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The Legacy Journey: A Radical View of Biblical Wealth and Generosity
In The Legacy Journey , Dave Ramsey takes a deep dive into God’s word, revealing the truth on money, wealth and how to build your personal and family legacy. It’s time to address the toxic messages in our culture that say we should be ashamed of the success God’s given us. You can truly live and leave a lasting legacy. Start your journey today! The Legacy Journey will show you:
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Dave Ramsey
235 books2,840 followersDave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s a #1 National bestselling author and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. Dave’s eight national bestselling books include The Total Money Makeover, Baby Steps Millionaires, and EntreLeadership. Since 1992, Dave has helped people take control of their money, build wealth, and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO of Ramsey Solutions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
March 28, 2015
It was quite refreshing to read this book on biblical wealth. For anyone familiar with Dave Ramsey's message, you'll read briefly about the baby steps to financial freedom. But this book goes farther by looking at what the Bible really says about building wealth and being generous.
Is it okay for some people to earn substantially more than others? Does the Bible say anything about the redistribution of wealth that seems so popular within American culture today? If I'm debt free, can I really enjoy a nice car, or is that being too extravagant?
Not only does Mr. Ramsey discuss these kinds of questions within this book, but he talks briefly about the importance of teaching your children how to handle money, and what kinds of decisions you should be considering in estate planning.
If you are looking for a practical how-to on money, then I recommend either The Total Money Makeover or the Financial Peace University classes, both also by Dave Ramsey and his team. However, you are working your way through the baby steps Dave recommends and are wondering if it's ever okay to enjoy any of the money God gives to your stewardship, then this is the book to read.
Is it okay for some people to earn substantially more than others? Does the Bible say anything about the redistribution of wealth that seems so popular within American culture today? If I'm debt free, can I really enjoy a nice car, or is that being too extravagant?
Not only does Mr. Ramsey discuss these kinds of questions within this book, but he talks briefly about the importance of teaching your children how to handle money, and what kinds of decisions you should be considering in estate planning.
If you are looking for a practical how-to on money, then I recommend either The Total Money Makeover or the Financial Peace University classes, both also by Dave Ramsey and his team. However, you are working your way through the baby steps Dave recommends and are wondering if it's ever okay to enjoy any of the money God gives to your stewardship, then this is the book to read.
July 30, 2024
Review to come.
January 28, 2016
Dave Ramsey has a bizarre reinterpretation of Jesus' ascetic denial of material wealth. Dave seems to have some dissonance between his view that people should store up wealth to gain financial freedom (which I more or less agree with) and Jesus' view that you should give it all away. so...he completely reinterprets jesus' view to reduce this dissonance. it ended up being a little discordant.
September 30, 2017
LOVED. THIS.
If you've grown up with toxic messages swirling in your head regarding money, this is the cure. Whether it be from the gnostic-sackcloth-and-ashes vs. health-and-wealth bi-polarism in the church today, or the "buy"-today-pay-tomorrow, payment-plan-all-the-things mindset of the world, this is the solution to clearing the financial stewardship chaos in your world. There are tangible recommendations for growing your money, but the biggest value for this is to really dig into Scripture and find out what GOD says about money, wealth, stewardship, contentment, generosity, and your legacy. Dave covers all the pitfalls and ditches on BOTH sides of the road and addresses each candidly, clearly, and with his message coming through loud and clear.
If you've grown up with toxic messages swirling in your head regarding money, this is the cure. Whether it be from the gnostic-sackcloth-and-ashes vs. health-and-wealth bi-polarism in the church today, or the "buy"-today-pay-tomorrow, payment-plan-all-the-things mindset of the world, this is the solution to clearing the financial stewardship chaos in your world. There are tangible recommendations for growing your money, but the biggest value for this is to really dig into Scripture and find out what GOD says about money, wealth, stewardship, contentment, generosity, and your legacy. Dave covers all the pitfalls and ditches on BOTH sides of the road and addresses each candidly, clearly, and with his message coming through loud and clear.
September 21, 2020
A well written and articulated book on how we are stewards of Gods money. It also talks about the bibles view building a legacy and leaving a inheritance for your children and their children, something I had never even gave a second thought to.
October 7, 2026
My AI summary of my notes as I read through the book:
The Legacy Journey is a much more complicated book than I expected it to be.
I have read enough of Dave Ramsey to know his basic philosophy: get out of debt, live below your means, work hard, invest consistently, and eventually build wealth. What I did not expect was how much of this book would actually resonate with me—and how much I would strongly disagree with.
At its best, Ramsey offers genuinely good biblical and practical wisdom about stewardship, diligence, contentment, generosity, family, and the dangers of allowing money to become an idol. At its worst, however, he seems to take a biblical principle, combine it with his own experience of becoming wealthy, and then present the resulting philosophy as though it were the natural conclusion of Scripture.
That distinction is important.
The foundational idea of the book is actually one I strongly agree with: God owns everything, and we are managers of what He has entrusted to us. Ramsey repeatedly returns to this idea, and I think he gets something fundamentally right here. Psalm 24:1—“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof”—is an excellent foundation for thinking about wealth.
We are not owners in the ultimate sense. We are stewards.
That is a profoundly biblical way to think about money.
I also appreciate Ramsey’s distinction between money and wealth. The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace are largely about learning to handle money responsibly; The Legacy Journey is about what happens after someone has accumulated substantial wealth. That is a legitimate question, and one that Christians do not always address very well.
Unfortunately, I think Ramsey sometimes begins answering that question with a premise that Scripture does not necessarily support: if you handle money God’s way, you will become wealthy.
He says explicitly that if someone is diligent, wise, and follows God’s principles for money, he or she will eventually become one of the “rich people.”
I simply do not think that is true.
A person can work extraordinarily hard, live below his or her means, avoid debt, give generously, and manage money wisely—and still never become wealthy. Context matters enormously. Income, geography, family circumstances, health, opportunity, economic conditions, and countless other factors affect whether someone accumulates wealth.
More importantly, Scripture itself does not present wealth as the inevitable outcome of faithfulness.
This is where I kept coming back to Proverbs 30:8–9 throughout the book:
“Give me neither poverty nor riches.”
Ramsey cites Proverbs repeatedly—Proverbs 13, 18, 21, 28, 29, 31, and others—but I kept waiting for him to wrestle seriously with Proverbs 30’s warning about both poverty and riches. The omission became increasingly noticeable because so much of the book is devoted to establishing a positive theology of wealth.
That does not mean the Bible teaches that wealth is evil. It clearly does not.
But there is an enormous difference between saying wealth is not inherently sinful and saying wealth is the expected result of following God’s financial principles.
I think Ramsey sometimes moves too quickly from the first proposition toward the second.
One of the strangest moments for me comes very early, when Ramsey describes purchasing a two-year-old Jaguar after becoming wealthy and says he believes God smiled when he wrote the check.
That statement immediately made me uncomfortable.
I understand what Ramsey is trying to communicate: enjoying something nice is not automatically sinful. I agree with that. Christians do not need to feel guilty every time they purchase something expensive.
But I struggle with speaking so confidently about God’s approval of a particular luxury purchase. Scripture gives us examples of God delighting in obedience, generosity, faithfulness, mercy, and sacrificial devotion. I don’t recall an example of Scripture telling us that God smiled because someone purchased a luxury car.
That may seem like a small point, but it represents a larger issue I encountered throughout the book: Ramsey often seems remarkably confident about what God thinks about particular expressions of wealth.
And I think Christians should be more cautious.
The book’s discussion of the “spirits” associated with wealth was much stronger.
Ramsey identifies pride as one danger, poverty as another mindset, and gratitude as the proper response to wealth. His warning that wealth can become an idol is excellent. His use of Proverbs 18 and Proverbs 11 to show that the wealthy can wrongly place their security in their possessions is exactly the kind of biblical warning that this subject requires.
I particularly appreciated his admission that he has personally struggled with pride and with the desire for “stuff.”
That kind of self-awareness is one of Ramsey’s strengths.
There are several moments where he openly acknowledges his own failures and blind spots. That humility makes the book more compelling because it demonstrates that he is not merely presenting a financial system; he is describing lessons he believes he has learned through his own life.
And there is one phrase that I genuinely loved:
“Pray and Work.”
That captures something important. Biblical stewardship is neither passive dependence nor autonomous self-reliance. We work diligently while recognizing that God is ultimately the provider.
Ramsey is also absolutely right that contentment is essential.
In fact, this may be one of the strongest parts of the entire book.
His discussion of 1 Timothy 6:6—“godliness with contentment is great gain”—is excellent. I particularly appreciated his observation that contentment is not a destination but a manner of traveling. He also rightly refuses to equate contentment with idleness. Paul could be ambitious, disciplined, and relentlessly active while simultaneously saying that he had learned to be content whether he had much or little.
That is an important biblical balance.
Where I disagree is when Ramsey uses contentment to explain financial success in ways that sometimes seem to minimize economic context.
His example of one couple earning $40,000 and doing well while another earning $80,000 is drowning in debt is useful as far as it goes. Lifestyle inflation, discontentment, and poor financial decisions absolutely exist.
But it is not only contentment.
The cost of living varies enormously. Housing is perhaps the most obvious example. Someone living in an expensive metropolitan area can face financial pressures that simply do not exist in a lower-cost region. Ramsey’s framework sometimes treats financial outcomes as though they are almost entirely the product of personal behavior.
They aren’t.
Another major strength of the book is its emphasis on family legacy.
This is where I found myself agreeing with Ramsey much more often. Teaching children about money, preparing them to handle wealth responsibly, developing family values, creating accountability, establishing a family constitution, organizing important documents, and preparing an estate plan are all worthwhile.
The story of Ramsey’s teenage son giving $10,000 to earthquake relief because, in his words, “it’s not my money. It’s God’s money” was one of my favorite moments in the book.
