Last week we studied what Solomon had to say about money in Ecclesiastes 5:8-20. As I was studying up on this topic, I came across an article in which Ivan Mesa interviews Ron Blue, author of over 20 books on biblical financial planning. Here's what he had to say: You often say money is a "revealer of the heart" and "entry into the heart." How so? I like to use the analogy of a window and a door here. When I say money is a revealer of the heart, I mean it acts as a window that we can look through to see the deepest desires of our hearts. Likewise, when I say money is an entry into the heart, I mean it acts as a door that, when opened, releases our hearts to find freedom, contentment, and joy in our finances.... I often tell people that if you show me your checkbook, I can show you your priorities. This is the window. If we take the next step and allow God's Word to shape our priorities and enter our hearts, we can actually move our hearts to treasure new things. Changing the flow of our money will change the attention and loves of our hearts. Why is it hard for Christians to think of financial stewardship as an aspect of discipleship? Many Christians want to separate any discussion of money from their spiritual lives.... But this mentality arises from a failure to understand that all that we have is God's, including our money. Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein." If everything we have is God's, then we are stewards of his money (not ours) and we'll have to give an account to him of how we used it. How can Christians save for the future while also trying to increase their giving? Priorities. The only way to increase giving and to save for the future is by establishing priorities. To set priorities, we must understand there are really only four ways we can spend our money. I call them: "Live, Give, Owe, Grow." Most people begin by allocating their money to the "Owe" category by paying off debt and taxes, then they move to the "Live" category and spend on their lifestyle. Finally, if there's anything left over, they look at "Give" and "Grow" (giving and saving). On the other hand, the Bible tells us that the most productive uses of our money are "Give" and "Grow," the required uses of money are the debt and taxes of "Owe," and only after these are taken care of should the "Live" category be considered. There's no financial silver bullet. The only silver bullet around is creating and then maintaining a financial habit or discipline, motivated by financial goals and priorities. Begin by prayerfully asking the question, "Lord, what would you have me do in my financial life?" What's the most important thing pastors should teach their churches about finances? Teach them what Paul said in the greatest support letter ever written: "I seek not what is yours but you" (2 Cor. 12:14). Teach them that the reason they need to know what the Bible says about money isn't merely to meet the needs of the local church, but to become free from the hold money has on their hearts and lives. Money is a cruel master. The Bible has much to say about it-more than 2,300 verses are about money, and 16 of Jesus's 38 parables deal with it. Additionally, much of what is written about money warns of its dangers. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income." Yet despite all of the verses and warnings, most of us tend to believe that if one person can handle the trappings of wealth, it's us. Well, we can't. The only way I've seen people avoid the trappings of wealth is to hold their money with an unflinching open hand. These people are radically generous with their wealth; they know if they're not, it'll end up mastering them. Churches must teach that the only way to experience true freedom and contentment in finances is to become extravagantly generous just like our Father: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son." Talk about extravagant giving! Churches should talk about money not because they need it, but because people need freedom from its dangers.
