How Can I Turn My Paycheck Into Purpose?

Hey there. Are you struggling to find meaning in your 9 to 5 grind? Do you feel like your paycheck is just a means to an end but void of any deeper purpose? Well, today on the Ask Graph show, we're diving into how you can transform your paycheck into a powerful tool for purpose. So stick around and discover how aligning your work and your finances with your faith can bring you the peace and fulfillment that you've been longing for. It's going to be a great show today.

In a world where crushing debt keeps you trapped, where living paycheck to paycheck has become your new normal, and where the dream of retirement seems impossibly out of reach, there's hope. Join financial evangelist Ralph Estepp Jr. A man who's walked through the fire of financial failure and emerged stronger on the other side. Welcome to Ask Ralph, the show where real world experience meets biblical truth.

To break the bondage of financial despair, get ready to take control of your money, break free from the financial stress, and align your resources with God's purpose for your life. This is Ask Ralph with Ralph Estepp Jr. Thanks for joining me on the Ask Ralph Show. I'm Ralph, your financial evangelist, and today we're going to explore how to turn your paycheck into into purpose. I'm here to help you escape that cycle of financial shame, and I'm here to help you do it with confidence.

And I promise you this, today's show is going to have a real impact on your life. Now, you might be asking, why should you listen to today's show? Because here's the truth. We're going to tackle that feeling that your work is just a grind. It's just a means to an end. We're going to discuss how to find deeper meaning in not only your profession and your finances,

but then how to align them with your Christian values. And here's my I promise by the end of this episode, you're going to have concrete steps to turn your paycheck

into a powerful tool for God's purposes, bringing you closer to financial freedom and to spiritual fulfillment. Now, yesterday we talked about a tough topic, and that's who pays the bills when those grown kids won't fly the coop? Man. We had a active and interesting discussion. We discussed strategies to handle financial responsibilities within the family. And most importantly, and this was the key to the whole thing, was how to navigate those tricky conversations.

So if you missed it, be sure to check it out on our website. That's@askral.com that's where you'll find all of our episodes. Well, let's get to today's listener question. And today's question comes from Courtney. And Courtney writes this. And, Courtney, thank you so much for this. She said, Ralph, I feel like I'm just going through the motions at work. I'm earning a good salary, but it feels empty.

I wake up every day feeling like I'm just working to pay the bills, and there's no deeper meaning to what I do. I've always wanted my work to reflect my faith and make a difference, but I don't know where to start. I'm tired of feeling like I'm a cog in a machine. How can I turn my paycheck into purpose and find the fulfillment that I'm yearning for? Well, Courtney, thank you so much for your question, because, listen, I know exactly how you feel.

And I bet there are other people listening right now that are saying the same thing. They feel like. Like it's just a grind. They feel like they're getting that paycheck. But what is the purpose? And see, it's so easy to get caught up in that daily grind. It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. And many of us have felt that our jobs are. Are just a means to an end, a way to put money in the bank, a way to pay the bills. But then, deep down, we. We yearn for something more meaningful.

We yearn for something that aligns with our core values and our faith. And listen, I've been there myself, and I've worked with many people who felt the same way. But, Courtney, here's the good news, and this is great news. There is a way to transform your paycheck into purpose, and I'm going to help you do just that today. Remember, you can submit your questions just like Courtney did by going to justaskralph.com because here's the truth.

I love answering your questions, and that's the central part of the show. It's my goal to provide you with the answers you need. Well, let's start with a Bible verse that speaks to this very topic. Courtney, I found this in the book of Colossians,

chapter 3, verses 23 and 24. And it says this. And I think this is almost an anthem for our work. It says, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not human masters, since you know that you'll receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward, it is the Lord Christ you are serving. And think about how humbling that is. It's so easy to get caught up in that. That daily grind. You're like, well, I'm working for my boss. I'm working for my manager.

I'm working for whoever that is. But when you change your perspective, when you change the dynamic and you start to realize that it is the Lord Christ you are serving, man, it just changes everything. And, see, this verse reminds us that our work is not just about earning that paycheck. It's not about getting that money in your bank account through direct deposits. It's about serving God. It's about finding purpose. And most importantly.

