Rob West In John 16, Jesus tells us where to find peace when life gets difficult. In the world, you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. I am Rob West. Jesus never promised us a life without trouble, but he does promise his presence and peace in the midst of it. Today, Howard Dayton joins us with a hopeful message about navigating life's difficulties with faith and wisdom. Then it's on the air calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith and Finance on American Family Radio, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Howard Dayton is the author, teacher, and founder of Compass Financial Ministry and a familiar voice to many of you as the former host of this very program. For decades, he's helped Christians understand and apply biblical wisdom to the way they manage money. Howard, what a pleasure to have you back with us.
Howard Dayton Oh, just wonderful to be with you, Rob.
Rob West Well, it's a joy for us as well. And Howard, we're taking a look at a chapter in your book, Your Money Counts, one of our favorites, of course. It's called "Crisis: The Storms of Life". And you began with a story that would be devastating to all parents. I certainly know being a parent how painful this would be. Tell us that story.
Howard Dayton Well, Rob, we were in the process of adopting our second newborn baby. His name was Andrew. He was just gorgeous. And when he was about two or three months old, we thought he might have trouble with his sight, so we took him to a friend, an ophthalmologist, to check him out. He told us that he was blind because the optical nerve was dead, and that we should take him to a pediatric neurologist because he sensed something wasn't just right. The long and short of that was that he was only born with the stem of his brain. We discovered later that his birth mom had been taking hard narcotics during the pregnancy. Andrew lived to be seven. He was about two feet long, stiff as a board. He was becoming hydrocephalic. It was a really challenging time, and we just loved him like crazy. But it was an emotionally exhausting experience for us as a family. I can remember the time that my wife Bev got a phone call, it was for her, and she was so exhausted that she didn't know that she was home. So it was a challenging time.
Rob West Oh, I can only imagine. Howard, it's a powerful reminder that difficulties can come at any time and take many different forms. Was that one of the lessons you took away from that season?
Howard Dayton We sure did. You know, some challenges build slowly, they can be anticipated. Other challenges appear without warning. Some are resolved quickly, others are chronic. Some reflect the consequences of our actions—we like to dummy that. A decision. Others are completely beyond our control. When you think about it, Rob, some crises impact an entire nation. Others are isolated to us as individuals. And Rob, as you well know, crises often involve money, where businesses and jobs are lost, major illness, death of a family member. I mean, the list goes on and on. Just these difficult times really can exert major pressure on us and on our finances.
Rob West Howard, I know in just a moment after the break, you're going to take us into God's Word and encourage us during a time of crisis. But you mentioned something about marriages and the stress that can be caused by challenging times on your marriage. What did you learn in that season as you journeyed with Bev that you might share with us today related to our marriage specifically?
Howard Dayton I think communication is really so key. Set aside a period every single day that the two of you can talk. Not to argue, not to fight each other, which can often happen when you're in the middle of a real crisis, but just to communicate with each other, express how you're feeling, which is pretty tough for guys, as you know. But really, what's going on with you? How can I best serve you? How can I be the best husband or the best wife that I could possibly be for you?
Rob West That's our good friend Howard Dayton, former host of this radio program and the founder of Compass Financial Ministry. If you're just joining us, we're talking about the spiritual and practical principles that can help you manage money wisely, so you have more margin to spend, save, and give. I'm Rob West, and this is Faith and Finance. We'll be right back with more right after this break. Stick around.
SEGMENT 2
Rob West We're so glad you could join us today on Faith and Finance. I'm Rob West, and we're continuing our conversation with author, teacher, and founder of Compass Financial Ministry, Howard Dayton. Many of you will remember Howard as the former host of this radio program.
Howard, we're talking today about navigating a crisis, recognizing that the storms of life can come in all shapes and sizes. What matters is how we respond and how we lean into the Lord in those seasons. So let's turn to God's Word.
What do we need to understand about God's role and His presence when we find ourselves in the middle of a crisis?
Howard Dayton Well, you don't face the crisis alone, Rob. Yes. You have to remember Jesus is with you every step of the way, even though they're painful steps.
And really it boils down to knowing God's role in a crisis. Nothing's more important than knowing who God is. His love, His care, even His control of every event that you're ever gonna face.
And really only the Bible reveals the true extent of God's involvement in our challenges. If you or I have an inadequate or even a warped view of God, His purposes, then we won't fully learn from our challenges. And what can even be worse is that we forfeit His peace and even joy that the Lord makes available to us during these times.