That is the fruit of good parenting.
Whatever disagreements I have with Ramsey’s broader philosophy, it is hard not to appreciate seeing a child internalize the central principle that his father has spent years teaching: what we possess ultimately belongs to God.
I also appreciated Ramsey’s emphasis on accountability. His description of having trusted men in his life who can challenge him, correct him, and speak honestly into his decisions is genuinely healthy. Wealth can isolate people, and intentionally surrounding yourself with people who are willing to tell you when you are wrong is important.
The book is also very practical when it comes to estate planning. Wills, powers of attorney, insurance, financial records, family councils, and organized documentation are not glamorous subjects, but they are important. Ramsey’s “Legacy Box” concept is particularly practical.
There is a lot of wisdom here for families who actually want to steward what they have rather than simply accumulate more.
But then we come back to the central question:
How much is enough?
This is where I think the book never fully answers its own most important question.
Ramsey repeatedly argues that wealth is not the problem; the problem is trusting wealth. I agree with that distinction.
But if wealth is extraordinarily powerful, spiritually dangerous, and repeatedly described in Scripture as something that can choke the Word, become an idol, and make entering the kingdom difficult, then Christians need more than an assurance that wealth itself is morally neutral.
They need to ask what faithful stewardship actually requires of the wealthy.
And I don’t think Ramsey pushes that question far enough.
One example especially bothered me. Ramsey describes an extremely wealthy Christian couple earning around $10 million a year. In his proposed allocation, a significant amount goes toward investing for future purposes while a smaller amount goes toward additional giving.
I understand the logic: continuing to invest can create even more resources that may eventually be used for Kingdom purposes.
But I found myself thinking: Why wait?
If there is genuine abundance now and genuine need now, why should the default response be to continue accumulating even more wealth in the hope of doing more later?
That is where Ramsey’s concept of “legacy” can begin to feel almost inverted.
He argues that giving away everything could mean abandoning one’s role as a manager. I think that is a legitimate question. Stewardship does not necessarily mean liquidating everything and giving it away.
But the opposite question must also be asked:
Can a manager hold on to too much?
At what point does stewardship become accumulation?
At what point does “I’m preserving this for future Kingdom purposes” become an easier Christian-sounding justification for continuing to accumulate?
I don’t think Ramsey sufficiently answers that question.
His treatment of the widow’s offering in Luke 21 was therefore fascinating to me. He acknowledges that the traditional interpretation—that Jesus is highlighting the widow’s sacrificial generosity—may be correct. But he also points out that the surrounding context is Jesus condemning a religious system that was devouring widows’ houses.
I thought this was a genuinely thoughtful observation.
But I also think it exposes the difficulty in Ramsey’s overall framework. The widow gives everything. Ramsey’s financial system generally teaches people to build reserves, eliminate debt, accumulate wealth, protect their families, and eventually give extravagantly from abundance.
Both principles have biblical support.
The question is whether Ramsey’s system gives sufficient weight to the radical nature of Jesus’ teaching about possessions.
I kept thinking about the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8, who gave generously out of deep poverty, and Paul’s statement in Philippians 4 that he had learned to live with both abundance and need.
The New Testament’s vision of financial faithfulness does not seem to be simply “become wealthy, then become generous.”
Sometimes it is be generous while you are poor.
Sometimes it is be content when you have little.
Sometimes it is give sacrificially when it costs you something.
And sometimes, perhaps, it is receive wealth gratefully and steward it faithfully.
The Christian challenge is discerning which situation God has actually placed us in.
I also found Ramsey’s repeated use of Proverbs 13:22—“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children”—interesting. It is clearly one of the passages that has shaped his philosophy profoundly.
And there is nothing wrong with wanting to leave an inheritance.
But again, I kept thinking about Proverbs 30.
Ramsey seems particularly drawn to the passages of Proverbs that emphasize diligence, saving, inheritance, and prosperity. I would have liked to see him wrestle much more seriously with the passages that warn about the spiritual dangers of having too much.
That is perhaps my biggest theological criticism of the book: the biblical case for wealth is much more complicated than Ramsey sometimes makes it.
He is at his strongest when he says, “Wealth is God’s, not mine.”
He is at his weakest when he seems to move from “God may entrust wealth to someone” to “God’s way of handling money naturally produces wealth.”
Those are not the same claim.
I also found it interesting that Ramsey openly credits Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s Thou Shall Prosper with significantly influencing the way he reads New Testament teaching about money. That admission is fascinating because it reveals something important about the book’s hermeneutical framework. Ramsey is not simply deriving his philosophy from the New Testament; he is deliberately bringing Old Testament and Jewish approaches to prosperity into his reading of the New Testament.
I found that intellectually interesting even where I was not convinced by the conclusions.
There is also a refreshing amount of practical wisdom throughout the book that I would readily recommend to almost anyone. Budgeting matters. Debt is dangerous. Saving matters. Working diligently matters. Contentment matters. Marriage matters more than career success. Children need to be taught how to handle money. Estate planning matters. Accountability matters. Generosity matters.
And Ramsey is right that success should not be measured by financial accumulation alone.
One of his better lines is that he refuses to become successful with a trail of divorces and broken homes behind him. That is exactly right. A person who accumulates millions while destroying his marriage and children has not succeeded in any meaningful Christian sense.
The book’s greatest success, then, may be that Ramsey genuinely wants wealth to be placed under the Lordship of Christ.
I don’t doubt that.
His repeated insistence that everything belongs to God, his willingness to acknowledge his own struggles with pride and materialism, his emphasis on accountability, his son’s generosity, and his desire to use wealth for Kingdom purposes all provide evidence that this is more than simply a book about getting rich.
But I also think the book reveals the limitations of Ramsey’s particular framework.
He has spent his life becoming extraordinarily successful financially, and it sometimes seems that he has built a theological framework that allows him to affirm that success without having to take some of Jesus’ most uncomfortable teachings about wealth quite as seriously as I think he should.
That is why I landed at three stars.
There is far too much good here for me to dismiss the book. Ramsey has genuine wisdom to offer, and several sections challenged and encouraged me. His emphasis on stewardship, contentment, work, family, generosity, and accountability is valuable.
But I ultimately found myself asking a question Ramsey never completely answered:
If God really owns it all, how much can a faithful manager legitimately keep?
I don’t think the answer is “nothing.” Scripture does not teach that.
But neither do I think the answer is simply “as much as you can accumulate while continuing to give generously.”
The Christian vision of wealth is more radical than that.
The goal is not poverty.
The goal is not riches.
The goal is faithfulness.
And perhaps that is why Proverbs 30 kept coming back to me throughout this entire book:
“Give me neither poverty nor riches.”
I wish The Legacy Journey had spent as much time wrestling with that prayer as it did explaining how to become wealthy.
The Legacy Journey is a much more complicated book than I expected it to be.
I have read enough of Dave Ramsey to know his basic philosophy: get out of debt, live below your means, work hard, invest consistently, and eventually build wealth. What I did not expect was how much of this book would actually resonate with me—and how much I would strongly disagree with.
At its best, Ramsey offers genuinely good biblical and practical wisdom about stewardship, diligence, contentment, generosity, family, and the dangers of allowing money to become an idol. At its worst, however, he seems to take a biblical principle, combine it with his own experience of becoming wealthy, and then present the resulting philosophy as though it were the natural conclusion of Scripture.
That distinction is important.
The foundational idea of the book is actually one I strongly agree with: God owns everything, and we are managers of what He has entrusted to us. Ramsey repeatedly returns to this idea, and I think he gets something fundamentally right here. Psalm 24:1—“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof”—is an excellent foundation for thinking about wealth.
We are not owners in the ultimate sense. We are stewards.
That is a profoundly biblical way to think about money.
I also appreciate Ramsey’s distinction between money and wealth. The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace are largely about learning to handle money responsibly; The Legacy Journey is about what happens after someone has accumulated substantial wealth. That is a legitimate question, and one that Christians do not always address very well.
Unfortunately, I think Ramsey sometimes begins answering that question with a premise that Scripture does not necessarily support: if you handle money God’s way, you will become wealthy.
He says explicitly that if someone is diligent, wise, and follows God’s principles for money, he or she will eventually become one of the “rich people.”
I simply do not think that is true.
A person can work extraordinarily hard, live below his or her means, avoid debt, give generously, and manage money wisely—and still never become wealthy. Context matters enormously. Income, geography, family circumstances, health, opportunity, economic conditions, and countless other factors affect whether someone accumulates wealth.
More importantly, Scripture itself does not present wealth as the inevitable outcome of faithfulness.
This is where I kept coming back to Proverbs 30:8–9 throughout the book:
“Give me neither poverty nor riches.”
Ramsey cites Proverbs repeatedly—Proverbs 13, 18, 21, 28, 29, 31, and others—but I kept waiting for him to wrestle seriously with Proverbs 30’s warning about both poverty and riches. The omission became increasingly noticeable because so much of the book is devoted to establishing a positive theology of wealth.
That does not mean the Bible teaches that wealth is evil. It clearly does not.
But there is an enormous difference between saying wealth is not inherently sinful and saying wealth is the expected result of following God’s financial principles.
I think Ramsey sometimes moves too quickly from the first proposition toward the second.
One of the strangest moments for me comes very early, when Ramsey describes purchasing a two-year-old Jaguar after becoming wealthy and says he believes God smiled when he wrote the check.
That statement immediately made me uncomfortable.
I understand what Ramsey is trying to communicate: enjoying something nice is not automatically sinful. I agree with that. Christians do not need to feel guilty every time they purchase something expensive.