And this is, Courtney, this is exactly what you're asking me. It's finding purpose and meaning in what we do. And listen, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to discuss this topic with you today, Courtney, because the Lord has given me experience. He's given. Given me understanding. I've been helping people overcome their financial challenges from a place of faith. So today, it's just another privilege to share this knowledge and to help you find deeper meaning in your work and finances.

Because the truth of the matter is, your questions really fuel my soul. So, Courtney, your question about finding purpose in your paycheck really resonated with me. It really. It touched me in a way that I haven't been touched in a while. And I said, you know what? I can. I know what Courtney's going through. And reminds me of a woman I worked with a few years back, and her name was Anna.

Now, Anna, I don't know what you do for a living, Courtney, but Anna was a talented graphic designer, and she was running her own small business. And when you looked at it from the outside, hey, things look pretty good. She had a steady stream of clients, a nice portfolio, and she had what seemed, from the outside, a seemingly comfortable lifestyle. But that didn't tell the whole story. See, beneath the surface, Anna was drowning in financial shame. She became a client of mine.

We started working together, and one day she said. But her voice was trembling. She said, ralph, I'm deeply in debt because I made some unwise decisions early on in my business. I overspent on equipment. I hadn't been tracking my expenses diligently, and, man, I ran up these credit cards to cover the gaps in my income as I was starting a business, and now I've got this mountain of debt. And she said to me, she says, ralph, I feel trapped. I'm constantly worried about making ends meet.

And that shame that Anna was feeling, that kept her from seeking help. Because just like you, Courtney, maybe she felt like a Failure, especially when she looked at her Christian faith. She said to me, she says, ralph, I feel like I should be handling my finances better. She felt that her faith should have guided her to make wiser choices. And, and that shame she was feeling, and I felt this too, that shame she was feeling was paralyzing.

And it wasn't just impacting her finances, it was impacting her relationships and her overall well being, because this is what this tends to do. And she found herself withdrawing from friends. She was feeling unworthy and she was feeling embarrassed. So as I often talk about on this show, I took off my accountant and tax hat and I put on my counseling hat and we started to work together.

And the first thing we did, that first step, was acknowledging that shame that she was feeling and starting to break that silence. And it was liberating for her. I remember just admitting her struggles out loud was a huge hurdle. She had never shared that with anybody. She said, you know, from the outside, Ralph, I've always done the right thing. People look at me and they see success. But when she was finally able to admit those struggles out loud, it was incredibly liberating.

And then we started to work on the financial side. This is what I do best. We created a budget. Yes, Ralph talks about budgets, but we created a realistic one. We created a budget that would address her immediate needs and also focus on chipping away at that debt she had built. And see, it wasn't about drastic changes overnight. You're not going to get that if you, that you're going to make drastic changes overnight besides hitting a lottery. Guess what?

You're going to take time, it's going to take effort. But here's my promise. And just like I did with Anna, but small, consistent steps moving forward, started to work at it. And we, we talked about ways to increase her income. We talked about leveraging her design skills to offer new services and try to attract higher paying clients. And then she shared something with me.

She said, ralph, one of the most powerful moments, she said, I go to a small church group and she was having their, their Sunday morning meeting and, and she says, ralph, just all of a sudden I felt like I needed to share this. And she shared her struggles with the group and she talked about her journey towards financial health. And all of a sudden she noticed other people had experienced the same thing. She wasn't alone in this.

And that outpouring of support she received was absolutely overwhelming. See, she didn't just find emotional support and encouragement, but other members of her group offered practical help. They connected her with new clients and shared their own financial wisdom. See, many of them had been through the same things, and. And they felt that embarrassment. They felt that shame. They felt like there was nobody to turn to. But now all of a sudden, they saw Anna and they put their arms around her.

And then the next time I saw Anna, let me just tell you, that transformation was remarkable, because as she gained control of her finances, that shame began to dissipate, and it was replaced by a true sense of empowerment. It was replaced with a sense of hope. And the big aha moment is when she realized that her worth wasn't tied to her financial situation, was so much bigger than that.