And I love what John says. God is love, simple to the point. God loves you.
He's gonna love you throughout your whole life. He remains intimately involved with you as an individual. And in any crisis, it's just so important to remember God's unfailing love, His faithfulness, because it's so easy to become discouraged and even lose hope in those challenging times.
It's easy to forget God's love, His care, especially when adversity first strikes or it goes on and on for what feels like an eternity. I think Jeremiah sums it up really, really well. He was in a bad, bad place.
He said in Lamentations 3, I remember my affliction, my wanderings, the bitterness of my soul is downcast within me. I mean, he was in a very dark place, but then he remembered the Lord. And he said, but this I call to mind.
Therefore I have hope. Because the Lord's great love were not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They're new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Rob West What a great reminder for us if that's the season we find ourselves in. And Howard, perhaps one of the most difficult things to understand and process is that God has a way of allowing experiences to shape us.
Perhaps He's allowing us to go through something that's going to draw us closer to Him or do a work in our life that in the bigger picture is so key to our development. I know you have a profound illustration that perhaps could help us understand that concept.
Howard Dayton Yeah, in nature, Rob, there's the Cecropia moth, which emerges from its cocoon only after a very long exhausting struggle to free itself.
And here's a story that one day a young boy discovered the cocoon, carefully slid it open to help the moth escape. The moth came out, but its wings were shriveled. They just couldn't function.
And what the little boy didn't realize was that the moth's struggle to liberate itself with a cocoon was essential for developing its wings, its ability to fly. And I know from personal experience that adversity has a part to play in our lives as well. God uses the difficult, sometimes heartbreaking times to mature us in Christ.
And I love what James 1 tells us, consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. And I know, Rob, from the five-year journey of walking with my wife, Bev, and the breast cancer, which spread to her bones, which is a very painful type of cancer, that I'm a different person.
After she went home, I had the opportunity to evaluate what happened in my life during those times. And I'm a much more committed follower of Christ, love people more than I did before that occurred.
Rob West Surely that can include financial trials too. Can God use financial difficulty to grow us, strengthen our faith, or even correct us at times? How would you think about that, Howard?
Howard Dayton No question about it. I mean, that's one of the most common challenges that people face. And I love what Romans 8 tells us.
You know, in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him. And again, in Hebrews 12, for those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, listen to this, afterwards, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
You know, the Lord doesn't make any mistakes. He knows exactly what He wants you to become, or me, or every one of our listeners, and He knows exactly what's necessary to produce that result in our lives.
Rob West That's so helpful. We've only got a couple of minutes left, so let's make this practical. For someone listening who's in the middle of a financial crisis, we've talked about God's role, but what is their role? What should their next step be, and what do they need to keep in mind as they walk through it?
Howard Dayton Well, I think the number one thing, Rob, is to trust in the Lord. You know, He loves you, He cares for you, He wants the best for you.
And then the second thing is to make sure that you know what God says about handling money, and then to do it. I mean, it's that simple. You know, knowing is only half of the equation.
You've got to apply what you've learned, and that's so incredibly important, to God's people. To know what God's word says, to apply it. And really, one of the biggest things that people tend to default to in the midst of a crisis is fear, which means that they tend to hold on to things more tightly, they become less generous.
And one of my favorite passages is Acts 11. The prophet Agathus, through the Spirit, predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. The disciples, listen to their response.
Each, according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. Instead of holding on, because they knew that famine was going to impact them, first thing they did was grab their checkbook for those living in Judea who knew the Lord.
Rob West Wow, what a powerful testimony those disciples gave, even in the midst of such a difficult season.
Howard, you are always such an encouragement to us, my friend. We are so grateful that you stopped by today to share this message with us.
Howard Dayton Thank you, Rob. Love to talk with you.
Rob West Always great advice and great fellowship. That's Howard Dayton.
To learn more about his work, visit compassfinancialministry.com. Hey, before we head to our break, let me remind you, there's a great wealth of resources waiting for you at faithfi.com. You'll find more about the Faith-Fi app, which can help you manage your budget and stay on track. You'll find all of our great content, and you can search for a CKA in your area. Again, it's all at faithfi.com. That's faithfi.com. All right, we'll be back with your calls right after this, but if you have a question, call right now.
