, daddy daughter time is on there because if it doesn't go in the calendar, it doesn't get done.
[00:28:37] And the last year of COVID and things like that, I've kind of missed some of those things up, but if it's not on the calendar, it doesn't get done. And so I plan for these things intentionally these things that are important to me, that I value that I want to take care of. And so as I go through those.
[00:28:53] It's important that I don't just re up the list every year and say, well, Hey, let's just [00:29:00] grow the business 10% or 15% again this year. And I'm thinking about that totally wrong. If I'm just filling in the blank for each year, when what I should be doing is saying God, last year we grew by this amount.
[00:29:10] What is it that I need to be doing? Why is that? I need to be growing and really talking to him about those goals, because if I'm allowing him to lead me down that path, then I'm not going to have to worry about things because the Holy Spirit's going to lead me in the right direction. The Holy Spirit's not going to lead me in the wrong direction.
[00:29:26] Now that doesn't mean that it's going to be an easy life. It doesn't mean it's going to be an easy year. As a matter of fact, it means the exact opposite. And you know, that being a Bible reader, we are guaranteed as Christians to leave to live pretty. Hard lives and difficult lives. If we're trying to live the way that he wants.
[00:29:40] Scott Maderer: [00:29:40] Yeah. I've always joked that Christians need better marketing because
[00:29:43] Marcus Hall: [00:29:43] if you really read it, what we're promised, it's not a great marketing plan without a doubt, without a doubt. But I think you have to talk to the one who designed you. Talk to the one who designed the plan, be in constant contact with him to let him lead you to understand what do my goals need to be and how do I need to be living?
[00:30:00] [00:30:00] Because he's going to tell me something different from you, because I struggle with things differently than you and I have different situations than you as well. Right?
[00:30:06] Scott Maderer: [00:30:06] Well, and that's, you know, and again, getting back to it, we're not promised easy. What we are promised is it's worth it.
[00:30:13] Marcus Hall: [00:30:13] You know,
[00:30:13] Scott Maderer: [00:30:13] and, and, you know, there will be pay offs along the way.
[00:30:17]We won't see them necessarily until after they show up,
[00:30:21] Marcus Hall: [00:30:21] you know? Well, my pastor shared something a few weeks ago that has really stuck with me and that if, if we are trying to guide ourselves again, we don't know what the future holds. We come to a fork in the road and we don't know which way to go.
[00:30:37] Sometimes God has never come to a fork in the road. Hmm. God has never come to a fork in the road where he had to decide which way is best. He designed it. He knows which way is best bottle and I'll let him guide me the way that I need to go. If we're doing that, if we're planning by those standards, then there's no need to worry because our creator who loves us, he wants the best for us is [00:31:00] looking out for us and sending us along the right path.
[00:31:02] Scott Maderer: [00:31:02] Right. And so at the end of the day, it may not be again, it's not going to be easy. But there's a reason behind it. There's a why behind
[00:31:11] Marcus Hall: [00:31:11] it, there's find it. And what I've learned it is most of the times where it wasn't easy, or most of the times that I have felt in my life it's to teach me a lesson again, when we talk about stewardship it's experiences and that you come back to listen to things I've gone through, I'm able to share with other people who are going through similar things.
[00:31:30] For those of you listening today, I don't care what you're going through. You're not the first person to experience it. It feels like it. We think it, we allow ourselves to tell ourselves that so that we will not follow his path for us and do what the spirit wants us to do and to feel very bad about ourselves or whatever.
[00:31:45] But I'm telling you what you're going through is you're not the only person to go through that. Now you may not know someone else who's been through it, but you're not the only one. I want you to know that, and God knows how to handle that. And I think that's why he allows us so often to go through either sinful [00:32:00] times in life or hard times or difficult times in life, because I'm able to come back now.
[00:32:03] And when I take somebody to the side and say, listen, buddy, I understand what you're going through because I've been there. That's a whole different connection now, and you are stewarding your experiences and what you've been through now, God is using that through you for a God-given purpose of talking and being there for somebody else to bring them closer to him.
[00:32:24] Right?
[00:32:25] Scott Maderer: [00:32:25] Well, and again, even, you know, the, the. You. And I both have the beauty of sitting down with people and talking to them about their money. And one of the things I tell my clients is, remember when you're looking at your budget, you're looking at a budget. I'm not. I'm looking at hundreds and hundreds of budgets, because I've got a bigger set of experience that doesn't make me smarter than you.
[00:32:53] That doesn't make me right. And you wrong. It just means I have a different context. And so use that, you know, let me [00:33:00] talk into it so I can look at something and go that they're going, Oh, this is unreasonable. And I'm like, actually, no, that's
[00:33:06] Marcus Hall: [00:33:06] very reasonable for a situation you're in,
[00:33:09] Scott Maderer: [00:33:09] because I've seen a lot of situations, you know, Or vice versa.
[00:33:12] They can say that's very reasonable and I can go, eh, maybe not. You know, you might want to think about that again.
[00:33:18]
[00:33:18] But it it's, they don't have the context, so it's not, it's not it's not anything that right or wrong. And the same thing happens to us. I think in our life experiences is, you know, we, we have the chance to walk through things so that sometimes we have that one chance to speak to someone else and go.
[00:33:34] Been there done that, you know,
[00:33:36] Marcus Hall: [00:33:36] let, let me hold her now. Hold different connection at that point. Yes. Yeah.
[00:33:44] Scott Maderer: [00:33:44] You can follow Marcus on Facebook and Instagram as at stewardship Arthur, or find him on his website@stewardshipmindset.com. He's also over on LinkedIn as Marcus hall, all of course have links to all of these in the show notes as well. [00:34:00] Marcus, is there anything else you'd
[00:34:01] Marcus Hall: [00:34:01] like to share with the listener?
[00:34:03] I hope that what you take from the conversations we're having. And if you're listening to Scott's podcast and stewardship must be an important topic in your life I just want you to be able to know, Hey, this is an important thing that we need to look at daily in our lives to make sure that we are aligning ourselves with the mind of Christ, that we are living the life that he wants us to live, and that we are growing one step closer to him each and every day.
[00:34:32] Scott Maderer: [00:34:32] thanks so much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast as a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen,
[00:34:42] Marcus Hall: [00:34:42] but act on what you've heard
[00:34:45] Scott Maderer: [00:34:45] and find a way to live
[00:34:47] Marcus Hall: [00:34:47] your calling.
[00:34:48] Scott Maderer: [00:34:48] If you enjoy this episode. Please, please do us a favor. Go over to inspired stewardship.com/itunes
[00:34:59] Marcus Hall: [00:34:59] rate.
[00:35:00] [00:34:59] All one word iTunes rate. It'll take you through how to leave a rating and review
[00:35:07] Scott Maderer: [00:35:07] and how to make sure you're subscribed to the podcast so that you can get every episode as it comes out in your feed until next time, invest your time. Your talent and your treasures develop your influence and impact the world. .