And I was so happy to see that she finally realized that her worth was not tied to that financial situation, but tied to her identity as a child of God. And that's what we all need to do. And Anna started using her financial journey to encourage others. She became a mentor. She shared her story, and she offered support for those struggling with these very same challenges. And she discovered her purpose was not just in her design work. That was. That was great.

But the creativity she brought to that, she also used it to help others find financial peace and find financial freedom. And, Courtney, let me just tell you this. Just like Anna did. You can overcome financial shame. And if you're listening to this right now, hear me on this. You can overcome financial shame. I'm going to talk to you about in a few ways in just a few minutes how you can do that. But here's. Let me tell you this. It's going to take courage. It's going to take courage.

You're going to have to have that courageous first step to step out and do it. It's going to take honesty. You're going to have to be honest. You're going to have to have that a moment when you say, yes, I have failed at this. She's not shame in admitting that you failed. The shame is if you don't do anything about it. Which leads me to the last piece of this. You've got to have a willingness to take action. You got to start by acknowledging your struggles just like Anna did. Admit them.

She admitted them to me. And then getting that support, she got support from me. She got support from her small group at church. And then you got to put those things into action, create that budget, explore ways to increase your income. And most importantly, and hear me on this, this is why I do this show. Remember that God's love and grace are always available to you, regardless of your financial situation. God is not going to judge you. He wants you to get past where you are.

He just wants you to acknowledge it to him and ask him for his help. And let me share something very personal with you. Courtney, There was a time in my life when I felt completely empty, just to be very candid with you. Despite having a successful career, I was making good money. But

there were times when I felt like I. There was just no purpose behind me. I was just doing that daily grind. I was just going through the motions. And there were dark times that left me feeling completely unfulfilled and disconnected from what truly mattered. And I was in a dark place. But it was when I finally started aligning my work with my faith that everything changed. And, Courtney, I found a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment. And one of the key aspects of finding purpose is.

Is honestly, it's stewarding your finances with a higher purpose. And that's what this, today's show, is all about. Because here's the truth. God has trusted you with financial resources. He's given them to you. They're not yours. I've said this many times on your show. He's entrusted you with them, and it's your responsibility to use them wisely. And I think that's what you're feeling.

Courtney, you're saying, I feel like I'm just going through the motions because ask yourself this difficult question. Are you using them wisely? You know, are you making conscious spending decisions? And this isn't. Listen, I'm talking to myself right now. Ask yourself, are you making conscious spending decisions? Are you prioritizing needs over wants? Are you avoiding those indulgences and that pursuit of a lavish lifestyle? Hey, the world is lying to you.

You constantly are going to be pursuing and pursuing and pursuing, but at some point, you're going to realize that pursuit is going to leave you empty. And the other side of this is, are you practicing generous giving? Are you being gracious in your giving? You know, tithing is a foundational principle of giving. That's part of it. And I talk about that on the show all the time. You might be saying, wait a minute, Rob, you're telling me to find purpose, and now you're going to giving.

And I'm not asking you to give to me. I'm asking you to give to charitable organizations. And a lot of people will do that one time. But see, charitable giving extends beyond this initial commitment. It's bigger than that. Look at Proverbs 19:17. It tells us this. When I've read this again in the Bible. As I was preparing for the show today, it really made me think. It says this, it says, whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and he will reward them for what they have done.

See, whoever is kind to the poor, think about that. You're kind to the poor, you're lending directly to the Lord. I think about that verse. It says, whatever you did for the least of mine, you did it for me. And when you give generously, you're not just helping others. Yeah, that's, that's part of it. You are helping others. Put bigger than that, the big purpose of that, you're serving God and you're storing up treasures in heaven.

And finally, and I'm going to get to some concrete things you can do in just a moment. Integrate purpose into your financial planning. What is the purpose of why you're saving? What is the purpose of your retirement? I'm going to talk about all these things in a minute. Set those God honoring goals because these goals should focus on making a positive impact and bringing glory to God, not glory to you.

One of the best ways to do that is to follow biblical principles for managing your finances responsibly. Consider faith based investment strategies that align with your values. And remember this. And this is tough, you might not want to hear this, but those financial decisions you make today, they have eternal significance. And so we have to really put that into context of what we're trying to accomplish today. So let me now move on to some examples of God honoring financial goals.

