This is part 4 of a 4 part series. If you missed part 1, 2 or 3 you can read them here, here & here.

In 2002, Pastor Rick Warren authored the book, The Purpose Driven Life. It became one of the all-time best sellers as over 30 million copies were sold in just the first five years of its existence. Obviously, the pursuit of “Purpose” struck a deep chord in the emotions of many people.

In today’s blog we will focus on purpose-driven financial planning, or as our tagline states “Managing Wealth for a Life of Purpose”.

How would you personally define a Life of Purpose? We all need to have an honest and candid self-evaluation of the purpose and passion behind our financial resources. For the sake of today’s blog discussion, let’s begin by defining wealth as:

• our income in excess of what’s needed for our basic living expenses
• an accumulation of financial resources beyond what will reasonably be needed to meet our future needs

Larry Burkett once said, “Show me your checkbook, and I will show you where your heart is.” Our hearts will point us to our purposes and passions. In most cases, they will be either:

• self-centered, focused on personal acquisition and consumption
• others-centered, drawn to the pursuit of blessing others

What do your heart and your checkbook reveal about the purpose behind your planning and the use of the financial resources you’ve been blessed with?

Friends, financial planning is most effective when it’s focused on a clearly defined purpose. When that purpose is others-centered; generosity, joy, and contentment will become wonderful byproducts of your personal planning process, and your life. My favorite passage from scripture that speaks so beautifully and clearly to this topic is 1 Timothy 6:17-19. I invite you to read, reflect, and be blessed by the rich truth found in this passage.

We would love to hear from you. How has a Life of Purpose shaped, or changed, your personal financial goals?