Open any news app, turn on the television, or scroll through social media, and you'll quickly encounter another reason to worry about money.

In the last issue of Living Real, I shared a shift in my thinking about financial peace. I used to view financial peace as an accumulation of wealth. But with each financial goal reached, I set another and another. As I found myself treating the accumulation of money as the source of my peace and not God, my mindset changed.

For most of my adult life, I believed financial peace would come when I finally accumulated “enough.”

As a Christian, I’ve often wrestled with the tension between pursuing both God and financial stability. On one hand, I want to trust God completely and focus on my spiritual growth. However, I also know I need money to provide for my family, give generously, and live responsibly.

In 1995, I ventured into the Financial Services industry. I thought it would help us solve the all too common problem of stretching paychecks to cover household expenses. Amidst this struggle, I discovered a deeper issue. I had allowed financial responsibilities and the pursuit of financial success to often overshadow life's true purpose. In my pursuit of wealth, I had inadvertently sidelined my faith, relegating Christ to a secondary role.