I’m so glad you’re reading this devotional! The 28 devotions included were all inspired by my new book, Beyond Blessed: God’s Perfect Plan to Overcome All Financial Stress, which is actually a sequel—or more like a prequel—to The Blessed Life. When I released The Blessed Life almost 20 years ago, it motivated the body of Christ around the world to live out the biblical truth of generosity and begin giving extravagantly. I named it The Blessed Life, not The Blessed Pocketbook or The Blessed Wallet, because when God changes a person’s heart from selfishness to generosity, every part of their life is affected, not just their finances.

I have a tremendous burden for people to understand that living the blessed life is not only about being generous, it’s also about stewardship. Merriam-Webster defines stewardship as, “The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” As believers, we recognize everything we have has been given to us by God. This includes money, but it also means our families, relationships, and health—even our own bodies. As we will discover in the 28 days that make up this devotional, all these things have been entrusted to us by God, and it’s our job to steward them carefully and responsibly.

Because God has entrusted many things to us, you may start to feel like you have too many things to manage. However, if you rely on God, He will give you the grace to become a wise and faithful steward, which in turn, will ultimately lead to more freedom and margin in your life. Think of it like a budget. It might feel confining and restricting at first, but in the end, it helps us enjoy life more. In the same way, understanding the biblical principles of stewardship changes everything and helps us focus on what’s really important—our relationship with God, family, and others.

At the conclusion of each devotion, we end with the question, “What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?” I want to encourage you to ask yourself this question every day because I believe God wants to speak to you through it. I promise that if you do this and allow God to show you how you can be the best steward of all He’s given you, blessings will pour into your life and you can start living beyond blessed.