But I struggle with speaking so confidently about God’s approval of a particular luxury purchase. Scripture gives us examples of God delighting in obedience, generosity, faithfulness, mercy, and sacrificial devotion. I don’t recall an example of Scripture telling us that God smiled because someone purchased a luxury car.
That may seem like a small point, but it represents a larger issue I encountered throughout the book: Ramsey often seems remarkably confident about what God thinks about particular expressions of wealth.
And I think Christians should be more cautious.
The book’s discussion of the “spirits” associated with wealth was much stronger.
Ramsey identifies pride as one danger, poverty as another mindset, and gratitude as the proper response to wealth. His warning that wealth can become an idol is excellent. His use of Proverbs 18 and Proverbs 11 to show that the wealthy can wrongly place their security in their possessions is exactly the kind of biblical warning that this subject requires.
I particularly appreciated his admission that he has personally struggled with pride and with the desire for “stuff.”
That kind of self-awareness is one of Ramsey’s strengths.
There are several moments where he openly acknowledges his own failures and blind spots. That humility makes the book more compelling because it demonstrates that he is not merely presenting a financial system; he is describing lessons he believes he has learned through his own life.
And there is one phrase that I genuinely loved:
“Pray and Work.”
That captures something important. Biblical stewardship is neither passive dependence nor autonomous self-reliance. We work diligently while recognizing that God is ultimately the provider.
Ramsey is also absolutely right that contentment is essential.
In fact, this may be one of the strongest parts of the entire book.
His discussion of 1 Timothy 6:6—“godliness with contentment is great gain”—is excellent. I particularly appreciated his observation that contentment is not a destination but a manner of traveling. He also rightly refuses to equate contentment with idleness. Paul could be ambitious, disciplined, and relentlessly active while simultaneously saying that he had learned to be content whether he had much or little.
That is an important biblical balance.
Where I disagree is when Ramsey uses contentment to explain financial success in ways that sometimes seem to minimize economic context.
His example of one couple earning $40,000 and doing well while another earning $80,000 is drowning in debt is useful as far as it goes. Lifestyle inflation, discontentment, and poor financial decisions absolutely exist.
But it is not only contentment.
The cost of living varies enormously. Housing is perhaps the most obvious example. Someone living in an expensive metropolitan area can face financial pressures that simply do not exist in a lower-cost region. Ramsey’s framework sometimes treats financial outcomes as though they are almost entirely the product of personal behavior.
They aren’t.
Another major strength of the book is its emphasis on family legacy.
This is where I found myself agreeing with Ramsey much more often. Teaching children about money, preparing them to handle wealth responsibly, developing family values, creating accountability, establishing a family constitution, organizing important documents, and preparing an estate plan are all worthwhile.
The story of Ramsey’s teenage son giving $10,000 to earthquake relief because, in his words, “it’s not my money. It’s God’s money” was one of my favorite moments in the book.
That is the fruit of good parenting.
Whatever disagreements I have with Ramsey’s broader philosophy, it is hard not to appreciate seeing a child internalize the central principle that his father has spent years teaching: what we possess ultimately belongs to God.
I also appreciated Ramsey’s emphasis on accountability. His description of having trusted men in his life who can challenge him, correct him, and speak honestly into his decisions is genuinely healthy. Wealth can isolate people, and intentionally surrounding yourself with people who are willing to tell you when you are wrong is important.
The book is also very practical when it comes to estate planning. Wills, powers of attorney, insurance, financial records, family councils, and organized documentation are not glamorous subjects, but they are important. Ramsey’s “Legacy Box” concept is particularly practical.
There is a lot of wisdom here for families who actually want to steward what they have rather than simply accumulate more.
But then we come back to the central question:
How much is enough?
This is where I think the book never fully answers its own most important question.
Ramsey repeatedly argues that wealth is not the problem; the problem is trusting wealth. I agree with that distinction.
But if wealth is extraordinarily powerful, spiritually dangerous, and repeatedly described in Scripture as something that can choke the Word, become an idol, and make entering the kingdom difficult, then Christians need more than an assurance that wealth itself is morally neutral.
They need to ask what faithful stewardship actually requires of the wealthy.
And I don’t think Ramsey pushes that question far enough.
One example especially bothered me. Ramsey describes an extremely wealthy Christian couple earning around $10 million a year. In his proposed allocation, a significant amount goes toward investing for future purposes while a smaller amount goes toward additional giving.
I understand the logic: continuing to invest can create even more resources that may eventually be used for Kingdom purposes.
But I found myself thinking: Why wait?
If there is genuine abundance now and genuine need now, why should the default response be to continue accumulating even more wealth in the hope of doing more later?
That is where Ramsey’s concept of “legacy” can begin to feel almost inverted.
He argues that giving away everything could mean abandoning one’s role as a manager. I think that is a legitimate question. Stewardship does not necessarily mean liquidating everything and giving it away.
But the opposite question must also be asked:
Can a manager hold on to too much?
At what point does stewardship become accumulation?
At what point does “I’m preserving this for future Kingdom purposes” become an easier Christian-sounding justification for continuing to accumulate?
I don’t think Ramsey sufficiently answers that question.
His treatment of the widow’s offering in Luke 21 was therefore fascinating to me. He acknowledges that the traditional interpretation—that Jesus is highlighting the widow’s sacrificial generosity—may be correct. But he also points out that the surrounding context is Jesus condemning a religious system that was devouring widows’ houses.
I thought this was a genuinely thoughtful observation.
But I also think it exposes the difficulty in Ramsey’s overall framework. The widow gives everything. Ramsey’s financial system generally teaches people to build reserves, eliminate debt, accumulate wealth, protect their families, and eventually give extravagantly from abundance.
Both principles have biblical support.
The question is whether Ramsey’s system gives sufficient weight to the radical nature of Jesus’ teaching about possessions.
I kept thinking about the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8, who gave generously out of deep poverty, and Paul’s statement in Philippians 4 that he had learned to live with both abundance and need.
The New Testament’s vision of financial faithfulness does not seem to be simply “become wealthy, then become generous.”
Sometimes it is be generous while you are poor.
Sometimes it is be content when you have little.
Sometimes it is give sacrificially when it costs you something.
And sometimes, perhaps, it is receive wealth gratefully and steward it faithfully.
The Christian challenge is discerning which situation God has actually placed us in.
I also found Ramsey’s repeated use of Proverbs 13:22—“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children”—interesting. It is clearly one of the passages that has shaped his philosophy profoundly.
And there is nothing wrong with wanting to leave an inheritance.
But again, I kept thinking about Proverbs 30.
Ramsey seems particularly drawn to the passages of Proverbs that emphasize diligence, saving, inheritance, and prosperity. I would have liked to see him wrestle much more seriously with the passages that warn about the spiritual dangers of having too much.
That is perhaps my biggest theological criticism of the book: the biblical case for wealth is much more complicated than Ramsey sometimes makes it.
He is at his strongest when he says, “Wealth is God’s, not mine.”
He is at his weakest when he seems to move from “God may entrust wealth to someone” to “God’s way of handling money naturally produces wealth.”
Those are not the same claim.
I also found it interesting that Ramsey openly credits Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s Thou Shall Prosper with significantly influencing the way he reads New Testament teaching about money. That admission is fascinating because it reveals something important about the book’s hermeneutical framework. Ramsey is not simply deriving his philosophy from the New Testament; he is deliberately bringing Old Testament and Jewish approaches to prosperity into his reading of the New Testament.
I found that intellectually interesting even where I was not convinced by the conclusions.
There is also a refreshing amount of practical wisdom throughout the book that I would readily recommend to almost anyone. Budgeting matters. Debt is dangerous. Saving matters. Working diligently matters. Contentment matters. Marriage matters more than career success. Children need to be taught how to handle money. Estate planning matters. Accountability matters. Generosity matters.
And Ramsey is right that success should not be measured by financial accumulation alone.
One of his better lines is that he refuses to become successful with a trail of divorces and broken homes behind him. That is exactly right. A person who accumulates millions while destroying his marriage and children has not succeeded in any meaningful Christian sense.
The book’s greatest success, then, may be that Ramsey genuinely wants wealth to be placed under the Lordship of Christ.
I don’t doubt that.
His repeated insistence that everything belongs to God, his willingness to acknowledge his own struggles with pride and materialism, his emphasis on accountability, his son’s generosity, and his desire to use wealth for Kingdom purposes all provide evidence that this is more than simply a book about getting rich.
But I also think the book reveals the limitations of Ramsey’s particular framework.
He has spent his life becoming extraordinarily successful financially, and it sometimes seems that he has built a theological framework that allows him to affirm that success without having to take some of Jesus’ most uncomfortable teachings about wealth quite as seriously as I think he should.
That is why I landed at three stars.
There is far too much good here for me to dismiss the book. Ramsey has genuine wisdom to offer, and several sections challenged and encouraged me. His emphasis on stewardship, contentment, work, family, generosity, and accountability is valuable.
But I ultimately found myself asking a question Ramsey never completely answered:
If God really owns it all, how much can a faithful manager legitimately keep?
I don’t think the answer is “nothing.” Scripture does not teach that.
But neither do I think the answer is simply “as much as you can accumulate while continuing to give generously.”
The Christian vision of wealth is more radical than that.
The goal is not poverty.
The goal is not riches.
The goal is faithfulness.
And perhaps that is why Proverbs 30 kept coming back to me throughout this entire book:
“Give me neither poverty nor riches.”
I wish The Legacy Journey had spent as much time wrestling with that prayer as it did explaining how to become wealthy.
November 17, 2014
In Dave Ramsey's previous books, he tackles the how to get financially fit.
In this book The Legacy Journey, he tackles more of the why we should get financially fit.
He exposes some myths many Christians carry regarding wealth. Using passages that are normally misinterpreted in the bible, he explains why it's important to build wealth now in order to leave a greater legacy.