Rob West In John 16, Jesus tells us where to find peace when life gets difficult. In the world, you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. I am Rob West. Jesus never promised us a life without trouble, but he does promise his presence and peace in the midst of it. Today, Howard Dayton joins us with a hopeful message about navigating life's difficulties with faith and wisdom. Then it's on the air calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith and Finance on American Family Radio, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Howard Dayton is the author, teacher, and founder of Compass Financial Ministry and a familiar voice to many of you as the former host of this very program. For decades, he's helped Christians understand and apply biblical wisdom to the way they manage money. Howard, what a pleasure to have you back with us.
Howard Dayton Oh, just wonderful to be with you, Rob.
Rob West Well, it's a joy for us as well. And Howard, we're taking a look at a chapter in your book, Your Money Counts, one of our favorites, of course. It's called "Crisis: The Storms of Life". And you began with a story that would be devastating to all parents. I certainly know being a parent how painful this would be. Tell us that story.
Howard Dayton Well, Rob, we were in the process of adopting our second newborn baby. His name was Andrew. He was just gorgeous. And when he was about two or three months old, we thought he might have trouble with his sight, so we took him to a friend, an ophthalmologist, to check him out. He told us that he was blind because the optical nerve was dead, and that we should take him to a pediatric neurologist because he sensed something wasn't just right. The long and short of that was that he was only born with the stem of his brain. We discovered later that his birth mom had been taking hard narcotics during the pregnancy. Andrew lived to be seven. He was about two feet long, stiff as a board. He was becoming hydrocephalic. It was a really challenging time, and we just loved him like crazy. But it was an emotionally exhausting experience for us as a family. I can remember the time that my wife Bev got a phone call, it was for her, and she was so exhausted that she didn't know that she was home. So it was a challenging time.
Rob West Oh, I can only imagine. Howard, it's a powerful reminder that difficulties can come at any time and take many different forms. Was that one of the lessons you took away from that season?
Howard Dayton We sure did. You know, some challenges build slowly, they can be anticipated. Other challenges appear without warning. Some are resolved quickly, others are chronic. Some reflect the consequences of our actions—we like to dummy that. A decision. Others are completely beyond our control. When you think about it, Rob, some crises impact an entire nation. Others are isolated to us as individuals. And Rob, as you well know, crises often involve money, where businesses and jobs are lost, major illness, death of a family member. I mean, the list goes on and on. Just these difficult times really can exert major pressure on us and on our finances.
Rob West Howard, I know in just a moment after the break, you're going to take us into God's Word and encourage us during a time of crisis. But you mentioned something about marriages and the stress that can be caused by challenging times on your marriage. What did you learn in that season as you journeyed with Bev that you might share with us today related to our marriage specifically?
Howard Dayton I think communication is really so key. Set aside a period every single day that the two of you can talk. Not to argue, not to fight each other, which can often happen when you're in the middle of a real crisis, but just to communicate with each other, express how you're feeling, which is pretty tough for guys, as you know. But really, what's going on with you? How can I best serve you? How can I be the best husband or the best wife that I could possibly be for you?
Rob West That's our good friend Howard Dayton, former host of this radio program and the founder of Compass Financial Ministry. If you're just joining us, we're talking about the spiritual and practical principles that can help you manage money wisely, so you have more margin to spend, save, and give. I'm Rob West, and this is Faith and Finance. We'll be right back with more right after this break. Stick around.
SEGMENT 2
Rob West We're so glad you could join us today on Faith and Finance. I'm Rob West, and we're continuing our conversation with author, teacher, and founder of Compass Financial Ministry, Howard Dayton. Many of you will remember Howard as the former host of this radio program.
Howard, we're talking today about navigating a crisis, recognizing that the storms of life can come in all shapes and sizes. What matters is how we respond and how we lean into the Lord in those seasons. So let's turn to God's Word.
What do we need to understand about God's role and His presence when we find ourselves in the middle of a crisis?
Howard Dayton Well, you don't face the crisis alone, Rob. Yes. You have to remember Jesus is with you every step of the way, even though they're painful steps.
And really it boils down to knowing God's role in a crisis. Nothing's more important than knowing who God is. His love, His care, even His control of every event that you're ever gonna face.
And really only the Bible reveals the true extent of God's involvement in our challenges. If you or I have an inadequate or even a warped view of God, His purposes, then we won't fully learn from our challenges. And what can even be worse is that we forfeit His peace and even joy that the Lord makes available to us during these times.
