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Now, on to the podcast. A new year often inspires us to try harder, plan better, and push ourselves toward new goals. Hi, I'm Rob West. But what if the key to lasting change isn't more willpower, but a transformed heart? And today, Taylor Standritz joins us to explore why resolutions rooted in identity, not just effort, are the ones that endure.
And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Well, I always look forward to having Taylor Stanrich in the studio. He's the production manager here at Faith and Finance. He's co-author of Look at the Sparrows, our 21-day devotional. And he was the lead writer on my new devotional, Our Ultimate Treasure. And we had so much fun putting that together.
Taylor, great to have you here. Oh, I always love being here, Rob. Thank you. Taylor, as we approach a new year, everyone is, of course, talking about resolutions.
So why do you think so many of them fade after just a few weeks? Yeah, well, like you said earlier, I think most resolutions fade because they're built on willpower alone. You know, I think we all assume that if we try harder, we just somehow get disciplined, we'll finally be able to be who we want to be. But I think we all know, and we talked about this with Carrie Newhoff a few weeks ago. Willpower is such a limited resource.
And once the excitement wears off or life gets stressful or overwhelming, those old patterns are going to start to take over again. That's why so many resolutions fail within just a few weeks of the new year starting. But we might change the action, but we don't end up changing the kind of person that we are.
So without a deeper shift in what we value and who we believe we are, even the best intentions are going to eventually lose momentum. I think you're exactly right. I mean, many people assume they need more discipline or better habits, to your point, but you emphasize some.
Something deeper.
So, what is the difference in your mind, Taylor, between changing behaviors and becoming a different kind of person?
Well, yeah, changing behaviors is really about modifying what we do, but becoming a different kind of person is actually reshaping who we are.
So, behavior change is going to depend on our effort, showing up, saying no, pushing through. But if we look at identity transformation, that's going to reshape our desires and our motivations behind those choices. That's why a key thing we believe here at FaithFi is that behavior follows belief. And so, when we focus only on habits, we create goals that end once we reach them. But when we pursue identity formation, we become healthier, we become more faithful, more generous.
We're actually cultivating a way of life that doesn't end when a certain milestone is reached. This moves change from something that we force to something that flows naturally. And it's the difference between acting healthy and being the kind of person who chooses health. Wow. Yeah, that's powerful.
So let's get practical then. How does this shift play out in real life? For example, how would somebody approach a health goal differently if the focus is on who they're becoming rather than simply what they want to achieve? Yeah, I think a health goal is a really good example here because that's the number one resolution that people usually set. And so a health goal based on behavior might be, I'm going to lose 20 pounds.
And that's fine. But once those 20 pounds are lost, that motivation can often disappear. Identity is going to ask a deeper question. What kind of person do I want to become? Maybe it's I want to be someone who honors God by caring for the body that he has given me.
That changes everything.
Now, the goal isn't just a number, it's a lifestyle. You're building patterns that last beyond a single milestone.
So identity shapes your choices even when motivation is low because it's tied to purpose, not the pressure of reaching a deadline or a milestone. Yeah, that's really helpful.
So let's then apply this to financial goals, things like paying off debt or saving more. How does an identity-focused approach reshape the way we think as believers about financial resolutions? Yeah.
So, let's, for example, use somebody who's trying to pay off $20,000 of debt this year. That's a hefty goal. And I love that goal, but it becomes far more powerful when it's rooted in identity, saying things like, I want to be a wise steward of what God has entrusted to me so that I can live with freedom and give more generously.
So, the goal isn't just about eliminating debt, it's about becoming someone that is shaped by faithfulness, gratitude, and generosity. And that identity is going to influence far more than just a one-year resolution. It's going to impact our spending, our saving, our giving, long-term stewardship.
So, identity is creating financial choices that endure long after that $20,000 debt is gone. That is so good, Taylor.
Well, after the break, we're going to continue to unpack this. We're going to dive into God's word and see where in scripture this lasting change that comes from the heart can be. Also, we'll unpack some Old Testament principles. We'll even talk about the role the Holy Spirit plays in shaping us into the kind of people who naturally live out wise, godly decisions. Taylor Standrich is here today.
Taylor is our production manager here at Faith Phi, and a lot more to come right around the corner. Stay with us. You can do more than make a year-end gift. You can become a FaithFi partner. Hi, I'm Rob West.