He also expresses the need for a will, and the importance of selecting the right investments for retirement.
This book will help you create a bigger vision for your finances. I'm currently on baby step two from his previous book, Total Money Makeover but am pumped to push harder in order to advance me on my legacy journey!
In this book The Legacy Journey, he tackles more of the why we should get financially fit.
He exposes some myths many Christians carry regarding wealth. Using passages that are normally misinterpreted in the bible, he explains why it's important to build wealth now in order to leave a greater legacy.
He also expresses the need for a will, and the importance of selecting the right investments for retirement.
This book will help you create a bigger vision for your finances. I'm currently on baby step two from his previous book, Total Money Makeover but am pumped to push harder in order to advance me on my legacy journey!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2022
I picked this up because as my husband and I approach the end of our debt payoff journey, it's becoming apparent that I need to deal with my discomfort around having more money than what's strictly necessary for survival. I certainly don't agree with a lot of Dave Ramsey's biblical interpretations, and I absolutely took notes to compare his financial teachings to those of progressive Christian leaders. But I will say that some of the arguments he presents in this book have been helpful in making me feel less guilty for being middle class and more ready to handle saving and giving money once our debt is paid off.
December 22, 2020
Everyone should read this book. Like FPU 201. Especially love the chapter about training our children to be good money managers. While I don’t agree with Ramsey about everything, I am shocked at how many takeaways this book gave me (and he uses Scripture solidly, too!).
(Relistened.)
(Relistened.)
April 8, 2019
A great follow-up from Financial Peace University for those who are on Baby Steps 4-7 and focused on building wealth and leaving a legacy. I really loved the chapters giving a Biblical view of success/wealth and focus on the goodness of our daily work.
The “Baby Steps” of The Legacy Journey:
Now: Taking Control—laser focused on taking control of your money and cleaning up a financial mess
Then: Getting a Future Focused—adopt a future focus (Baby Step 4 and 5)
Us: Creating a Family Legacy—imaging the future for not just your immediate family by teaching your kids about money but also for future generations.
Them: Leaving a Legacy for Others—looking at how God will use you to meet the needs of your community and the world.
Chapter 2 The War on Success
P. 20 discusses a Jewish view of wealth which is eye-opening. “If there is one Jewish attribute more directly responsible for Jewish success in business than any other, it is this one: Jewish tradition views a person’s quest for profit and wealth to be inherently moral.... Believing that making money is a selfish activity will undermine anyone’s changes of success.”
P. 29 “Humility recognizes that God is 100 percent responsible for every blessing, every success, every outcome, and every reward in my life. I only have these things because God gave them to me. Sure, I worked hard but God provided the result. Humility, then, leads to gratitude.”
Chapter 3 Snares and Dares
P. 41 Martin Luther quote, “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
Chapter 4 The Law of Great Gain
P. 60 “Contentment is not a lack of ambition or action or intensity. It’s the condition of our hearts while we’re pursing those things. The question shouldn’t be, ‘Is it okay for me to have some nice stuff?’ The real question is, ‘If I don’t have nice stuff, will my spirit be okay with that? Do I have to have this stuff in order to have peace.’”
Chapter 5 Your Work Matters
P. 87-88 “Success is a journey, not a destination.” “I believe that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and that plan includes a job, a career, a calling to do a specific work while we’re on this earth... That means our work matters to God, and what we do with our days has a huge impact on the legacy we leave behind.”
P. 93 A quote from Rabbi Lapin, “Man is most in God’s image when he is creating things.”
P. 96 “Get out there and move some things around, and your purpose will find you. It’s called the Butterfly Effect and it means: A little bit of activity today can lead to enormous results later.”
P. 99 “Earl Nightingale defined success as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal,” or goal. Notice that he didn’t say it’s the accomplishment of a goal; it’s the progressive realization—the active of working toward the goal. So when are you a success? You’re a success when you get off the cough, set a good goal, and get to work!”
P. 103 I’ve never read Zig Ziglar’s Wheel of Life but like the concept of goals in each of these areas to grow: Family, Spiritual, Physical, Social, Financial, Intellectual, Career
Chapter 7 Generational Legacy
P. 148 Andy Andrews quote on parenting “‘I’m not that interested in raising great kids. I’m more interested in raising pretty good kids who grow up to be great adults.’ If you’re focused only on having great kids, your parenting style will be all about basic rule following and stiff punishment for going out of bounds. Your kids will be well-mannered and polite, and you may have the picture of a perfect family. At least until they go to college...”
P. 160 I love the idea of a family constitution starting with a family mission statement which takes into account your skills/abilities, personality traits, values, dreams and passions. 2. Tailored to your specific family 3. Live it out! 4. Forming a family council to update and enforce the constitution with regular meetings
P. 164-165 The idea of a Legacy Box readily accessible for spouse, children, etc in the event of your death:
Executive Summary (lists what’s in the box)
Legacy Letters (personal letters to each close family member)
Birth Certificates
SS Cards
Passports
Marriage Certificate
Auto Insurance
Homeowner’s/Renter’s Insurance
Health Insurance
LTD Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance
ID Theft Protection
Life Insurance
Umbrella Liability Insurance
Estate Plan
Power of Attorneys
Wills
Funeral Instructions
Financial Account Log
Safe Deposit Log
Monthly Budget
Tax Returns
Money Market Statements
Mutual Fun Statements
College Funds
Retirement Accounts
Rental Property Summary
Car Titles
Home Ownership Records
Passwords/Combinations
Chapter 8 Called to Generosity
P. 188 Displacement method of generosity “We’re supposed to go into a dark world with our time, talents, and treasure and engage the culture in such a way that we create displacement. And the more of that we do, the cleaner the society becomes. The more we surrender and pull back from that, the more the filth takes over—because one side is going to displace the other.”
P. 192 A cake vs candle view of wealth. The cake is finite and will be cut up and eaten away, a candle lights others but doesn’t lose any of it’s light.
The Pinnacle Point (this chapter is taken from Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money)
P. 201 “[Investing is] is no about the dollars; it’s about the kind of life you want to live later on. What you do today will determine that.”
P. 207 Inflation: he suggests that investments need to make around 6% to stay ahead of inflation.
P. 209 He suggests Money Markets are the way to go for savings—specifically the emergency fund so it is liquid while still giving you at least a little return.
P. 214 Mutual Fund Diversification Types: growth, growth and income, aggressive growth, and international.
P. 219 Ramsey’s tips on rental real estate which should only occur at Baby Step 7
1. Buy Slowly and Pay Cash
2. You Make Your Money at the Buy
3. Pay No More than 70-80% Market Value
4. Only Buy Properties in Your Area
The part of the book is a chapter from Jon Acuff’s book Start
The Five Lands described for every life as a map to plan out the career side of the legacy journey
1. The Land of Learning—finding your beginning will take time
We don’t need to have the finish line in place before we take the first step. “The only line you can control is the starting line; that one is entirely up to you.”
2. The Land of Editing—subtracting distractions, separate the good from the great.
3. The Land of Mastering—Gain lots of experience and be financially smart. The fastest way to become an expert at your new calling is to do so slowly—by acquiring insane amounts of experience.
4. The Land of Harvesting—You’re killing it and making money. But be sure to surround yourself with wise counsel.
5. The Land of Guiding—mentoring others in the way you’ve come. Helps someone else on their own road to awesome.
“We shouldn’t settle for ordinary because we don’t serve and ordinary God.”
The “Baby Steps” of The Legacy Journey:
Now: Taking Control—laser focused on taking control of your money and cleaning up a financial mess
Then: Getting a Future Focused—adopt a future focus (Baby Step 4 and 5)
Us: Creating a Family Legacy—imaging the future for not just your immediate family by teaching your kids about money but also for future generations.
Them: Leaving a Legacy for Others—looking at how God will use you to meet the needs of your community and the world.
Chapter 2 The War on Success
P. 20 discusses a Jewish view of wealth which is eye-opening. “If there is one Jewish attribute more directly responsible for Jewish success in business than any other, it is this one: Jewish tradition views a person’s quest for profit and wealth to be inherently moral.... Believing that making money is a selfish activity will undermine anyone’s changes of success.”
P. 29 “Humility recognizes that God is 100 percent responsible for every blessing, every success, every outcome, and every reward in my life. I only have these things because God gave them to me. Sure, I worked hard but God provided the result. Humility, then, leads to gratitude.”
Chapter 3 Snares and Dares
P. 41 Martin Luther quote, “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
Chapter 4 The Law of Great Gain
P. 60 “Contentment is not a lack of ambition or action or intensity. It’s the condition of our hearts while we’re pursing those things. The question shouldn’t be, ‘Is it okay for me to have some nice stuff?’ The real question is, ‘If I don’t have nice stuff, will my spirit be okay with that? Do I have to have this stuff in order to have peace.’”
Chapter 5 Your Work Matters
P. 87-88 “Success is a journey, not a destination.” “I believe that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and that plan includes a job, a career, a calling to do a specific work while we’re on this earth... That means our work matters to God, and what we do with our days has a huge impact on the legacy we leave behind.”
P. 93 A quote from Rabbi Lapin, “Man is most in God’s image when he is creating things.”
P. 96 “Get out there and move some things around, and your purpose will find you. It’s called the Butterfly Effect and it means: A little bit of activity today can lead to enormous results later.”
P. 99 “Earl Nightingale defined success as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal,” or goal. Notice that he didn’t say it’s the accomplishment of a goal; it’s the progressive realization—the active of working toward the goal. So when are you a success? You’re a success when you get off the cough, set a good goal, and get to work!”
