Why I do what I do

By Randell Tiongson on March 2nd, 2019

Towards the end of 2008 and in the midst of the worst financial crisis in recent history, I decided to quit my job and leave the comforts of a steady  corporate job and a good paying one at that. To do what? To do what I have been doing in the last 10 years or so — being an advocate of personal finance: speaking, writing, teaching, traveling, counselling and engaging anyone who needs to learn personal finance.

What I do is exciting but can also be exhausting. I speak about 150 times a year; I do back to back seminars that runs the whole day; I move from one place to another; travel a lot (and be away from my family); guests in so many multi-media platforms; write a lot (and I don’t like writing) and meet and speak to so many people. Why? I believe I need to do my part to make sure that Filipinos become financially empowered. Being financially empowered is very important to all of us and everyone of us should make this a top goal in our lives. We all have our reasons why we need to be financially empowered—we do it for our goals, we do it for our families, we do it for our communities, and so forth. I believe we all have noble reasons why we need to experience financial freedom and, more importantly, financial peace.

However, I would like to seek a deeper purpose on why we all need to be financially-abled and why we need to be blessed with financial empowerment. I believe that the true purpose of wealth goes beyond the comforts of life or a good future for our children. I strongly believe that we should become financially-abled because we need to be a channel of blessing for God to use to advance His kingdom.

We are not placed on earth for our own purposes. We need to constantly seek the Lord’s purpose for us and focus towards achieving such a purpose. Financial empowerment is not an end goal; it is merely a tool for a greater purpose. I believe that my true purpose goes beyond my own financial enablement—my true purpose is to worship God. Everything I do and everything I will do should be an act of worship. Remember, wealth and the ability to create wealth comes from God. It is not to achieve our own purposes, but to achieve His.

My personal experience has led me to embrace the truth that every financial decision (and all other decisions) I make is likewise a spiritual decision. When I gave my life to Jesus, I found my purpose and I found all the answers—financial and otherwise. Seek Him, and there you will find what true peace is all about. Yes, even financial peace.

“But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33, NIV

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Join me and my friends at the biggest and most empowering investment conference of the country #iCON2019. We are already running on our 7th year and this year will be even bigger and better than the previous ones!

Details and registration via www.bit.ly/ICON_2019

 

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The spiritual power of wealth

By Randell Tiongson on June 12th, 2018

As a personal finance advocate, I have written over a thousand articles, columns & blogs, given over a thousand talks & lectures over a dozen nations, written and published four books on managing money and building wealth. However, if you have heard me you know that I often remind people about the true purpose of money and a stern warning about the worship of money. Instead of just being a tool, money to others becomes an idol wether they realize it or not.

Jesus knew all about gods such as Baal in the Old Testament, who tempted the Israelites to worship him for the sake of wealth. The Lord also recognized that people in his day faced a new, subtler, and perhaps even stronger temptation: to treat money as an idol like Baal, an idol to worship as a god to get what they wanted.

But humans cannot serve two kings. Jesus reminds us that when we try, we risk devoting ourselves to money and hating him as mentioned in Luke 16:13, ESVNo servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. In fact, the New Testament teaches that money and greed are often the loudest and most appealing idols seeking to steal our attention. Paul declares that greed is idolatry, that to be greedy is to worship other gods: ...Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world” (Colossian 3:5, NLT).

Once we remember that the Jews saw idolatry as the ultimate sin that put one outside the community of faith, we can hear the full force of Paul’s words. Idols had always threatened to steal the love, trust, and service God deserves and demands. By equating greed with idolatry, Paul provocatively told the church they didn’t have to go into a rival temple to worship another god. Their greedy hearts created other gods out of every coin in their coffers.

That is why Jesus warned his followers to watch out for all kinds of greed. His parables tell of farmers destroyed in the midst of their prosperity because they hoarded wealth and failed to be rich toward God (check out Luke 12:16–21), of rich men sent to hell for their failure to let go of their wealth for the sake of their neighbor (check out Luke 16:19–31), and of eternal judgment declared on the basis of one’s willingness to share with those in need (check out Matthew 25:31–46). All these parables point in the same direction: money wants our worship. But every bit of ourselves we give to our stuff we snatch away from our true King.

Because our material possessions so often seduce us into worshiping them like gods, they pose possibly the preeminent threat to worshiping Jesus. When we worship money, it mauls us. Money becomes a spiritual power that too often uses us rather than the other way around.

Don’t get me wrong, money is important but it should not be the end goal and it will be an idol. Here is something I need to remind myself all the time: Wealth and the ability to create wealth comes from the Lord, and it is not for our own purpose but for His.  Building wealth without the gospel makes money a hard task master and we get sucked into a whirlwind pursuit of earthly treasures.

Let us ask ourselves this question — in what ways are we tempted to worship money? Maybe it is time for a heart check.

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Honoring my father

By Randell Tiongson on July 24th, 2017

One of the biggest issues that faces the world today is the problem of fatherlessness. It is said that it is the father who gives an identity to a child. When the father is absent or abdicates his duties, a multitude of problems arises. Studies show that the absence of a father or a father-figure can cause children to under-perform, be prone to substance abuses, be in poverty and live a life of dysfunctions. But take heart, we have a Father in heaven who will be more than enough to give you your identity and deliver you from the troubles of this world: “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6, ESV ) I am throughly blessed to have an intimate relationship with God as my father the moment I gave my life to Jesus.

Among the many things I am so thankful to the Lord is that I have never experienced the issue of fatherlessness. In all my 50 years of existence, other than the Lord, there was a man who has always been there in my life: providing for me, guiding me, disciplining me, molding me and have given me my identity. I honor my father for who he is and everything he did in my life and for my family. My Dad was a great model to me. To those who know my father, they will see that his impartation in my life is very strong — I am hard working, fiercely loyal to my wife, a provider and protector of my own family, disciplined and God fearing… all thanks to my father. One of the specific imprints he left in me was financial preparedness. Growing up, I would often question why he was very tough on money matters and why he kept telling us to be financially abled and financially prepared. When it comes to finances, he knew that tough love was needed for us to grow understanding the value of hard work and control. While I did not understand why in the past, I fully understand now and in fact the many lessons I learned from him are what I teach today. I would often say in my talks that my first finance mentor was my father, he is the first financial planner I ever met.

My Dad has left his imprint in all his children and that goes beyond finances. My siblings are all fiercely loyal to their families, and all are God-fearing, because of him.

Dad, I honor you… 85 years is too short for a good man, a good father to us and a role model to me. I am comforted that you will finally rest, knowing that you have prepared me and my siblings in the adventure of life despite the trials and imperfections of this world. I take greater comfort that you have entered a place where there is no more sorrow and where life is perfect eternally, basking in glory of the Lord.

Farewell Dad and thank you. I love you.

Ricardo Tantoco Tiongson, 1932-2017

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