These are things that can help you get past that feeling that you're just on that treadmill. Here's, you're just moving forward, but with no purpose. One of the big things I'm going to encourage you to do is look at debt freedom. See, here's, here's my goal for you. Pay off all your consumer debt within the next three years. Just set a goal. In the next three years, I'm going to pay off all my consumer debt. And you might be saying, ralph, what's the purpose of that?

Well, I'm going to be very candid with you. The purpose of that is to free yourself from the burden of debt. And that is going to allow you to give more generously and live with greater financial peace if you don't have that debt over your heads. Listen, this has affected me. It's affected many people. I've worked with that constant feeling of that debt over your head, that shame of that debt. Hey, that's what Anna was feeling.

She finally confided to me she said, rob, I have a successful business, but, man, I owe everybody. I've got this credit card and that credit card. And what is that doing? It's robbing your peace and it's robbing your ability to be more generous. Just look at the book of Proverbs, chapter 22:7. It says this. The rich rule over the poor. I use this all the time on the show. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. See that? That debt.

And I'm not saying that there's all. Debt is bad. Listen, if you listen to the show, you know, I don't say that. But debt will weigh you down. The Bible says you become a slave to that. So that's the first thing I'm going to encourage you to do, is get out of debt. The second thing, which goes right along with that, is generous giving. Here's my goal for you. Increase your charitable giving by 10% each year. Wait, wait a minute. 10%? I give 1% now. Great. Then do 1.10% the next year.

The purpose of that is to support ministries, support charities, and support causes that align with your values. You know, a friend of mine once said, put your money where your mouth is, put your money where your heart is and make a positive impact in the world that will make you feel like you're breaking free and you're finding that freedom. And it's not about that grind. You're working hard because you're using that money to support charities.

You're using that money to support ministries, and you're using that money to align with your values that are making a positive impact in the world. Amen to that. Because look what the Bible says in Proverbs 19:17. It says, Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and he will reward them for what they have done. I've said that a couple times in the show today. Make that positive impact on the world, and you will break that feeling that what you're doing is just a daily grind.

Because, yes, that part of it might be the daily grind, but, man, you are working for the Lord because you're doing something with that. You're getting rid of debt, you're supporting ministries, you're supporting charities. There's power in that. Another thing I'm going to encourage you to do, and you might feel like I'm a broken record, but build that emergency fund. Have a goal set, say, set to save three to six months worth of living expenses and emergency fund. And everybody listen.

I get mail I get emails from people that say, ralph, you're crazy. You say to me, I'm going to save three to six months. I can't even pay my bills now. And I'll respond to those messages and I'll say, okay, I hear you and I feel and I'll pray for you. But here's the truth. You can start doing something, you can save a dollar a day, you can save $5 a week, you can save $10 every two weeks, whatever that looks like. But make your work have purpose.

By looking to build that emergency fund, you might be saying, okay, great, what's the purpose of that, Ralph? Well, the purpose of an emergency fund is to be prepared for unexpected financial challenges. Because, look, if you're like everybody else in the world, you are going to have unexpected financial challenges. It's part of life. But think about the peace and the reduced stress and dependence on debt and others that you will have when you have that emergency fund. Hear me on this.

This is something that you can use to find purpose in your work. And again, this is biblical from Proverbs 21:20. And again, I use this on the show all the time because it keys into what we're talking about. It says the why store up choice food and olive oil? But fools gump theirs down looking? Don't be a fool. Store it up. Build that emergency fund. I'm not calling you a fool, but think about what the Bible is saying there. Why?

Because it recognizes that you will have more financial peace, you will have more value in what you're doing if you have a goal of building that emergency fund. So that. And listen, here's a beautiful thing about this. I've talked about this on this show before. Maybe that emergency fund doesn't even get by you, get used by you. Maybe somebody at church, maybe somebody that's a missionary, maybe somebody in a charity you're involved with all of a sudden has a need.