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Well, it's resolution season. This is Faith in Finance. I'm Rob West. You know, lasting resolutions don't start with what you want to achieve. They start with who you're becoming in Christ.
And that's what we're talking about today with Taylor Stanrich. Taylor is production manager here at Faith and Finance. He's co-author of Look at the Sparrows. He was the lead writer on my new devotional due out early next year called Our Ultimate Treasure. He's a key member of our team and really sharing some powerful truths today about how our identity in Christ can really lead us to ultimately resolutions that stick, changes that last.
And that's what we want to help you do today. Taylor, I want to go into God's word. You know, this idea of inner transformation is, of course, deeply biblical.
So where do we see in scripture that lasting change comes from the heart, not just external effort? Yeah, I think scripture consistently shows us that God is after our hearts, not just our habits. Because when Israel received God's law, there were clear commands about how to live, but having the law wasn't enough. Their hearts were unchanged, and therefore their lives were. Unchanged.
That's why in Ezekiel 36, God promises to give his people a new heart and to place his spirit within them. You see Isaiah speaking of God writing his ways on their hearts.
So Jesus is echoing this when he says that a tree is known by its fruit in Luke 6. The fruit flows from what the tree is, and true transformation starts from the inside.
So throughout both the Old and the New Testaments, we see God confronting people who obeyed outwardly but missed his heart. Jesus is rebuking religious leaders who gave from their excess while neglecting justice and mercy. The prophets, whether that was Amos, Isaiah, amongst others, they were condemning sacrifices that were technically correct, but they were spiritually bankrupt. God is not impressed by our mere performance. He desires people who trust him and those who live out of that trust.
It's like 1 Samuel 16, 7 says, man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. It's similar to how I raise my kids. I don't want them to avoid something just because dad said so. I want them to trust my heart to know that I love them and that I want what's best for them.
Well, let's take that another step.
So, how does God's promise, Taylor, to give his people a new heart? You just referred to that. How does that reframe the way we think about change today? Yeah, I think God's promise of a new heart shows us that lasting change is not primarily self-generated, it is spirit-generated.
So, external rules can restrain behavior, but they cannot renew our desires.
So, the new heart that God gives doesn't just help us try harder, it reorders what we love.
So, instead of forcing obedience from the outside, God is empowering obedience from the inside. And that means real change is possible, not because we're strong, but because God is. And when we understand that, our resolutions shift from I must make myself better to Lord, make me more like you. And transformation becomes a partnership with God's grace. And that's why the qualities that Paul lists in Galatians 5 are called the fruit of the spirit.
Spirit. They're not virtues we force or manipulate on our own. They naturally grow in us as we're rooted in Christ. And that fruit is simply the outward evidence of an inner life that is being shaped by knowing him. Wow, that is powerful.
So then, what role does the Holy Spirit play, Taylor, in shaping us into the kind of people who naturally live out wise, godly decisions? Yeah, the Holy Spirit is the one who is reshaping our desires, strengthening our will, forming Christ-like character within us. And under that old covenant that we see in the Old Testament, God's people had the law, but not the power to obey it from the heart. And under the new covenant, God is placing his spirit within us, changing us from the inside out. That's why scripture is divided into old and new testaments.
It literally means old covenant and new covenant. And we no longer depend on our strength to transform ourselves. We depend on him. And the spirit is convicting us when we need to change something, but he is actually empowering us to walk in that change too. He is producing the fruit of.
Self-control, patience, faithfulness, qualities that we could never manufacture on our own. And when we stop relying on just a sheer willpower and recognize our limits and our need, that often is when God does his deepest work. Yes. And so instead of white-knuckling our way through these resolutions, we grow into the people that God designed us to be. And the spirit of God aligns our hearts with his purposes so that wise decisions become not only possible, but a natural overflow.
Oh, wow. That is incredible and really a game changer as we think about approaching resolutions heading into a new year here.
So let's help people think about the practices that can go along with this. For listeners who want to begin the year with this deeper perspective, how do they discern the kind of person God is inviting them to become? Yeah, I would invite them to start with prayerful reflection, saying, Lord, where are you inviting growth into my life? And look for areas where you've sensed him nudging you or convicting you or giving you this holy dissatisfaction that this way of life that we are living is not in line with his purposes.
So evaluate those patterns. Where do your habits reflect who you used to be rather than who God is shaping you to become? Because scripture is also a mirror that is reflecting our calling to be more loving, faithful, generous, courageous, and hopeful ambassadors of Christ.