P. 103 I’ve never read Zig Ziglar’s Wheel of Life but like the concept of goals in each of these areas to grow: Family, Spiritual, Physical, Social, Financial, Intellectual, Career
Chapter 7 Generational Legacy
P. 148 Andy Andrews quote on parenting “‘I’m not that interested in raising great kids. I’m more interested in raising pretty good kids who grow up to be great adults.’ If you’re focused only on having great kids, your parenting style will be all about basic rule following and stiff punishment for going out of bounds. Your kids will be well-mannered and polite, and you may have the picture of a perfect family. At least until they go to college...”
P. 160 I love the idea of a family constitution starting with a family mission statement which takes into account your skills/abilities, personality traits, values, dreams and passions. 2. Tailored to your specific family 3. Live it out! 4. Forming a family council to update and enforce the constitution with regular meetings
P. 164-165 The idea of a Legacy Box readily accessible for spouse, children, etc in the event of your death:
Executive Summary (lists what’s in the box)
Legacy Letters (personal letters to each close family member)
Birth Certificates
SS Cards
Passports
Marriage Certificate
Auto Insurance
Homeowner’s/Renter’s Insurance
Health Insurance
LTD Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance
ID Theft Protection
Life Insurance
Umbrella Liability Insurance
Estate Plan
Power of Attorneys
Wills
Funeral Instructions
Financial Account Log
Safe Deposit Log
Monthly Budget
Tax Returns
Money Market Statements
Mutual Fun Statements
College Funds
Retirement Accounts
Rental Property Summary
Car Titles
Home Ownership Records
Passwords/Combinations
Chapter 8 Called to Generosity
P. 188 Displacement method of generosity “We’re supposed to go into a dark world with our time, talents, and treasure and engage the culture in such a way that we create displacement. And the more of that we do, the cleaner the society becomes. The more we surrender and pull back from that, the more the filth takes over—because one side is going to displace the other.”
P. 192 A cake vs candle view of wealth. The cake is finite and will be cut up and eaten away, a candle lights others but doesn’t lose any of it’s light.
The Pinnacle Point (this chapter is taken from Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money)
P. 201 “[Investing is] is no about the dollars; it’s about the kind of life you want to live later on. What you do today will determine that.”
P. 207 Inflation: he suggests that investments need to make around 6% to stay ahead of inflation.
P. 209 He suggests Money Markets are the way to go for savings—specifically the emergency fund so it is liquid while still giving you at least a little return.
P. 214 Mutual Fund Diversification Types: growth, growth and income, aggressive growth, and international.
P. 219 Ramsey’s tips on rental real estate which should only occur at Baby Step 7
1. Buy Slowly and Pay Cash
2. You Make Your Money at the Buy
3. Pay No More than 70-80% Market Value
4. Only Buy Properties in Your Area
The part of the book is a chapter from Jon Acuff’s book Start
The Five Lands described for every life as a map to plan out the career side of the legacy journey
1. The Land of Learning—finding your beginning will take time
We don’t need to have the finish line in place before we take the first step. “The only line you can control is the starting line; that one is entirely up to you.”
2. The Land of Editing—subtracting distractions, separate the good from the great.
3. The Land of Mastering—Gain lots of experience and be financially smart. The fastest way to become an expert at your new calling is to do so slowly—by acquiring insane amounts of experience.
4. The Land of Harvesting—You’re killing it and making money. But be sure to surround yourself with wise counsel.
5. The Land of Guiding—mentoring others in the way you’ve come. Helps someone else on their own road to awesome.
“We shouldn’t settle for ordinary because we don’t serve and ordinary God.”
February 17, 2022
If you find yourself at some point in life having some success in making money, through earnings, investment, skill or luck or perseverance, but feel that biblical teachings put monetary wealth in a bad light, this is the book for you. Ramsey dives in to those specific biblical passages that appear on the surface to be dissing the rich and provides an alternative interpretation. There are a handful of passages that get a detailed review, especially describing the historical situation that influenced the wording and reading the surrounding passages for context. Context is the big “eye-opener” here. You can easily understand where he’s coming from. One of the messages that comes out of this book is that according to Ramsey’s reading, God wants you to enjoy the fruits of your labors. And tithing is a given. I read this because I thought it was a general book on the mindset of planning investments for the distant future for heirs and for charity. It’s not that - the key word in the title ends up being "biblical". But I must admit that the message was a nice change from the self-loathing that much of society and the media has been heaping on people.
June 12, 2021
I’ve always appreciated Dave Ramsey’s teaching on finances and how he connects them to biblical principals. Some examples can be extreme,,but the principal behind it as actually fairly simple, and often common sense.
Reading Dave’s teaching on leaving a legacy, and not only in a financial way is a great boost to current day saving and managing finances. Understanding we’re stewarding resources God has provided puts money in a different perspective. I believe it’s something to often think upon, and a great motivation for growth!
Reading Dave’s teaching on leaving a legacy, and not only in a financial way is a great boost to current day saving and managing finances. Understanding we’re stewarding resources God has provided puts money in a different perspective. I believe it’s something to often think upon, and a great motivation for growth!
May 10, 2019
My husband and I have been following Dave Ramsey’s baby steps for over a year now. This book showed us the spiritual purpose behind being responsible with the resources God has given us. With his “now, then, us, them” segments, he shows how our finances are to ultimately be used to care for our families or generations to come and to give generously to others. The legacy is that we are to teach our children about financial responsibility so they can carry on the legacy of generosity.
July 14, 2021
Easy to poke holes in Ramsey’s logic or find something to criticize him about… But the fact is he’s gotten bajillions of people out of debt, told them to tithe 10% the whole time and live incredibly generously as they build wealth. Hard to argue against that being a Christian.
Would recommend to anyone who is curious what the heck to do in the long-term (in their life, and in the ultimate “long-term”… for eternity) with their money. I loved reading this book, thinking about how I can try to bless my children’s children and further God’s kingdom with just responsible spending/saving.
Would recommend to anyone who is curious what the heck to do in the long-term (in their life, and in the ultimate “long-term”… for eternity) with their money. I loved reading this book, thinking about how I can try to bless my children’s children and further God’s kingdom with just responsible spending/saving.
October 16, 2026
As a huge all things Ramsey fan, this book is fantastic. It isn’t one that gives you step by step check list on how to leave wealth, but a wealth of solid biblical principals as a basis for the choices you make daily. Dave includes examples of real life application. As usual, I highly recommend this book by Dave !!
May 15, 2020
My first Ramsey book. Baby steps, check, no problem. Was hoping for many more concrete ideas on building wealth for a lasting legacy. Over half of this felt like trying to convince himself he isn’t a bad Christian because “the Bible says you have to take care of your family first”.
June 14, 2021
A book on wealth, which is different for Dave who usually talks about money. I felt like this book was mainly justification for building wealth in a capitalistic society using biblical passages. While I didn’t listen to this book for that purpose, it was the major theme throughout and I felt the book left me with a Spirit of Argument and Debate.
I’m now equipped to debate anyone who thinks rich people are damned for their wealth. The only problem is I don’t want to debate people on Biblical Interpretation on themes so small. I want to love them. I will be able to do this with action. Physical and financial.
I’m now equipped to debate anyone who thinks rich people are damned for their wealth. The only problem is I don’t want to debate people on Biblical Interpretation on themes so small. I want to love them. I will be able to do this with action. Physical and financial.
May 27, 2017
This should be recategorized as fiction. Don't take advice from people who talk to an invisible man in the sky, especially about real life things like your money, and certainly don't give any to Dave Ramsey. If you like this, might as well read "Dollar Signs: an astrological guide to personal finance" by Yvonne Morabito since they're both based on absolutely disproven mythology.
May 14, 2020
If you want to get to the point where your investments provide a higher return then your work start your journey here by reading this.
Things my 👂 picked up on...👇
God has been teaching me about money for the last ten years now it's time to teach me about wealth
If you are diligent and wise with your income then over time you will become wealthy
Where there is no vision, the people perish Proverbs 29:18
I refuse to give ownership of what God's given me to manage
Yes he's the true heir to your estate
Service to the market generates wealth, not your inherent value as a human
The things that are impossible with man are possible with God
Money is like a brick you can use it to build a church or you can through the church window
I dare you to build wealth not only so you can build wealth so you can change not only your family tree, but also the whole community
The smallest amount can make the biggest difference
Man is most in God's image when he is creating things
You never know what the final result of any action will be
Set goals that leave room for the power of God
Everything is created twice, first in the mind, then in reality
Setting your mind on something and believing it's not only possible but probable is the key to success
Your goals must be your own
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but companion of fools suffers harm Proverbs 13:20
Is this a situation God would pour his blessings into? If the answer is yes, then maybe it's something he wants you to do with his money
Get some money and multiply it like I did
Your only limit is you
Peron ally I think most of your excuses are garbage
God everything that we ever have comes straight from your hand
The reason the poor are poor are not because the rich are rich
I want to get to the point where my investments provide a higher return then my work
Don't bet the family farm on one race horse
Money is a renewable resource
They call me bill gates, they know the money's real
Most people's success rise out of the ashes of their previous failures
What can I do today that will get me closer to where you are in your business and in your wealth building?
