Root of Riches. Pretty catchy title isn’t it? I know it caught my attention!
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Chuck Bentley, the author of Root of Riches. Chuck is also the CEO of Crown Financial Ministries, an organization with a mission to touch people’s lives through the combination of personal finance and Biblical principles.
Before we get too deep into this review, I just want to say how big of an impact Root of Riches made on my life. It has transformed the way I look at finances and has shed some much needed light on scripture related to money. Because of this book, I know see the world differently and see money differently.
If you’re looking for a way to get involved with Crown, they have an awesome blog as well as Facebook community. I highly encourage you to check Crown Financial ministries out and get plugged into their resources.
Book Give-Away and Free Budgeting Credits!
I support what Crown is doing so much that I’m willing to give away a brand new copy of the book with over $350 worth of Mvelope budgeting credits! I hope this goes to someone that could use the help with a great budgeting resource. OK, so how do you enter? You have four options!
-Subscribe to my email list by going here (you will get my free 7 day e-course on how to retire a millionaire!)
-Become a fan on my Facebook page
-Follow me on Twitter
-Join my Linkedin group “Personal Finance For Everyone”
Remember, whatever you do, make sure you comment below this article and let me now what you did! Each action will get you one point for a maximum of 4 points! Good luck and may the best reader win!
Now the review!
(FYI, I was not compensated for this review.)
Boy, was I challenged reading Root of Riches! Chuck doesn’t hold back in this book and I felt as if he was sitting next to me asking me if I was going to apply what I just learned! It’s especially convicting when Chuck’s words are grounded in scripture. It’s so easy to write someone off if they are only talking from experiences in their life. Chuck sticks to the Bible and does not go on a detour.
At the core, Root of Riches is about just that: roots! Chuck has created this fantastic visual of a tree and the roots below in the soil. He goes on to explain how there are two types of tress with two very different types of roots. One is the “me tree” and other is a “he tree.”
Me Tree, He Tree
Chuck’s definition of a “me tree”:
-Focus is on earthly treasures
-Roots have not been redeemed
-Worldly belief system void of Jesus
-Selfish and out for itself
Chuck’s definition of a “he tree”:
-Redeemed through Christ
-Has a heavenly worldview
-Outpouring of good fruit
-Jesus is at its core
Complete Transformation
Yes, did you know that God compares us to trees in the Bible? It goes back all the way to the garden of Eden. There was the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. One was amazing and pure, while the other brought despair and destruction. Jesus later compares us to trees again and tells his disciples that they need to be producing good fruit. The two trees share a bodily similarity but are extremely different at the core.
It doesn’t stop there though. Chuck keeps going and encourages the reader to dig deeper, down to the “roots.” Chuck explains that we should be completely transformed by God, seeing the world through a brand new set of eyes. No longer should our desire be to get rich, but it should be to help others instead. Chuck also talks about how “true riches” are not the fancy cars and big houses. True riches are things like worshiping the Lord, serving in the church, sharing the gospel, and the blessings of family. With Jesus at the core, it doesn’t matter how big your bank account is!
Non-Negotiable Pillars
To sum up his writing and not write a 2,000+ page book, Chuck introduces the reader to three non-negotiable points that every human needs to live by.
1. I accept that both the cause and the solution to my money problems lie within my own heart.
Chuck brings up a great point about 1 Timothy 6:10, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” Chuck explains that that verse is centered around the word love, not money. This is an interesting take-away. We should have transformed hearts and tackle money problems at the heart level. If we are in love with these things of this world, we will never be truly rich in the Lord’s eyes. This is huge and ground breaking for me personally. I take scripture at face value sometimes and don’t dig deep enough.
2. I must align my beliefs with God’s Word to produce behaviors that will make me truly rich.
It call comes down to our belief system. We can have positive behavioral change according to Chuck but true transformation can’t happen unless our fundamental belief system changes. Oftentimes you may wonder how other Christians are cheerful givers. Chuck encourages you to look deep inside your heart and do some introspective meditation. Cheerful gives really believe God’s word and it becomes something they “get” to do. Once you align your beliefs with God’s Word, generous giving and generous living ill start to flow naturally. Chuck drives home this message.
3. I must act upon and apply spiritual truth in order to receive true riches.
Chuck brings up a great verse for this non-negotiable, “Now that you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” from John 13:17. Chuck encourages everyone to stop treating the Word like a self-help book and more of a heart changer. Chuck goes on to say that the more we act on spiritual truth, God will reveal himself more and more. Yet, this does not mean financial riches specifically. Again, remember, true riches might not be physical. We should shift our focus toward heavenly riches and know that any type of financial pain here on Earth is nothing to worry about and that we have so much more to look forward to in the Lord’s presence in Heaven.
After reading Root of Riches, I came away with one overarching theme: our life is destined for ruin if we live it for ourselves. God wants us to recognize that we need Him first and need Him far more than earthly riches. This will stick with me for the remaining of my life and is just one example of how this book has changed the way I look at finances.
To end this book review, I’d like to showcase an info graphic from Crown Ministries that I found to be very interesting. Check it out!
Hit up Amazon here to grab your copy today! If you have read Root of Riches already, please comment below with your thoughts, I wanna hear from you!
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