So talk with trusted believers in the body that you are a part of who can speak into your life. The goal is not to invent an identity, but it is to align with the one that God is already forming in you through the Holy Spirit. Yeah, I really appreciate what you said about it. It is really a desire, a passion to become more like Christ. It's that examined life, but examined through the lens of scripture, through the power of the Holy Spirit, through wise counselors that God has placed around you that can ultimately help you identify that deeper identity, like wanting to be a faithful steward.
So, how do our listeners then translate that into goals and rhythms that flow out of who they're becoming? Yeah, I would say start with identity like we've been talking about. Then build those small practices that express that. If you want to be a faithful steward, set a budget, automate your savings, increase your giving by a small percentage if it means that you're growing in your giving. If you want to be a healthier person, choose routines that reflect your identity, whether that's consistent sleep, regular activity, wiser dietary choices.
And Rob, I want to be clear. I'm not against SMART goals. You know, we're actually doing an episode tomorrow about SMART goals. And we're, I like the idea of tracking progress. Those tools matter.
They give us structure. They help us stay accountable. They provide clarity about what we're actually moving in the right direction.
So setting a target, maybe like paying off a certain debt or walking a certain number of steps, that's incredibly motivating. But the foundation of that transformation has to go deeper than just a number or circumstances because numbers can change, goals can be reached, circumstances can shift. Identity is what lasts. And so our deeper aim needs to become a faithful steward or maybe a healthier, more present person. In our lives, those specific goals can be expressions of who you're becoming rather than the ultimate measure of success.
So, keep your goals simple, keep them sustainable and aligned with your values. And when identity is going to lead, our actions will follow.
So, those steps that you track and the goals that you set aren't just tasks, they're actually a part of a life that is being transformed from the inside out. Wow, this is powerful, Taylor. We've got about 45 seconds left. What final encouragement would you give to someone who wants to pursue change from the inside out in the new year? Yeah, I'd say start small, trust the Holy Spirit, focus on faithfulness over perfection.
You are not striving for this alone. The God who calls you to transformation walks with you, He equips you and He delights to see you grow.
So, when your resolutions flow from who God is shaping you to be, they won't just last for a year, they will shape you for this life and the next. That is so good. Taylor, thanks for being here today. Absolutely, Rob. Remember, folks, today is the final day of our year-in campaign to fund faith.
Faith Phi is a listener-supported ministry. Every gift received before midnight will be doubled. And if you've been considering becoming a Faith Phi partner, now's the time to do it. Just head to faithphy.com/slash give. That's faithfi.com/slash give.
Your gift will be doubled. And every gift of any amount allows us to send you my new devotional, our ultimate treasure in the new year. We'll be right back with much more. Imagine having biblical financial wisdom delivered to your inbox every week, helping you integrate your faith and financial decisions for the glory of God at FaithFi.com. You can join a community of over 70,000 people who are already receiving our weekly wisdom email, filled with articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive offers on resources that will deepen your understanding of biblical stewardship.
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We're going to begin in Wisconsin today. Andrew, go ahead. I have a student loan that I took out for a Child, son. and a number of years ago. And I paid on it for a long time.
And then I just couldn't keep up with it. No, it's been quite a few years. and the amount has been increased to about twenty thousand dollars. I'm only a couple of years from retirement, and I cannot maintain paying. on that through my retirement.
Two ideas. Accessing my four hundred one K, I know there's penalties involved just to get that thing cleared out, taken care of. Or the other option is to stop my 18% that I put into 401k. stop 10% and keep the 8% so that my company I work for continues to match and take that 10%, whatever that is per month, and take that and throw that at the loan. I don't think there's any way they're going to have this thing cleared off with my income and so on.
So I'm kind of at a loss of what to do. Yeah.
Is this a parent-plus loan? Andrew. Yeah.
Okay, so there are some options there. I mean, although the Parent Plus loan isn't eligible for the new income-driven plans, they are eligible for essentially what's called income-contingent repayment. After you consolidate through the direct consolidation loan program, and that could lower payments based on your income. And then potentially even give you forgiveness after 25 years. Have you looked into that option?
Everything I've looked into I have not been eligible for.
Okay. I don't know why, because I'm just not at that level that I thought I would be able to get some assistance with, but I've never been able to get anything. As well as the cancellation of loans during the last administration, I just kind of followed that along and went through some things that they told me they were going to do and then they never followed through with it.
