You cannot serve both God and Money (Matthew, 6: 24 NIV)
Leaving university and moving into the big bad world can seem daunting and this is especially true when it comes to handling money. You may have spent the last few years struggling with spending and building up significant debt. Suddenly you may be earning quite a lot and you are wondering about your priorities. What do you need to live on? Can you afford to start saving yet? And, of course, as Christians are you giving generously and happily? Although this may not be reflected in the sermons you hear, there is an immense amount of teaching about handling money and possessions in the Bible. For example, there are around 500 verses on prayer and a similar number on faith, yet there are more than 2350 verses on handling money God's way. This teaching is as important now as it ever has been. We are living in such a materialistic world where what you own seems to be valued more than who you are. It is so easy when starting out to think that life is all about earning more, and each year having more than the year before. But Jesus clearly teaches us not to store up treasures on earth which rot and destroy but to find ways of storing up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:24). In fact it can be argued that Jesus came to earth teaching us to love our God and our fellow men and women and demonstrate this by using money and possessions accordingly. Given that our society seems to worship money and will even use others to get more for 'self' it can be seen that this is not going to be an easy thing to do.
So how can we learn to handle money God's way? We need to look at the teaching on the main issues - debt, giving and saving - and then apply them to today's society.
The borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs, 22: 7 NIV)
Debt is a major problem in the western world today, especially in the English speaking nations. It has been estimated that the average unsecured debt (i.e. credit and store cards) of each individual in Britain stands at around £14,000. With over 47 million credit and store cards in use in Britain, compared to under 3 million in Germany this is perhaps inevitable. There are in fact more than 1200 different ones to choose from - and sometimes it seems as if they are all writing to you encouraging you to apply at the same time! Debt causes all sorts of negative emotions including fear, guilt and loneliness. In a society where success is measured by what you have this is not surprising but it makes it very hard to admit to. Money problems are frequently named as the major cause of relationship breakdown and the constant pressures lead to rational people doing irrational things. It can cause health problems due to stress and lead to an increasing sense of isolation. As debts mount, and the average level of debt seen on the Credit Action help-line is now in excess of £30,000 a case, so the borrower becomes a slave of the lender (Proverbs 22:7). It is important to remember that whenever you take out credit you are making assumptions that you will be able to repay out of future income. With very few jobs for life any longer this needs to be thought about carefully.
As Christians it is not wrong to have debt. There is a big difference between having a mortgage [which is a debt] and being behind on it (which is being in debt). We should remember that we are called to let no debt remain outstanding (Romans 13:8). So when we borrow, as we inevitably will have to if buying a house for example, we need to ensure that it is well within what we can afford to repay out of monthly income. We should never borrow to buy non-essentials or things that glorify us.
'Let no debt remain outstanding except the debt to love on another' (Romans, 13:8, NIV)
Every Christian can usually avoid debt and at the same time demonstrate that they are being good stewards by budgeting. What this means is simply working out what your income is, where the money is being spent and whether there is a surplus or a deficit. The easiest way of doing this is to have a notebook and pen and spend a month writing down literally where every penny goes. At the end of the month categorise the spending and look at the totals. This can be quite horrifying! Often you will find that you are spending more than you thought on things that are not important to you. This often can enable you to cut down spending sharply and help you to increase both giving and saving. Credit Action has a range of guides to aid you to budget effectively.
'On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keep with his income, saving it up so that when I come, no collections will have to be made' (1 Corinthians, 16:2 NIV)
If ever there was a subject to get Christians hot under the collar this is it! Law or grace, tithes or gifts, net or gross, the battles are endless. To me it is very clear that we are to be generous givers and in 1 Corinthians 16 Paul makes it very clear that our giving needs to be planned, prioritised and premeditated In other words it needs to come first and be the thing that we would continue to do regardless of what other pressures there are on us to spend elsewhere. It is simply a matter of priorities. Often we think we would give more if only we had more not realising that in worldly terms we are very rich. It is much easier for us to compare ourselves with the 10% who have more rather than the 90% who have less. But God does not want to condemn and neither should we. I would simply say that I believe that God does not look at what we give He looks at what we keep [This is why the story of the widow's mite is so powerful]
Giving is about priorities, about what is most important in our lives. Did you hear about the 50p coin and the £50 note talking in a bank? The £50 note said, ' I have a great time going to nice clubs, hotels and restaurants. How about you?' The 50p coin simply replied ' I go to church quite a lot.' Do our priorities really reflect our belief in eternity and the fact that whilst on earth we actually can, by putting others first, store up treasures in Heaven?It is important when giving that maximum advantage is taken of the tax incentives available to both church and charitable giving through things such as Gift Aid and Payroll Giving. Both Sovereign Giving and Stewardship Services are Christian organisations that can help you plan this effectively.
Saving may seem like the last thing that you can do when just starting out on your career. But you should try to do so, even if it is small amounts to start with. It has been calculated that some-one who saves £100 a month between the ages of twenty and thirty will have a larger pension on retirement than some-one who saves £100 a month between the ages of thirty and sixty-five. With people living longer the percentage of the population that is working is constantly declining and you should plan to protect yourself and your family. Some people seem to think that they do not have to save as God will provide. This is not faith but presumption and in reality can mean that other Christians will be asked to bail out those who should have been more responsible with their money.
In fact, it is clear that God calls us to save. We are called to provide for our children and to ensure we are not a burden to others. In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. (Proverbs 21:20). It is important to realise that saving requires self-denial. Just as Joseph saved in the years of plenty so should we when the job is going well and things look bright.Saving can be quite a complicated area and with scandals of mis-selling over recent years it is sensible to seek advice. The Association of Christian Financial Advisers can put you in touch with some one in your area.
So as a Christian we need to be giving generously, saving sensibly but not hoarding and expecting to have some debt but trying hard not to be in debt. We need to be remembering just what Jesus has given for us and try and demonstrate this love by showing that others matter more than things. Importantly we need to pray about the use of money and possessions as much as anything else. We must be prepared to reject the values of consumerism for the eternal values of love, grace, forgiveness and generosity as displayed by our Lord.
Check out Matthew 6:24, Proverbs 13:8, 22:7, Romans 13:8, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Luke 21: 1- 5
CREDIT ACTION has a wide range of material covering all aspects, both Biblical and practical, on all matters relating to handling money and possessions. Speakers can also be provided. Contact them at:
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