Maybe someone's house burnt down. Maybe their house was in a disaster or they've had a medical issue. See, God might have you building that emergency fund not for your emergency, but for somebody else. And think about how wonderful it will be when you get that phone call or you're in that small group and somebody's need is brought to light. And you can think, you know what?

I've built this emergency fund, and the whole time I was doing it, I thought God was on me to do it for me, but it wasn't about me. And then think about what you're doing. You're helping the least of these. Now, another concrete thing you can do is start thinking about retirement planning. The goal here is to contribute consistently to a retirement account and aim to replace at least 80% of your pre retirement income. You say, Whoa, 80%?

Yeah. Here's a truth, Bob. When I work with tax clients and accounting clients, here's. Here's a very simple truth. You are going to need money to live on. You might be saying, Ralph, that sounds like it's sort of counterintuitive to what you're talking about, but it's not. Because here's the purpose. You got to ensure financial stability in your later years.

And you might be saying, okay, Ralph, you got me so far, but explain that to me because that stability is going to allow you to continue to serve God and others without that financial worry. You don't know how many people I work with on a daily basis who have built that retirement fund, who have put aside that money for retirement. And guess what they can do now? They can sow that in other ministries. I got many people that I know that are doing mission trips. Why?

Because they plan for retirement. They put that money aside. And again, maybe it wasn't about them at the time, maybe it felt like it was at the time, but it wasn't the end. Look at Proverbs 6, 6, 8. It says, Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provision in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

See, if you want to make purpose with your work, then build that retirement set aside for the future so that you can then share those resources with others. Another thing I'm going to encourage you to do, and I can't stress this enough, whether you're a parent or a grandparent, is save for your

children's education or maybe for your own continual education. I have many clients and friends who have decided to go back to school and to refine their skills. And the purpose here is pretty clear, is to invest in knowledge and skills, because why not? So you can make more money? Yeah, you probably will be able to, but maybe you'll learn a skill where you can serve others. I talked about this on the show the other day. One of my clients actually went back. It was a life goal to learn Spanish.

And now what she's doing, she's doing missionary work in countries that don't speak English. And she knows Spanish enough that she can help. So save for that education, whether it be your children or your grandchildren. You know, I've got a lot of clients that are helping out their grandchildren with getting an education that's broken free of this terrible public school system we have. And don't even let me get started on that teaching all kinds of nonsense.

But these grandparents are able to step up and help the parents pay for that, that private education where they're getting a Christian faith based education. And this comes right from the book of Proverbs, chapter 9, verse 9. It says, instruct the wise and they will be wiser still. Teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. So invest in that education for others and for yourself.

Now, if you happen to be self employed, another reason for that daily grinder or working hard is a goal to grow your business, to create jobs and support your community. You know, the purpose of this is to use your business as a platform to bless others and spread God's love. You might say, ralph, that's great. I'm going to get real profitable for myself. But how does that help others? Well, think about it for a second.

Maybe you can employ somebody else, you can lift up somebody else with the hard work that you're putting into your business. So use that business as a platform to bless others, invest in your business, grow your business. Because you're going to be able to use that business to spread God love. And here's the biblical principle, here comes right from Proverbs 27:17. It says, as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Another thing you can do with your money is to support missions.

If you're looking to find purpose in what you're doing, save and give specifically to support missionaries or mission projects. Listen, my church here in Middletown, Middletown Baptist Church, we support a ton of missionaries. And when I first started going to church, I didn't really understand it. It didn't make any sense to me. It's like, well, why are we giving to these missionaries? Why don't we use that money here in our church?

And a wise person said to me, he says, ralph, the purpose of this is to help spread the gospel and support those who are called to serve in the mission field. That resonated with me. It made sense to me. So maybe you take that money that you're earning with a daily grind and you see that into the mission fields because there are people out there on the front end doing this missionary work in places that you don't even want to think about going to.

And they're sharing that message of hope, they're sharing that message of Christ with people who may not have Ever gotten it? And see, this comes from the, from the Bible as well. It says, how then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching it to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

It is from my favorite book of the Bible, the book of Romans, chapter 10, verses 14 and 15. You know, how can they believe if they haven't heard it? And then how can they hear without somebody preaching to them? And that is. I'm going to encourage you today. If you're not supporting missionaries, if your church isn't supporting missionaries, do that, Support missionaries. Maybe find one. Understand where they're working. There are a ton of people, my aunt and uncle were missionaries way back.