Give it to God...It's a blessing he will carry it
We love to match good people to good homes
Help someone else on their own road to awesome
Take a look at the offer, if it's not right, don't sign the deal
Things my 👂 picked up on...👇
God has been teaching me about money for the last ten years now it's time to teach me about wealth
If you are diligent and wise with your income then over time you will become wealthy
Where there is no vision, the people perish Proverbs 29:18
I refuse to give ownership of what God's given me to manage
Yes he's the true heir to your estate
Service to the market generates wealth, not your inherent value as a human
The things that are impossible with man are possible with God
Money is like a brick you can use it to build a church or you can through the church window
I dare you to build wealth not only so you can build wealth so you can change not only your family tree, but also the whole community
The smallest amount can make the biggest difference
Man is most in God's image when he is creating things
You never know what the final result of any action will be
Set goals that leave room for the power of God
Everything is created twice, first in the mind, then in reality
Setting your mind on something and believing it's not only possible but probable is the key to success
Your goals must be your own
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but companion of fools suffers harm Proverbs 13:20
Is this a situation God would pour his blessings into? If the answer is yes, then maybe it's something he wants you to do with his money
Get some money and multiply it like I did
Your only limit is you
Peron ally I think most of your excuses are garbage
God everything that we ever have comes straight from your hand
The reason the poor are poor are not because the rich are rich
I want to get to the point where my investments provide a higher return then my work
Don't bet the family farm on one race horse
Money is a renewable resource
They call me bill gates, they know the money's real
Most people's success rise out of the ashes of their previous failures
What can I do today that will get me closer to where you are in your business and in your wealth building?
Give it to God...It's a blessing he will carry it
We love to match good people to good homes
Help someone else on their own road to awesome
Take a look at the offer, if it's not right, don't sign the deal
November 7, 2025
I’ve read several of Dave Ramsey’s books over the years, but The Legacy Journey struck me differently. This one isn’t just financial guidance, it’s discipleship. Dave roots every principle in Scripture, reminding us that wealth, stewardship, and generosity are spiritual matters long before they are financial ones. The message is unapologetically biblical, and that is precisely what makes it powerful.
One of the most meaningful lessons for me was the reminder that God owns everything. Every dollar, every asset, every opportunity, we are not the owners, but the managers. That truth alone reshapes how we see our finances. Wealth is not simply about money. It’s about purpose, responsibility, maturity, and the condition of the heart. When God blesses us, He expects us to steward wisely—and He won’t pour out more than we are prepared to handle. And honestly, that’s not a punishment; it’s a protection.
Dave also emphasizes the joy of giving, not obligation, not pressure, not guilt. Joy. The giving that brings a smile, a laugh, and a sense of partnership with God. God loves a cheerful giver because cheerful giving reveals trust, freedom, and love. When we understand that wealth is God’s, giving becomes a privilege, not a loss. And generosity, real, intentional generosity, changes lives, including our own.
If you’ve ever struggled with finances, worried about the future, or wondered what God expects from you in the area of money, this book is worth your time. It’s straightforward. It’s challenging. And it’s deeply encouraging. Dave doesn’t sugar-coat anything—but his honesty is refreshing, and his clarity is life-giving. The Legacy Journey reminded me that wealth is not the goal; being a faithful steward is.
I truly enjoyed this book, and I believe anyone looking to grow—financially and spiritually—will too.
September 21, 2022
The Legacy Journey was recommended to me by a friend who recently had some significant financial gains through fortunate investments along with hard work. He described some of the main points of the book and said that it had changed the way he thought about wealth.
I believe it has changed my perception of wealth as well, and I think it could lead to a pretty large impact on my life and my financial decisions. There are a few key points I took away from The Legacy Journey:
1. Wealth is not bad, contrary to mainstream messages. This can be supported biblically as well as logically.
1a. We shouldn't judge what others do with their money. It's easy to point at someone more wealthy than ourselves and think that they should do something different with their money, but the reality is that each of us is more wealthy than someone else who may be saying the same thing about us. The average person in the US is in the top 5% or so of the world, and many in the US are in the top 1% of the world.
2. Contentment is critical to happiness and to viewing wealth with the right perspective.
3. We are stewards of our money. Ultimately our money belongs to God. We need to manage it and deploy it responsibly. Giving all of it away to another entity probably will not maximize its usefulness, especially if we and our children can responsibly manage it. Inheritance has the potential to multiply the good that can come from wealth.
4. In general, we should think about giving and saving in terms of percentages.
5. It's critical that we teach our children the principles above, especially if we will be passing wealth onto them.
The book is full of discussion and details behind all of these, and some other points that didn't make my list.
I believe it has changed my perception of wealth as well, and I think it could lead to a pretty large impact on my life and my financial decisions. There are a few key points I took away from The Legacy Journey:
1. Wealth is not bad, contrary to mainstream messages. This can be supported biblically as well as logically.
1a. We shouldn't judge what others do with their money. It's easy to point at someone more wealthy than ourselves and think that they should do something different with their money, but the reality is that each of us is more wealthy than someone else who may be saying the same thing about us. The average person in the US is in the top 5% or so of the world, and many in the US are in the top 1% of the world.
2. Contentment is critical to happiness and to viewing wealth with the right perspective.
3. We are stewards of our money. Ultimately our money belongs to God. We need to manage it and deploy it responsibly. Giving all of it away to another entity probably will not maximize its usefulness, especially if we and our children can responsibly manage it. Inheritance has the potential to multiply the good that can come from wealth.
4. In general, we should think about giving and saving in terms of percentages.
5. It's critical that we teach our children the principles above, especially if we will be passing wealth onto them.
The book is full of discussion and details behind all of these, and some other points that didn't make my list.
August 4, 2018
This is the second book I read from Dave Ramsey. The first one was Total Money Maker Over last couple of months. I was inspired by his authentic approaches to wealth: an enduring processes with strong principle and discipline, and most importantly, it could be done by anyone regardless of income. Key concept is cutting operating / expense cost, reduce debt by all cost, save money for big opportunities (will come when you have spare money for investment). I liked the two account concept: operating and saving (which the saving has no ATM can't be withdraw) and monthly budgeting which I am still struggling to deal with it.
This book brought another higher level perspective which is used to justify how we shall manage our wealth. Important concept i learnt was making proportional percentage of wealth in all aspect of live including spending, investing, saving, and giving (not giving back just giving with intention). Be fully responsible with your life, family and the people you love (developed a will regardless of your position). Wealth legacy must be transferable from generation to generation, teach your children and grandchildren to manage them wealth. avoid the lottery concept that may destroy not just wealth but other people life. Even for giving, do it like an investment by selecting the right non-profit organisation with track record of doing the job well and work with them closely.
There are much more things I learnt but still yet to rationalize it as may be I am not there yet. Hence will definitely I plan to re-read this book for future learning and applying of these principles.
This book brought another higher level perspective which is used to justify how we shall manage our wealth. Important concept i learnt was making proportional percentage of wealth in all aspect of live including spending, investing, saving, and giving (not giving back just giving with intention). Be fully responsible with your life, family and the people you love (developed a will regardless of your position). Wealth legacy must be transferable from generation to generation, teach your children and grandchildren to manage them wealth. avoid the lottery concept that may destroy not just wealth but other people life. Even for giving, do it like an investment by selecting the right non-profit organisation with track record of doing the job well and work with them closely.
There are much more things I learnt but still yet to rationalize it as may be I am not there yet. Hence will definitely I plan to re-read this book for future learning and applying of these principles.
August 18, 2018
Excellent! I am thankful and inspired to be on this journey but I am specially thankful to have someone who has already been on this journey shedding light on next steps.
Living in a world with so many needs and so few helpers, it is easy to forget that the responsibility of the world belongs to the God, and am not Him. I myself had this moment a while back regarding giving time, and helping others emotionally ("go where you are called" If you do, God will prompt others to God where you are not; but if you do your own thing, you are getting in the way of God's plan for you and others, occupying room where someone perhaps more capable could do better) Now it is time to face it fiscally! I didn't realize I had already been experiencing some of the guilt the book describes, thinking: how many could I provide for if only I didn't... If I kept myself on a shoestring budget.
I love that Dave reminds us that God entrusted us with the responsibility of managing this blessing. God made provision through establishing the tithe and through the promptings of the Holy Spirit for where we are to give out of the abundance God provides; and if we are walking closely with Him, we will know which part is our responsibility and which one isn't. I continue to pray that my heart will be tender to Him, that I will be an excellent manager of His resources so that He may use my hands to bring forth his full plan in and through my life. I heard someone say once, one day I will have to give account for what I did with what he gave me, I hope that day I can tell him, I have nothing left, I used it and gave it all for you in my lifetime.
That to me would be a great legacy and a life well lived!
Living in a world with so many needs and so few helpers, it is easy to forget that the responsibility of the world belongs to the God, and am not Him. I myself had this moment a while back regarding giving time, and helping others emotionally ("go where you are called" If you do, God will prompt others to God where you are not; but if you do your own thing, you are getting in the way of God's plan for you and others, occupying room where someone perhaps more capable could do better) Now it is time to face it fiscally! I didn't realize I had already been experiencing some of the guilt the book describes, thinking: how many could I provide for if only I didn't... If I kept myself on a shoestring budget.
I love that Dave reminds us that God entrusted us with the responsibility of managing this blessing. God made provision through establishing the tithe and through the promptings of the Holy Spirit for where we are to give out of the abundance God provides; and if we are walking closely with Him, we will know which part is our responsibility and which one isn't. I continue to pray that my heart will be tender to Him, that I will be an excellent manager of His resources so that He may use my hands to bring forth his full plan in and through my life. I heard someone say once, one day I will have to give account for what I did with what he gave me, I hope that day I can tell him, I have nothing left, I used it and gave it all for you in my lifetime.
That to me would be a great legacy and a life well lived!
August 27, 2021
Even though I disagree with Dave on some points, you'd be hard pressed to find any other openly Christian writer who would be more knowledgeable on the topic of money and wealth.
This book was very good. It's not about how to handle your money in order to build wealth (that's covered in "Total Money Makeover"), but about how to handle wealth once you are in that stage.
He clearly lays out solid arguments to combat the idea that Christians should not be wealthy, or that having more than you need is inherently wrong. He makes the argument that wealth can be a powerful tool. There are many warnings about the dangers of money, but there are many other promises of blessing for diligent and faithful stewards (Proverbs, parable of the talents, etc.). Also there are a number of examples of wealthy people in Scripture who were specifically singled out for being godly (Abraham, Job, Joseph owner of Jesus' tomb).