And I love what John says. God is love, simple to the point. God loves you.
He's gonna love you throughout your whole life. He remains intimately involved with you as an individual. And in any crisis, it's just so important to remember God's unfailing love, His faithfulness, because it's so easy to become discouraged and even lose hope in those challenging times.
It's easy to forget God's love, His care, especially when adversity first strikes or it goes on and on for what feels like an eternity. I think Jeremiah sums it up really, really well. He was in a bad, bad place.
He said in Lamentations 3, I remember my affliction, my wanderings, the bitterness of my soul is downcast within me. I mean, he was in a very dark place, but then he remembered the Lord. And he said, but this I call to mind.
Therefore I have hope. Because the Lord's great love were not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They're new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Rob West What a great reminder for us if that's the season we find ourselves in. And Howard, perhaps one of the most difficult things to understand and process is that God has a way of allowing experiences to shape us.
Perhaps He's allowing us to go through something that's going to draw us closer to Him or do a work in our life that in the bigger picture is so key to our development. I know you have a profound illustration that perhaps could help us understand that concept.
Howard Dayton Yeah, in nature, Rob, there's the Cecropia moth, which emerges from its cocoon only after a very long exhausting struggle to free itself.
And here's a story that one day a young boy discovered the cocoon, carefully slid it open to help the moth escape. The moth came out, but its wings were shriveled. They just couldn't function.
And what the little boy didn't realize was that the moth's struggle to liberate itself with a cocoon was essential for developing its wings, its ability to fly. And I know from personal experience that adversity has a part to play in our lives as well. God uses the difficult, sometimes heartbreaking times to mature us in Christ.
And I love what James 1 tells us, consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. And I know, Rob, from the five-year journey of walking with my wife, Bev, and the breast cancer, which spread to her bones, which is a very painful type of cancer, that I'm a different person.
After she went home, I had the opportunity to evaluate what happened in my life during those times. And I'm a much more committed follower of Christ, love people more than I did before that occurred.
Rob West Surely that can include financial trials too. Can God use financial difficulty to grow us, strengthen our faith, or even correct us at times? How would you think about that, Howard?
Howard Dayton No question about it. I mean, that's one of the most common challenges that people face. And I love what Romans 8 tells us.
You know, in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him. And again, in Hebrews 12, for those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, listen to this, afterwards, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
You know, the Lord doesn't make any mistakes. He knows exactly what He wants you to become, or me, or every one of our listeners, and He knows exactly what's necessary to produce that result in our lives.
Rob West That's so helpful. We've only got a couple of minutes left, so let's make this practical. For someone listening who's in the middle of a financial crisis, we've talked about God's role, but what is their role? What should their next step be, and what do they need to keep in mind as they walk through it?
Howard Dayton Well, I think the number one thing, Rob, is to trust in the Lord. You know, He loves you, He cares for you, He wants the best for you.
And then the second thing is to make sure that you know what God says about handling money, and then to do it. I mean, it's that simple. You know, knowing is only half of the equation.
You've got to apply what you've learned, and that's so incredibly important, to God's people. To know what God's word says, to apply it. And really, one of the biggest things that people tend to default to in the midst of a crisis is fear, which means that they tend to hold on to things more tightly, they become less generous.
And one of my favorite passages is Acts 11. The prophet Agathus, through the Spirit, predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. The disciples, listen to their response.
Each, according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. Instead of holding on, because they knew that famine was going to impact them, first thing they did was grab their checkbook for those living in Judea who knew the Lord.
Rob West Wow, what a powerful testimony those disciples gave, even in the midst of such a difficult season.
Howard, you are always such an encouragement to us, my friend. We are so grateful that you stopped by today to share this message with us.
Howard Dayton Thank you, Rob. Love to talk with you.
Rob West Always great advice and great fellowship. That's Howard Dayton.
To learn more about his work, visit compassfinancialministry.com. Hey, before we head to our break, let me remind you, there's a great wealth of resources waiting for you at faithfi.com. You'll find more about the Faith-Fi app, which can help you manage your budget and stay on track. You'll find all of our great content, and you can search for a CKA in your area. Again, it's all at faithfi.com. That's faithfi.com. All right, we'll be back with your calls right after this, but if you have a question, call right now.