They are impacting people. Another thing you can do is look at community investment. Here's the goal. Invest in local community projects or initiatives that align with your values. So with that money that you're earning with that, with that, what feels like a grind, the purpose can be to improve the lives of those around you and create a positive impact in your community. And look at the book of Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 24. It says this.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. See, that's one of the benefits of using that money. If you're working for the Lord and you're being blessed in that, use that money to improve the lives of those around you, create that positive impact in your community. Here's another thing you can consider, and that's what I'll call family legacy. The goal here is to establish a family legacy fund to pass on financial blessings to future generations.

That's what I'm talking about when I talk about building that retirement, building that emergency fund with the purpose of ensuring that your family's financial resources are used to continue God's work and bless others. I've talked about this on this show. Many of my clients who have inherited money, they've, they've taken that money and they've done things with it to continue to, to bless God's work.

I know I have clients that have set up scholarship funds, they set up Bible studies in somebody's name. Look what the book of Proverbs 13:22 says. It says a good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children. But a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous. And I don't Want to forget to mention church support? Hey, the goal could be to increase your tithe. I talked about that a couple times. And increase that offering to your local church by a certain percentage each year.

Maybe you say, look, I'm going to work that extra hour. I'm going to work this extra five hours this week. It's not about the grind. It's because I'm going to be able to increase what I'm giving to my church with the purpose of supporting the ministry and their outreach efforts of your local church. It doesn't have to be those who are spreading the gospel all over the world. It can be those who are spreading the gospel in your town, in your community, in your state, in your county, whatever.

Doesn't matter to me. Helping spread the gospel and serve the community. This is right from the Bible as well. It says in the book of Malachi, chapter 3, verse 10, it says, Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in this house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and I love this part of it. And think about how strong this is and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

And see, that's the key. Now, you might be at this point, you're saying, ralph, I hear what you're saying. I appreciate all you're saying. But, man, I'm had a hard time getting past this. And see, Courtney, one of the biggest obstacles to finding purpose in your paycheck are these limiting beliefs about money. So many people I've worked with. And Courtney, when I read your message, this is exactly what you're facing, those limiting beliefs about money.

And see, these beliefs can hold you back from achieving financial freedom and fulfillment. And I just want to talk about a few of those and how to overcome them. There's a belief that money is the root of all evil. I've hear this so many times. I hear it all the time. And if you listen to my show, you know, I go against this. And the truth is this, money itself is not evil. It's just not. It's the love of money that can lead to trouble.

But see, money is a tool and it can be used for good or evil. We talked about several things today that you can use your money to do good, but yes, it can be evil. It just depends on how you handle it. So reframe your perspective on money. See it as a resources that God has entrusted to you to do good and bring him glory. That's the things I talked about. That's that increasing your community, giving given to missionaries. Do good with that tool. That is money.

Here's another belief that, man, I just want to shatter today. I hear this constantly and it drives me crazy when people say this. It says I'm not good with money. Yeah, you might not be good, but here's the truth, Bob. Financial management is a learned skill. It's something you can learn and see with the right education and practice. And hear me on this, anyone can become proficient in handling money. So commit to learning about financial management.

Read books, attend workshops, listen to this podcast, listen to other podcasts, and seek guidance from financial advisors because you can overcome this limiting belief. There's another one, and I try to break this down on the show all the time and it says this. I can't afford to give. And

man, let me just tell you, giving is not just about the amount. It's. It's so much bigger than that. It's about your heart. It's what's in your heart. See, because God doesn't look at the amount you're not going to out give God. See, God looks at the intention behind your giving, not the size of the gift. He could care less how big that present is. It's the intention behind it. So maybe you don't have the financial resource. I've talked about this on the show many times.

Start with small acts of generosity, because here is the truth. Even a little thing can make a huge difference and it will help you develop that habit of giving. And see, once you start. I remember as a kid I thought Christmas was great, not about the gifts. And I was kind of a weird guy, I guess. But for me, Christmas is all about what I was giving. Because I like to see the look on people's faces. I. I like to see the enjoyment, I guess many times.

