America is a land of incredible abundance, and yet there are so many unhappy, unsatisfied people all around us. Compared to most people living today, and certainly to all people who have lived throughout human history, we are all so blessed, and yet many so discontent. Isn't it strange? Maybe we could better enjoy what we have, were we not obsessed with getting more. Jesus would free us from this snare.
Did you ever wonder why Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money" ( MT 6:24 )? I believe it is because so many of us try to serve both; and furthermore, we are unaware that we are trying to serve both God and Money until His Word penetrates and convicts our hearts.
Now, I claim no status as a professional financial advisor, but then neither did Jesus. And like Jesus in fact because of Jesus I have some things to share worthy of consideration.
First, let me remind you of the fact that two kinds of treasure exist. One can be sought and stored here on earth; the other can be sought and stored in heaven. One consists of material from this world and quite assailable; the other consists of material in a new world and is eternally secure. One is the object of almost every man's ambition; the other the ambition of only a few. Jesus taught us to be among the few.
Notice I did not say one treasure is evil and the other good. There is a good place for both treasures. Successful Christian living involves keeping these in their proper places. This involves a concentrated effort to "honor the Lord with the wealth we have" ( PR 3:9 ) instead of an incessant obsession to store up more wealth.
Besides getting these two kinds of treasure confused and out of order, many of us hold mistaken views about tithing that require correction. Whether actually having been taught it or having mistakenly concluded it from sound teachings we have received, many of us embrace a position of minimal stewardship. We erroneously believe that giving 10% of our income to God makes us 100% faithful managers of our money.
The Bible teaches that God owns everything ( PS 24:1 ). We own nothing. We are only managers of His stuff, at best. We'll not successfully manage our home finances until we realize that it's all His, and manage accordingly.
When God calls us to be managers of His stuff, He is interested in more than a mere 10% of His stuff being managed well. Many tithers mistakenly conclude that God doesn't care what we do with the 90% left once we have given the tenth. Thus, we think we're free to use the remainder to make payments on more stuff to make us feel good and/or impress others.
Money management is not brain surgery or rocket science. Few of us fail to manage our finances because we lack the intelligence to do it, but rather because we lack the wisdom to live within our means and the fortitude to make the hard decisions that requires.
To balance an out-of-balance budget is simple in principle. We need to do one of three options:
Spend less money.
Earn more money.
Do a combination of the above. Notice I said we need to DO one of these options. Merely contemplating one of the them, while you walk the same road, will still lead you to bondage and destruction. Our goal should be to live a lifestyle where we spend less than we make. Guess what! Your neighbors probably aren't doing that.
Keeping these fundamentals in mind, I would recommend one habit my wife and I have developed in managing our personal finances. This habit has been more beneficial than any other single practice. Each month we sit down together and look at our financial picture in detail: how much we owe to whom, and how much money we have available.
I created an MS Excel spreadsheet into which I plug data every month. You can do it with paper and pencil. Just list on one side of a sheet all the accounts you owe along with the amount. Total the column. On the other side, list all your liquid assets (checking, saving, investments, etc.) and total this. Then plan a periodic time to sit down and look at this picture. Look at it, no matter how ugly it is. Discuss changes that have developed and what you might do to make the picture better.
Consistently facing this reality rather than ignoring it has helped us see where we really are, make real plans to be somewhere else, and monitor our progress in the journey. It can do it for you, too.
Finally, if you are in debt, I implore you to begin working and praying your way out. Make it a family project. Figure out how to spend less than you make. Be creative. Begin yesterday!
Dane Tyner is founder and director of Home Improvement Ministry, a Christian family counseling service in Tulsa, OK.The ministry website is http://www.forhim.org.
Teresa Ortiz(2,736) Teresa Ortiz (62 days 18 hours ago.)
Hi Dane, thank you for this practical explaination of this passage. Many dare to touch it. I pray it encourages many. Thanks again for sharing your God-given wisdom with us. Blessings to you and yours, Teresa Respond to this comment
Susan Thom(8,095) Susan Thom (58 days 4 hours ago.)
hi dane,
this past year i was confronted with a financial fall, and i learned i had been spending too much on the wrong things. this next year, will be different than any before. sometimes, we are made to be humble to learn humility. alright already, i got it. thank you for sharing,
best regards,
sue thom Respond to this comment
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