Before she got married, Katie Jones became immersed in the FIRE movement (Financial Independence Retire Early). An early goal of hers was to retire by the age of 40. But over time, she began to question the concept of passive income and her approach to both money and work. She began to ask “What does my faith have to do with that and what does God say about it?” (This interview has been edited for space and clarity.)
KJ: I started to realize that I was excited about the concept of financial independence, even as a Christian, but as I continued to learn and grow I started to recognize that I was pursuing financial independence in order to escape the need to depend on anyone else, including God!
I was also trying to escape the choice to work; I wanted to be able to do nothing. But, as I explored what God’s intention was for us about work, I realized that he calls us to work - work is not a result of the fall, it came before the fall. So I started to learn about how to be excellent in how I handled my finances without striving to separate myself from work or God’s provision.
I don’t believe that financial independence in itself is wrong…just when it crosses the line so that I’m relying only on myself. And when we pursue it for all the wrong reasons.
WR: There are over 2300 Bible verses that have to do with money. So, based on your learning and reading, can you give us just a few biblical principles we can take away?
KJ: Definitely a foundational one is generosity. I think that we as Christians are afraid of money, and so we’re afraid to generate wealth. Without wealth, we are hesitant to give…to share. And yet, God gives us so many promises of abundance so that we can be conduits of His blessing to others. Because that gives God glory and goes toward the mission of building His kingdom here on earth.
And there are other important principles, like being prepared, having an emergency fund, sticking to a budget. But what’s really important is to ask ourselves “Does the way I handle my money really reflect what I believe about God?” and “Does my generosity show that I’m trusting Him to provide for me?”
“Financial independence in and of itself isn’t wrong. It becomes wrong when it crosses the line so that I’m relying only on myself, and not on God.”
WR: In this post on your blog, you talked about the difference between perfectionism and excellence. That is a trap many of us get caught up in. Can you talk a bit about that?
KJ: God really does want us to do our best no matter what we’re doing. Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” But when we start to see that striving for excellence as an excuse or reason to hustle or we start comparing our results with others, then it gets out of hand. Again, we need to reflect on our motivation. Are we looking for praise or just trying to be a faithful servant?
Because at the end of the day, God wants us to rely on HIM, and He can provide from even the smallest thing.
WR: You’ve pointed out in your blog that “we can have full-time ministry wherever we are.” Tell us a little more about that…
JK: This is one of the things I’m most passionate about. It’s really one of my pet peeves! We often get caught up in the church with “spiritual work”. It’s always tied to working in the church, becoming a missionary, or working for a non-profit. But actually, we’re ALL called to go and make disciples (Matt 28:19). I don’t remember where I heard this, but the original phrase says “As you go…” So you can do this while you’re being a mom, or going to the chiropractor, or working in the office and just doing our jobs. It means not being lazy, thinking of others, doing the best you can in whatever position you’re in! We always have opportunities to share the love of Christ.
WR: Another thing you’ve said on your blog is “Big things happen with small efforts.” What are one or two practical things that we can do with our money that can have huge results?
JK: Honestly, I’d just say to look for opportunities. There are so many ways that God blesses us, not only financially, but in our relationships or work. Definitely, tho, chipping away at any debt you have, working towards getting out of debt, will really make an impact over a lifetime.
Recommended Reading: Redeeming Money by Paul David Tripp
Katie Jones is a money coach with Agape Investing. She teaches financial skills that are rooted in the Gospel, encouraging her clients to give abundantly, be generous, and live radically to advance the Kingdom of God.
Her website is agapeinvests.com
You can also find her on Instagram @agapeinvesting.
These are the board games she mentioned at the beginning of the episode: 7 Wonders, Between Two Cities
And feel free to reach out to me on Instagram, too @friendsofafeatherpodcast