Some of the stuff my sister bought my mom, she kind of took, what in the world was that? But my heart was in the right place. Here's another limiting belief, and I hear this one all the time. I'll never be able to save enough. The truth is this. Saving small, consistent amounts add up over time. Like I said, it can be a dollar a day, it can be $5 a week. So even if it seems like you can't save much, every little bit helps. It helps you build that emergency fund.

And here's my action plan for that. Create a savings plan and stick to it. Even like I said, if it's a dollar a day, avoid that coffee on the way to work or make a decision to not eat out one day a week or whatever that looks like for you, but create that savings plan and stick to it. Build that momentum and build that habit. One of the great ways to do that is automate your savings to make it easier to stay consistent. And Courtney, overcome these limiting beliefs is essential.

You got to get past these to transforming your paycheck into purpose. Remember this. As I've said a couple times now, your worth is not defined by your financial situation, but by your identity as a child of God. Trust in his provision and take action to align your finances with your faith. Now, if you found value in today's show, I encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter. You can do that by going to askralphpodcast.com newsletter because our newsletter is packed with practical tips.

It's packed with inspiring stories and exclusive content. You're not going to get on the show that will help you on your journey to financial freedom and spiritual growth. So don't miss out on this opportunity to stay connected and informed. Go to Ask Ralph podcast.com Newsletter well, now let's get to our reflection questions because we covered a lot today.

But this was such a vital topic to talk about because this email, this letter that I got from Courtney, man it it hit with me and I said there are so many people that are feeling the same way, Courtney. So I'm going to encourage you right now. If you haven't shared the show, share the show with somebody else. But let's get to our reflection questions and here's the first one. What are your unique skills and talents? See?

Start there and how can you make to use them to make a positive impact and serve others? Second one in what specific ways can you align your current work with your deeply held faith and values? That's what we talked about. How can you practice generous giving and make a more significant impact on the lives of others? And finally, study those limiting beliefs. What limiting beliefs about money do you hold and how can you begin to overcome them?

So let's talk about our key takeaways before we close out in prayer today. Here's my key takeaways. Identify your unique skills and talents and use them to serve others. Align your work with your Christian values striving for excellence and integrity. As we talked about, Steward your finances with purpose by making conscious spending decisions and practice generous giving. Set those God honoring financial goals and follow biblical principles for managing your finances responsibly.

And last but not least, focus on overcoming those limiting beliefs about money by reframing your perspective and taking action. Let's close with a prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the goodness and grace in our lives. Thank you for providing us with resources that we need to live abundant lives and make a difference in the world. Lord, we ask for your wisdom and guidance as we navigate our financial journeys.

Help us to overcome any shame or limiting beliefs we have about money and give us the courage to take action and align our finances with your will. Help us to be good stewards of the resources you've entrusted to us. Guide us as we set God honoring financial goals and make conscious spending decisions. Lord, we ask that you bless our efforts to find purpose in our paychecks. Help us to use our unique skills and talents to serve others and bring glory to your name.

In Jesus name, we pray this Amen. Now, tomorrow we're discussing a sensitive topic and this one is going to be a rough one. And this is this Somebody asked me this question, how do I save my mom from my dad's $200,000 IRS nightmare and should I even try? Let me just tell you right now, been preparing for that episode and it's going to be a powerful one. So make sure you join me again tomorrow and today. I just want to say thank you for your time and supporting the show.

I went a little longer today, but there was a lot that I wanted to cover. Remember this. My passion is to help you achieve financial success. I want to see you live out your dreams and I want to see you grow in your faith. And I know together we can master your finances from a Christian perspective. So as I always end the show, stay financially savvy out there and God bless you abundantly.

Thank you for joining us on the Ask Ralph show, and with a simple click to subscribe, we'll invite you back to our next episode. And remember, financial issues don't have to be complicated. Just Ask Ralph the information contained in this episode of Ask Ralph is based on data available as of the date of its release. Sajio Accounting plus and Ask Ralph Media, Inc. Is under no obligation to update this content if changes occur.

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