Years ago, my boys misplaced the remote control for the TV, and they started to panic! They thought that the TV could not be turned on without the remote. I chuckled at this, and later, it hit me: We often have the same response when it comes to faith. We can misplace it or forget that we even have it.

Faith is essential at all times, but it’s really important to rely on faith during difficult and trying times. Faith reminds us that God’s in control, and that we need to rely on Him to see us through, even when the path ahead is dark and unsteady. He’s steady, and He’s ready, willing and able to sustain us through anything.

I’ve been hearing so many heartbreaking stories during the coronavirus pandemic. The best thing I can do is point you to the deepest source of wisdom and hope that I know: God’s Word. What does the Bible have to say about economic hardship? Here are five principles for trusting God with your money.

1. Take your fear and anxiety to God—He can handle it.

All of us are fighting fear these days. Maybe you feel buried by anxiety from the moment you open your eyes in the morning. Will my loved ones get sick? How will I make ends meet after losing my job? Will the economy ever recover? Some of us entertain those thoughts and start to spiral, and others of us take the ostrich approach—burying our heads in the sand and waiting until it’s over!

But there’s a third way to deal with fear, and it’s the best one: Hand off your anxieties to God.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Psalm 46:1–2 (NIV)

The first thing we need to get straight is this: God cares deeply about our suffering, and He invites us to cast our burdens on Him (1 Peter 5:7). Did you catch that? God’s not far away, kicking His feet up on some heavenly footstool, shaking his head, and hoping that it works out for us. He’s near to those who are broken and confused. He wants to take your anxiety from you. The question is, are you allowing Him to lift your burden?

You can trade your fears for God’s peace if you’re willing to lay out your requests to Him (Philippians 4:6–7). And believe me, His peace is powerful! It’s the only things that will truly loosen your tight chest when you feel like you can’t take another breath. Instead of white knuckling your way through your anxiety and playing out millions of scenarios in your mind, let it go, lay your requests before God, and feel Him lift that heavy load off your back.

Take your worries to God. He’s big enough to handle them.

2. Trust God with your money—He owns it anyway.

There’s an old-timey word that I want to introduce to you: stewardship. It basically means that you’re entrusted to take care of something that belongs to someone else. Managing a team of people or resources at work is an example of stewardship because you’ve got someone to answer to.

Can you see where I’m headed with this? Yep—you’re a steward of the money and resources that God’s given you. Now, of course, you must take personal responsibility and work hard. In fact, because God has trusted you with a job, you better take it seriously! But at the end of the day, your ability to earn money and build wealth is given to you by God, as we see in this verse:

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. Deuteronomy 8:17–18 (NIV)

You can trust God with the money He’s given you because He’s the real owner of everything under the sun! He’s the ultimate source of our security. As 1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV) says, you shouldn’t put your hope in wealth, but instead, “hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

3. Recognize your dependence on God.

Okay, people. So, if God made and owns everything (John 1:1–3), and He entrusts us as His stewards, then that means we can depend on Him to provide. So, we have to ask ourselves, Do I believe that He is good? Will He take care of me?

Let’s take a look at this passage from Matthew that Jesus taught His followers in one of His most famous sermons.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life. . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:25–27 (NIV)

I want you to do something. Look outside your window. Hopefully you live in a place where you can see birds and hear them singing. They seem to be doing okay, don’t they? Not a single one of those birds is watching in fear as the Dow plummets. None of them are stocking up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer. I know this sounds ridiculous, but hear me on this: They’re just birds! You’re a human being who was carefully made in the divine image of God. Don’t you think He cares more about you than the sparrows and the blue jays?

God isn’t worried about supply chains and economic downturns. He feeds the birds day in and day out, and you better believe He’ll take care of his children too.

4. Practice contentment in both good and bad times.

Have you ever heard the old joke “You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse?” You can’t take your stuff with you when you go! It’s tempting to work like crazy to keep up with the Joneses, piling up stuff, and chasing down the next purchase. The Bible warns us against the temptation to hoard our wealth, but instead encourages us to be “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21 NIV). This means that we use everything in our life (including our money) to honor God.