So I didn't really like it, but I thought it was a possibility that, that didn't pan out either. Yeah.
Well, you know, I think the key here is I would try to avoid using the existing retirement funds for the reasons you mentioned. It's expensive money. I want to keep it in that tax-deferred environment. I don't want to lose the opportunity cost. I would just say, you know, you absolutely do have options with the parent plus loan.
It has to be, though, consolidated into the direct consolidation loan.
So without that step, the loan servicers will often tell parents they, quote, don't qualify, but that's because they're looking at the current loan, not what becomes available after the consolidation.
Now, this is not a private consolidation. This is through the federal loan program. It's the direct consolidation loan. Once you do that, the parent plus loan becomes eligible for the ICR, the income contingent repayment. And they would base your payment then on your income, and that usually reduces it significantly.
And they forgive the remaining balance after 25 years.
So, you know, that would likely. Be the way you would want to go.
Now, if you want to pay it off before retirement, I would say just try the best you can to dial back your spending and contribute. I wouldn't pull out of existing retirement contributions, and I'm really hesitant for you to reduce those retirement contributions just because that's probably going to be a very meaningful part of what you will need to supplement Social Security to maintain your lifestyle in retirement. You know, you only have a few years left, every year of compounding matters, and it's hard to, quote, catch up later.
So, I wouldn't, the best you can, sacrifice long-term retirement stability just to accelerate the federal loan that can be made manageable and should get some forgiveness.
So, I really feel like that's the next option.
Now, if you, Andrew, say to me, listen, I just have a conviction, I want to pay it off in full as quick as I can, then I would say, all right, then let's back down the retirement contributions. But that would be my self-defense. Second option to the others that I mentioned. Does that make sense? Yes, it does.
I've always paid off my debts, so this is kind of bothering me that it's out there. And it got to that position in the first place.
So yeah.
Well, I totally get it. At the end of the day, you know, if you have a conviction just to get this paid off in full, then I would say go for it and don't look back. But if you're comfortable continuing just to kind of ride this out, you know, you do have options available, but it isn't going to require the direct loan consolidation first. Thanks for your call today, sir. We appreciate you being on.
Illinois, where Lynda's located. Go ahead. Hi. Hi there, how can I help?
So I'm calling because Uh my husband and I Um, we are forty I'm forty and he's forty two. We have paid our house. We have no debt. Um We paid the house in cash because Bone. We've been mayor for twenty three years, so We had no debit, no no direct No credit card.
We paid the college of the kids cash. And right now, Our health has doubled. And besides that, We have one hundred forty thousand dollars in savings. which we're putting forty thousand dollars. for emergencies.
But we want to invest that one hundred thousand dollars. And we don't know How do I invest? Yeah.
Do you have access? But first of all, Linda, congratulations. I mean, you've done a fabulous job here getting to this point. You paid for college with cash. You own your home outright.
It's appreciating significantly. You're in your early 40s.
So you got time on your side. You know, that's amazing. And you've got a fully funded emergency fund. In fact, it's probably overfunded, which is a good thing. And now you've got some money to invest.
So that's fabulous. You all are really putting yourself in a solid financial position here. Do you have access to a retirement plan at work, either of you?
Okay. So are you all self-employed or are you W-2 employees? Yes, we are self-employed.
Okay. So, I would love for you to try to get this into a retirement plan because that's going to allow this money as it's invested to grow without the drag of the taxes that would have to be paid. See, if you just put this into a regular taxable brokerage account and invest it, and it does well, you're gonna have to pay taxes along the way.
So, the easiest thing to set up is something called a SEP IRA, SEP. It's easy to set up, it's flexible, and you can put in up to 25%. of your self-employment income. Which is just a you know a huge benefit. To be able to put a lot more away on a regular basis and reduce your tax liability right now.
And then once it's in there, you could get it invested.
So you're going to need an advisor to help you set it up and to manage it.
So I would connect with a certified kingdom advisor there in Illinois at findaca.com. Thanks for calling. Remember, folks, today is the final day of our year-in campaign to fund FaithFi as a listener-supported ministry. Every gift received before midnight will be doubled. Just head to faithfy.com and click give.
Hey, big thanks to Amy, Jim, Dan, and Anthony, and everybody here at FaithFi. Come back and join us tomorrow. We'll see you then. Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
