Dear Gospel Today Magazine (and the Christian Media),

I’m saddened and deeply concerned that the Christian media has been salivating over Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump. These two gentlemen (along with Kiyosaki’s wife, Kim) have been paraded around the Body of Christ (The Paula White Show, TBN, Daystar, and in Gospel Today Magazine) as if they’re paragons of financial stewardship. What’s up with that?

Has the Christian media become so enamored by celebrity and wealth that biblical standards no longer matter? It’s as if being rich and selling lots of books gives them a free pass to advise God’s people. What’s next? Snoop Dogg or 50 Cent preaching to us because they’re CD went platinum?

Please don’t think I am hatin’ on Kiyosaki and Trump. I have many of their books and appreciate the fact that they are trying to educate people about money. However, in my opinion, Christians should be very careful before consuming the advice these folks are dishing out. Much of it lacks practicality, specifics, and it frequently conflicts with the Word of God. See for yourself; here are a few quotes from Kiyosaki’s interview with Paula White:

Kiyosaki said, “Don’t live below your means.”
I say, “Try that, and you’ll be broke and knee-deep in debt the rest of your life. You can’t accumulate wealth if you spend more than you make, no matter how large your income.”

Kiyosaki said, “Don’t diversify.”
The Word says, “Put your investments in several places, many places, in fact — because you never know what kind of bad luck you are going to have in this world.” (Ecclesiastes 11:2) GNT

Kiyosaki said, “A broker or financial adviser will only make you broker.”
The Word also says, “Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others.” (Proverbs 12:15) NLT
I say, “Most people need a good financial counselor (or coach) to make sound decisions and investments.

Kiyosaki said, “Avoid mutual funds and 401(k)s because they are too risky.”
I say, “Mutual funds vary in their risk. Some are very low risk. 401(k)s have good tax benefits and are excellent tools to save for retirement.”

For Christians, there are more suitable messengers in the financial and business world than Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump. There’s Truett Cathy, a Christian billionaire and the founder of Chick-Fil-A, Inc. and financial gurus like Dave Ramsey, Howard Dayton, Ron Blue, Austin Pryor, Brian Kluth, George Thompson, Victor and Catherine Eagan, Dwight Nichols, and Earl Pitts., to name a few. By the way, many of these people are multi-millionaires who have successful businesses and ministries.

Talking about money is a spiritual issue and should be treated as such (see Luke 16:11). Please stop turning to “celebrities” for financial advice unless they are committed to teaching God’s financial principles.

Lee Jenkins
Financial Adviser, Author, and Teacher