Trusting God’s provision leads to contentment—being grateful for what we have. This idea appears all over the Bible. Take this verse in Job, for example: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:21 (NIV)

When you’ve placed your trust in God and what He provides, you’re free to be content with what you have right now. It helps you loosen your grip on your assets. Contentment is an incredibly important habit to practice when times are good and when times are bad. Gratitude changes your perspective because it shifts your focus from what you don’t have to what you do have. I like to put it this way: “It’s hard to be hateful when you’re grateful.”

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12–13 (NIV)

A relationship with God sets you free from worry and comparison. You just take it one day at a time. In times of abundance and crisis, contentment is the key to experiencing joy and gratitude.

5. Be generous to others just as God has been to you.

This is where it gets fun. If you’re applying the first four principles we’ve talked about, then you’ll be free to enjoy your money without being controlled by it. You’ll also recognize God’s outrageous generosity more and more, and you’ll want to treat others the same way!

If you have kids, I want you to think back to a time when you had a special gift for them. Maybe you surprised them with a puppy on Christmas morning, or you finally bought them their first iPhone. Most parents—even though we’re not perfect—want to do their best and take care of their children. We find great joy in seeing their faces light up when they get something they’ve been asking for. And you know what? God has the same generous heart toward his children! He gives good things to those who ask for them, and he delights in our joy (Matthew 7:9–12).

Generosity is contagious. When you’ve received something good, it’s a natural response to overflow onto others. Being generous is a powerful antidote to fear because it forces you to get your focus off of your own needs. It forces you to put your money where your mouth is.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. . . Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16–18 (NIV)

God notices when we give, and He’s pleased by our generosity (Matthew 6:2–4). And if you’re short on cash, that’s okay. There are endless possibilities for how to be generous with your time, your talents and your friendship.

Does God Care About My Suffering?

Loss is painful. It’s real. We cannot make sense of all the evil in the world. And it’s a very human response to ask, Where’s God in all of this? Why doesn’t He do something?

But if you want to know where God is in the midst of suffering, all you have to do is picture Jesus on the cross. If you’re wondering why He doesn’t do something, then remember the work He accomplished to conquer death and bring us hope. My friends, He’s well acquainted with loss and pain. He took it upon himself to come to earth and share in all the same brokenness we experience. And because of the mission He accomplished, we can place our trust in Him and have hope that He can heal our diseases and restore our fortunes.

I’ve been walking with Him since I was eight years old, although I really got to know Him in my 20s. The Lord has been the most consistent thing in life, and I’m grateful for his love, grace, mercy and hope! Here’s my personal favorite Scripture to dwell on when things get tough:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

Even in the darkest moments, God promises to deliver his people, protect them, and ultimately, prosper them. We can trust that He will do the same for us. As my good friend Dave Ramsey says:

“Remember, there’s ultimately only one way to financial peace, and that’s to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus.”

In times of crisis, find peace of mind by taking control of your money. For the first time ever, we’re offering a free 14-day trial of a Financial Peace Membership! Get started today.

If being miserable at work is normal, then I don’t want to be normal. I want to be different.

Because the truth is: It is possible to find your dream job and love what you do for a living. It’s called living the dream—and you can have that if you’re willing to work for it.

My path to meaningful work is a seven-stage process that will lead you to your dream job. It will take time, perseverance and patience to work through, but if you stick with it, before you know it, your case of the Mondays will become a thing of the past.

Are you ready to get after it?

7 Stages of Finding Your Dream Job

1. Get Clear

Before you do anything else, you must discover what you do best, what you love to do most, what results you want to produce, and where (industry, company, etc.) you can put those three components together to do work that matters deeply to you.

I know that sounds overwhelming, so let me break it down for you:

What you do best includes your natural talents, skills and character strengths. These should be tasks or roles that come easily to you and have been pointed out to you by others. Here are some examples: I’m a great writer. I can analyze numbers effortlessly. People have told me I’m an excellent salesperson.