He also gives a bunch of practical tips on how to plan and prepare to leave a good legacy to your children's children, not just money, but of gratitude and generosity.
Throughout the book he continues coming back to the idea of stewardship and generosity. Anything we have is not ours, but God's, and he has entrusted it to us to steward it. And one of the best ways to make sure our hearts are in the right place, recognizing that we are not owners, but stewards, is to always be generous in every stage of your journey.
If you want a solid Christian perspective on wealth, generosity, and stewardship. I recommend you put this on your list.
This book was very good. It's not about how to handle your money in order to build wealth (that's covered in "Total Money Makeover"), but about how to handle wealth once you are in that stage.
He clearly lays out solid arguments to combat the idea that Christians should not be wealthy, or that having more than you need is inherently wrong. He makes the argument that wealth can be a powerful tool. There are many warnings about the dangers of money, but there are many other promises of blessing for diligent and faithful stewards (Proverbs, parable of the talents, etc.). Also there are a number of examples of wealthy people in Scripture who were specifically singled out for being godly (Abraham, Job, Joseph owner of Jesus' tomb).
He also gives a bunch of practical tips on how to plan and prepare to leave a good legacy to your children's children, not just money, but of gratitude and generosity.
Throughout the book he continues coming back to the idea of stewardship and generosity. Anything we have is not ours, but God's, and he has entrusted it to us to steward it. And one of the best ways to make sure our hearts are in the right place, recognizing that we are not owners, but stewards, is to always be generous in every stage of your journey.
If you want a solid Christian perspective on wealth, generosity, and stewardship. I recommend you put this on your list.
September 21, 2026
Review Title: A Beautiful, Painful Book About Love, Faith, and Surrender
A Severe Mercy is one of those books that refuses to stay in one category. It is part love story, part spiritual memoir, part grief story, and part account of two people being drawn toward Christian faith.
What makes the book work is the depth of the relationship between Sheldon Vanauken and his wife, Davy. They built their marriage around what they called the “Shining Barrier,” a commitment to protect their love from anything that might come between them. At first, that idea feels almost romantic in the purest sense. As the book develops, though, it becomes clear that even a very deep human love can become something we try to hold too tightly.
Their friendship with C.S. Lewis adds another layer. Lewis is not just a famous name dropped into the story. His letters become part of Vanauken’s wrestling with belief, suffering, love, and loss. That gave the book more weight for me because the faith questions are not handled as easy answers.
The title becomes more meaningful as the story unfolds. “Mercy” here is not comfort in the way we usually think of it. It is the painful possibility that loss can expose what we have placed at the center of our lives and force us to see God differently.
That is where the book stayed with me.
After years in ministry and leadership, I have learned that faith sounds one way when life is working and another when something precious is taken from you. This book lives in that second place. It does not avoid grief, and it does not make suffering tidy.
I gave it four stars because there are sections that move slowly, especially when Vanauken becomes highly detailed about his early life and the development of their relationship. Still, those details make the later loss feel more real.
This is not a light book, but it is a meaningful one.
It left me thinking about a hard question: Can we love another person deeply without asking that person to carry the weight that ultimately belongs to God?
A Severe Mercy is one of those books that refuses to stay in one category. It is part love story, part spiritual memoir, part grief story, and part account of two people being drawn toward Christian faith.
What makes the book work is the depth of the relationship between Sheldon Vanauken and his wife, Davy. They built their marriage around what they called the “Shining Barrier,” a commitment to protect their love from anything that might come between them. At first, that idea feels almost romantic in the purest sense. As the book develops, though, it becomes clear that even a very deep human love can become something we try to hold too tightly.
Their friendship with C.S. Lewis adds another layer. Lewis is not just a famous name dropped into the story. His letters become part of Vanauken’s wrestling with belief, suffering, love, and loss. That gave the book more weight for me because the faith questions are not handled as easy answers.
The title becomes more meaningful as the story unfolds. “Mercy” here is not comfort in the way we usually think of it. It is the painful possibility that loss can expose what we have placed at the center of our lives and force us to see God differently.
That is where the book stayed with me.
After years in ministry and leadership, I have learned that faith sounds one way when life is working and another when something precious is taken from you. This book lives in that second place. It does not avoid grief, and it does not make suffering tidy.
I gave it four stars because there are sections that move slowly, especially when Vanauken becomes highly detailed about his early life and the development of their relationship. Still, those details make the later loss feel more real.
This is not a light book, but it is a meaningful one.
It left me thinking about a hard question: Can we love another person deeply without asking that person to carry the weight that ultimately belongs to God?
May 12, 2017
I've read several of Dave Ramsey's books, and I finally learned a few new things with this one. There are too many people out there who think they have a say in how much you earn and how you should spend it. In "The Legacy Journey", Ramsey encourages the reader not to be ashamed of being successful and explains how wealth is a responsibility rather than a privilege.
I also enjoyed reading the extra chapters at the end where he elaborates on some of the missing pieces from his previous books and goes a little more in detail about investing. He often gets slammed for quoting a 12% average return (I've seen just over 11%, but it's probably safer to assume 8-9% in your projection calculations) as well as his high risk, and heavily feed mutual fund recommendations.
In the first bonus chapter, he touches a bit more on that aspect of investing, and I don't blame him for not elaborating more in "Financial Peace" and "The Total Money Makover". If you're reading those books, you're most likely not ready to get into investing anyway. I'm just glad that his publishing schedule is a few steps ahead of my financial needs so that I have access to the necessary resources when I arrive at those milestones.
The second bonus chapter is from the book "Start" by Jon Acuff. It's a 5-6 page excerpt that possibly has relevance to some readers, so it's a good fit, though you could probably skip it if you aren't looking to make a change in your career or have already read Acuff's book.
I also enjoyed reading the extra chapters at the end where he elaborates on some of the missing pieces from his previous books and goes a little more in detail about investing. He often gets slammed for quoting a 12% average return (I've seen just over 11%, but it's probably safer to assume 8-9% in your projection calculations) as well as his high risk, and heavily feed mutual fund recommendations.
In the first bonus chapter, he touches a bit more on that aspect of investing, and I don't blame him for not elaborating more in "Financial Peace" and "The Total Money Makover". If you're reading those books, you're most likely not ready to get into investing anyway. I'm just glad that his publishing schedule is a few steps ahead of my financial needs so that I have access to the necessary resources when I arrive at those milestones.
The second bonus chapter is from the book "Start" by Jon Acuff. It's a 5-6 page excerpt that possibly has relevance to some readers, so it's a good fit, though you could probably skip it if you aren't looking to make a change in your career or have already read Acuff's book.
November 14, 2021
Well, I would never have known that one thing I've been subconsciously looking for for anywhere from the last 3 months to 20 years would have been found in this book, but I give this book a great review purely for the very last section, which kind of isn't about money--it's about a framework for thinking of life and life stages in this generation, where the things your well-meaning parents told you all your life about how your life would happen haven't been that way much at all, and instead you've had a more awesome life, but you didn't feel prepared for it because you didn't know what you could be looking to happen for your whole life. Of course when you get the five stages mentioned all figured out, it sounds as old as any Biblical patriarch's life framework, as well as as modern as the 2020s, but it's just not exactly what I heard when I was a kid. And in the last several sets of years, I've had frameworks kind of similar come along that I could choose to use for the next few years at a time, but I was feeling like I had kind of hit all the goals with the old frameworks, but I had run out of frameworks to use. So here it is! This is great and I feel oriented toward everything in my past, and I will now have a great place to be heading for the next 5 years or so, and of course indefinitely. Life is officially awesome.
April 4, 2025
Well written book. As a young Christian building wealth, getting some tips from a fellow believer on how to manage the resources God gave was something I needed and Dave delivered. He went through a lot of topics that young people stepping into parenthood need to hear: Getting out of debt, taking care of your family first, investing in the future (THEN) then helping out other people (THEM). This will definitely be engraved in my mind. He also delves into the topic of giving and he gave very good illustrations to state that it’s you and God who decide how much is enough for you and your family so you can give the overflow to others. He also talked about inheritance and how it is not just monetary. One good tip he gave was for parents and heirs to avoid capital gains tax but avoiding the transfer of the property but rather having it being granted according to the will. He also emphasized how we need to get wills. They keep the family in order when people are grieving for us when we move on from the world. He also presented it well that the wealthy should not have guilt for being wealthy and that they should not, unless called to, kill the goose by giving away all their wealth. A really good book.
I would say however, they may be some confirmation biases in how he gets some Bible stories to fit his narrative. But it is not wild. It may be entirely true how he views the verses.
I would say however, they may be some confirmation biases in how he gets some Bible stories to fit his narrative. But it is not wild. It may be entirely true how he views the verses.
February 28, 2016
Is wealth biblically bad? If not, how do we become good stewards so that it doesn't destroy us or our children?
If you plan on living debt-free and eventually having financial wealth built up, this book is a critical read.
---
Proverbs 22.17,18 says that if you incline your ear to God's words, and apply your heart to His knowledge [which comes from His words], you will have pleasure if you keep them in you and if they are ready on your lips.
In other words, if you observe and apply God's commands, things will go well with you.
So, if you have already read The Total Money Makeover or taken Financial Peace University then you know that God has given ways to be out of debt, take care of your family and build wealth so you can give generously.
This book deals with that last part: Building wealth and giving generously.
But first Mr.Ramsey deals with false paradigms that are unfortunately rather prevalent in society. False ideas like:
- Wealth is bad. [aka. "If you have something nicer than me, you have too much."]
- Money is the root of all evil. [psst. The bible actually says the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil. In other words, worshipping something other than God.]