What you love to do most would involve any activities and tasks you look forward to and that make you come alive. For example: Working with kids lights me up. Helping someone work through a personal issue so they can take control of their life leaves me feeling energized. Solving complex problems makes time fly by.

What results you want to produce is about considering what problems you love to solve, what solutions you love to create, and what people group you most want to help. For example: I enjoy helping young mothers (people group) get through the first year of parenthood (problem) by teaching them how to schedule their days (solution). I love when a small-business owner (people group) is able to free up time to scale their business (problem) because I’m managing their payroll and bookkeeping (solution).

Where you can put those three together involves doing some research. Look around (starting in your zip code) for industries, companies, nonprofits, etc. where you might be able to do work within the intersection of what you do best and what you love to do most. By the way, I call that intersection your sweet spot.

Once you’ve got a list that includes these four things, get feedback and confirmation from three to five people who know you and will be honest with you. If these talents and passions are seen by others in your life too, you’ll know you’re headed in the right direction.

2. Get Qualified

Once you know what you want to do and possible places where you can perform that role, you’ll need to get qualified to do the job. Maybe you already have the education and/or experience you need to do the job you want to do—that’s incredible. Feel free to skip this step and move on to stage three.

If that’s not you, no sweat. It’s not as hard, scary or expensive as it seems to get qualified to work in your dream job.

First, you’re going to put your research hat back on. Based on potential job opportunities you found, what qualifications are necessary to do the work? Make a list of anything—from certifications to supervised hours—you need for the job.

Then, find out how much it will cost to get those qualifications. It doesn’t have to be exact—just come up with a rough estimate. Finally, based on your budget, create a realistic timeline for when you think you’ll be able to cash flow getting the qualifications.

There’s something really important to remember when you’re in this stage: Don’t assume you need a degree—even if the job posting says you need one to get hired.

Now, there are some career paths that absolutely require you to have a degree (think doctor, lawyer, registered nurse, industrial engineer, etc.). If you want to pursue one of those degree-dependent paths, just know that you don’t have to spend a fortune to earn that degree. Adjust your timeline to fit your budget—because you should be cash flowing this degree, not taking on debt for it—and look for affordable options like community college and state schools over expensive, private, out-of-state universities.

If you find out you can land your dream job with some experience and maybe a few certifications, that’s the ideal situation. If that’s the case, there are so many creative ways to get qualified:

• Take an online course or workshop.
• Find a boot camp or crash course you can take in the evenings or on weekends.
• Ask someone in the field if you can intern or shadow them for a few months.
• Borrow books from the library and download podcasts on the topic.
• Attend a local conference where you can learn and make connections.

You’ve got zero excuses. In our day and age, there are endless opportunities to get the skills, knowledge and know-how to do the job you want to do.

3. Get Connected

This is arguably one of the most important stages in the whole process, and it’s where The Proximity Principle starts to make magic happen.

The Proximity Principle says: In order to do what you want to do, you need to be around people who are doing it and in places where it’s happening. It’s not hard to do—you just have to be willing to seek out people and experiences that put you in close proximity to your dream job.

What does that look like?

Take someone to lunch. I know the introverts reading this are getting queasy right about now—but hold on! It’s just a conversation, like any other you’d have with a friend or colleague.

Ask your friends and family if they know of anyone who has a job that’s similar to the one you want. Mutual friends are the best ways to make connections.

Then, simply reach out to that person and ask them if they’d be up for grabbing a cup of coffee or lunch because you have some questions about their career path. You’d be surprised how many people want to help others step into a career they love.

When you meet with them, ask them questions like:

• How did you get to where you are today?
• What qualifications did you need and what did you learn on the job?
• What do you recommend I do to land a job similar to yours?
• What does winning look like at your company?
• What do you like and dislike about your position?
• Who else should I connect with? Will you connect me with them?

You never know where that relationship could take you—I’ve talked with many people who’ve gotten job leads and interviews after a one-hour lunch!

Entry-level positions: Sometimes, you have to take on a role that’s in close proximity of your dream job, even if it isn’t ideal. This is what people like to refer to as “getting your foot in the door.” But if you knock it out of the park, this role will lead to bigger opportunities.

Job shadowing/internships: Shadowing someone in your field or taking an internship at a company you might be interested in working at might feel “beneath you,” but that’s the wrong attitude to have.

This is not only a learning opportunity, but also a chance to get in close proximity to lots of people in the industry you want to transition to. So, while you’re job shadowing or interning, keep your focus on the relationships you’re building. One day, those relationships might turn into personal recommendations, referrals, or even a dream job offer.

Volunteering: There’s so much value in having an attitude that says, I don’t want anything. I just want to learn. If you have the time and financial ability to do so, volunteering is a great way to gain experience in your field.

When you get around the right people and in the right places, the right timing will happen on its own.

4. Get Started

Making the right connections will be your launching pad to the right stepping-stone opportunity. What I mean by that is: The job you land in this stage might not be your dream job, but it should be a stepping-stone in the right direction.

While you’re in this stage, make sure you upgrade your resume so that it actually gets noticed. A recent study found that the average amount of time a recruiter spends on a resume during an initial screen is 7.4 seconds!¹ Folks, that’s crazy. But it’s exactly why you have to create a resume that’s going to get a recruiter’s attention.

Now, if you have the entrepreneurial bug, then this is also the time you start the business you’ve been dreaming about as a side hustle. Launch your website, start asking around for clients, and get practice under your belt. These are important baby steps that will help you launch and grow a business without debt and with less risk.

5. Get Promoted

This is an exciting stage because you’re seeing the results of winning in your role, which gets you closer and closer to your dream job.

You’re winning because you:

Know your role: This isn’t about your job title. Knowing your role is about having complete clarity around what your leader expects from you. Sit down with your leader and walk through your job description bullet by bullet so you know exactly what success looks like in each area.

Accept your role: It can be challenging to accept the role you’re in today when you have your eyes set on a “better” job. But it’s important to see where you are today as that stepping-stone we talked about earlier. You never know how important this role will be in your next role. Focus on winning in the present and have an attitude of gratitude toward the work in front of you today.

Maximize your role: Maximizing is all about the effort you put into executing your current role. You get noticed by your leaders, your peers and your customers by going above and beyond your role. Help a colleague in another department or step in to help a big project get across the finish line. Don’t wait for an opportunity to go above and beyond—make one.

6. Get Your Dream Job

As you keep rising in rank, you’ll eventually land your dream job—and let me tell you, it’s an incredible feeling to actually get excited about going to work every day. When you get here, you’re officially “living the dream!”

But your work is far from over. Growth shouldn’t stop just because you’ve achieved this accomplishment. You should keep learning, keep developing yourself, and keep growing in your industry by taking on new challenges. Continue looking for ways to increase your knowledge and sharpen your skills—and keep this up until the day you retire.

7. Give Yourself Away

Remember when someone took the time to give you advice, connect you with an opportunity, or share their learnings over lunch?  Now would be a great time to do that for someone else by giving your time, talents and resources away! Become a mentor to someone coming up in the ranks behind you and help them land their dream job.

When your work has meaning, it should never really be all about you. Your gifts are given to you with the purpose of helping others. So, how can you keep using your talents and passions to serve as many people as possible? This world will be a much better place once we’re all living and working like no one else.

Folks, I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you: Finding your dream job isn’t easy, and it’s not going to happen overnight. You have to want it badly and be disciplined enough to get up every day and work toward your goals.

But I know you have what it takes. And when you do reach that place, there’s nothing like the joy that comes from doing the work you were put on this earth to do. Press on!

About Ken Coleman

Ken Coleman is the bestselling author of The Proximity Principle and national radio host of The Ken Coleman Show.

Pulling from his own personal struggles, missed opportunities and career successes, Coleman helps people discover what they were born to do and provides practical steps to make their dream job a reality.

Listen to The Ken Coleman Show on SiriusXM, your local radio station, or wherever you listen to podcasts—and connect with Ken at kencoleman.com.