- Being poor is to be more holy. [The "Widow's mite" is an example of what Jesus was saying a couple verses before of the religious authorities devouring widows houses. The Rich Young Ruler is illustrating salvation not being based on works. By the way, if salvation or holiness were based on works, don't you think Jesus would have said the Widow above did good? He didn't...read it again.]
- Profit is immoral. [PSST!!! Read Proverbs 31.]
- and so on....
Basically, by the end of the first few chapters you should understand that holiness isn't based on the amount of financial resources you have.
The question that should be asked is: Are you being a faithful steward of God's resources? [PSST!!! It's not your money. It's not your house. Not your car. Not your family. It's all GOD's!]
Now that we've established that...how are we to be a good steward. Mr.Ramsey follows the formula of
NOW-THEN-US-THEM
[BLOCKQUOTE]Leaving a Legacy for Others As you get to the end of the legacy journey framework, you know that the bills are paid—that’s NOW. You know that you’re going to be able to retire with dignity and send your kids to college—that’s THEN. You know that you are taking steps to prepare the next generation to carry your new family legacy forward—that’s US. And then, finally, you see the big picture—the THEM. The THEM stage represents all the needs in your community and around the world, and you begin to see how God can use you to meet some of those needs. Your vision expands and you start to see the world through Christ’s eyes. Suddenly you see wells that need to be drilled in Haiti. You see the HIV prevention efforts in Africa. You see mosquito nets that can be used to prevent malaria. You see the hungry children right down the street. You see the broke, scared single mom at the other end of the pew who can’t pay the light bill this week—and who might need a reliable car too. At this stage, you’re able to open your eyes and see—maybe for the first time—how you can make a difference in the world. Proverbs says, “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses” (28:27). I don’t think most of us ever actually hide our eyes; I just think the pressures we’re under keep our heads down so we can’t see. But as we work through these biblical principles about taking care of our family first, casting a vision for the future, and leaving an inheritance to our children’s children, we’re able to lift our heads and look clearly into the future. God can do amazing things through us in that future. But we have to take it one step at a time, first through NOW, then THEN, then US, and finally to THEM. And that’s where we get to help change the world. That’s a powerful legacy.[/blockquote]
That's what I enjoyed most about this book. Not just techniques for being wise with your money. But having money doesn't make you wise. (Think of all the examples of sudden wealth squandered; lottery winners, NFL players, etc.) If you are wise with your money, you will be the manager of God's wealth.
How do you prepare yourself and your children to manage God's wealth well? That's a primary question the book deals with. If you are a wise steward with your money, but haven't taught your children to be wise stewards...if you leave the inheritance to them, it will destroy them. This book explains how to prepare them (or prepare your estate so it doesn't destroy them). An aside: the wealth doesn't need to be completely donated to a charity at your death. Why give it all to a charity who may/may not manage it well, when you have already prepared and worked with your children who have been trained as good stewards?
The last part THEM, talks about giving generously, but giving wisely. To research giving opportunities as much or more than you would research investing in a mutual fund or buying real estate. Because sudden wealth can just as easily destroy a small non-profit who doesn't steward well.
Finally, Mr.Ramsey explains in many chapters that you need to prepare your heart and live a legacy of generosity, pouring into people and having healthy relationships with spouse and children. Otherwise, wealth will only magnify your problems. Like stomping on the gas while the car is in reverse. Stomping on the gas only accelerated you in the wrong direction. Wealth will only accelerate you towards divorce, make you a more hateful person, make you more ungenerous. Make sure you are healthy with God and relationships...before you get any money built up. Pray God helps you, so that it will be a blessing as it is intended to be with all those around you and around the world.
Be a good and faithful steward of GOD's (it's not yours) money.
If you plan on living debt-free and eventually having financial wealth built up, this book is a critical read.
---
Proverbs 22.17,18 says that if you incline your ear to God's words, and apply your heart to His knowledge [which comes from His words], you will have pleasure if you keep them in you and if they are ready on your lips.
In other words, if you observe and apply God's commands, things will go well with you.
So, if you have already read The Total Money Makeover or taken Financial Peace University then you know that God has given ways to be out of debt, take care of your family and build wealth so you can give generously.
This book deals with that last part: Building wealth and giving generously.
But first Mr.Ramsey deals with false paradigms that are unfortunately rather prevalent in society. False ideas like:
- Wealth is bad. [aka. "If you have something nicer than me, you have too much."]
- Money is the root of all evil. [psst. The bible actually says the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil. In other words, worshipping something other than God.]
- Being poor is to be more holy. [The "Widow's mite" is an example of what Jesus was saying a couple verses before of the religious authorities devouring widows houses. The Rich Young Ruler is illustrating salvation not being based on works. By the way, if salvation or holiness were based on works, don't you think Jesus would have said the Widow above did good? He didn't...read it again.]
- Profit is immoral. [PSST!!! Read Proverbs 31.]
- and so on....
Basically, by the end of the first few chapters you should understand that holiness isn't based on the amount of financial resources you have.
The question that should be asked is: Are you being a faithful steward of God's resources? [PSST!!! It's not your money. It's not your house. Not your car. Not your family. It's all GOD's!]
Now that we've established that...how are we to be a good steward. Mr.Ramsey follows the formula of
NOW-THEN-US-THEM
[BLOCKQUOTE]Leaving a Legacy for Others As you get to the end of the legacy journey framework, you know that the bills are paid—that’s NOW. You know that you’re going to be able to retire with dignity and send your kids to college—that’s THEN. You know that you are taking steps to prepare the next generation to carry your new family legacy forward—that’s US. And then, finally, you see the big picture—the THEM. The THEM stage represents all the needs in your community and around the world, and you begin to see how God can use you to meet some of those needs. Your vision expands and you start to see the world through Christ’s eyes. Suddenly you see wells that need to be drilled in Haiti. You see the HIV prevention efforts in Africa. You see mosquito nets that can be used to prevent malaria. You see the hungry children right down the street. You see the broke, scared single mom at the other end of the pew who can’t pay the light bill this week—and who might need a reliable car too. At this stage, you’re able to open your eyes and see—maybe for the first time—how you can make a difference in the world. Proverbs says, “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses” (28:27). I don’t think most of us ever actually hide our eyes; I just think the pressures we’re under keep our heads down so we can’t see. But as we work through these biblical principles about taking care of our family first, casting a vision for the future, and leaving an inheritance to our children’s children, we’re able to lift our heads and look clearly into the future. God can do amazing things through us in that future. But we have to take it one step at a time, first through NOW, then THEN, then US, and finally to THEM. And that’s where we get to help change the world. That’s a powerful legacy.[/blockquote]
That's what I enjoyed most about this book. Not just techniques for being wise with your money. But having money doesn't make you wise. (Think of all the examples of sudden wealth squandered; lottery winners, NFL players, etc.) If you are wise with your money, you will be the manager of God's wealth.
How do you prepare yourself and your children to manage God's wealth well? That's a primary question the book deals with. If you are a wise steward with your money, but haven't taught your children to be wise stewards...if you leave the inheritance to them, it will destroy them. This book explains how to prepare them (or prepare your estate so it doesn't destroy them). An aside: the wealth doesn't need to be completely donated to a charity at your death. Why give it all to a charity who may/may not manage it well, when you have already prepared and worked with your children who have been trained as good stewards?
The last part THEM, talks about giving generously, but giving wisely. To research giving opportunities as much or more than you would research investing in a mutual fund or buying real estate. Because sudden wealth can just as easily destroy a small non-profit who doesn't steward well.
Finally, Mr.Ramsey explains in many chapters that you need to prepare your heart and live a legacy of generosity, pouring into people and having healthy relationships with spouse and children. Otherwise, wealth will only magnify your problems. Like stomping on the gas while the car is in reverse. Stomping on the gas only accelerated you in the wrong direction. Wealth will only accelerate you towards divorce, make you a more hateful person, make you more ungenerous. Make sure you are healthy with God and relationships...before you get any money built up. Pray God helps you, so that it will be a blessing as it is intended to be with all those around you and around the world.
Be a good and faithful steward of GOD's (it's not yours) money.
August 2, 2024
Read this because I’m generally interested in religion and different ideological approaches to handling money…I also find Dave Ramsey’s story interesting and wanted to get further insight into the theory behind his teachings.
Although I disagree with some of what he teaches (and quite strongly with some of his beliefs), much of his work is common sense and is a net positive by providing a framework for those with very little understanding of how to manage money.
This is a book that focuses a lot more on the religious theory and ideology behind leaving a legacy, rather than the practical steps of how to do so.
Dave is clearly an evangelical Christian and as you would expect from the title of the book, the contents are heavily skewed that way from the outset. It’s definitely Christianity with a capital ‘C’ here. It’s important to read it through that lens, just as with most of his other books and materials.
Overall, it’s a good way to get a deep-dive on why Ramsey Solutions operates the way that it does and where his ideas come from if you’re interested in that. If you’re an evangelical Christian or just someone with an interest in Dave and his work, this book will explain a lot. Otherwise, there’s probably not a whole lot here for you.
Although I disagree with some of what he teaches (and quite strongly with some of his beliefs), much of his work is common sense and is a net positive by providing a framework for those with very little understanding of how to manage money.
This is a book that focuses a lot more on the religious theory and ideology behind leaving a legacy, rather than the practical steps of how to do so.
Dave is clearly an evangelical Christian and as you would expect from the title of the book, the contents are heavily skewed that way from the outset. It’s definitely Christianity with a capital ‘C’ here. It’s important to read it through that lens, just as with most of his other books and materials.
Overall, it’s a good way to get a deep-dive on why Ramsey Solutions operates the way that it does and where his ideas come from if you’re interested in that. If you’re an evangelical Christian or just someone with an interest in Dave and his work, this book will explain a lot. Otherwise, there’s probably not a whole lot here for you.
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