Financial Stewardship
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God owns everything.
Psalm 50:9-13; 1 Chronicles 29:12;
You and I are asset managers for the Lord, so if we view it properly, we aren’t giving our own money away.
Psalm 24:1
A steward is a manager, not an owner.
You will never have financial peace until you learn to manage money with an open hand.
Why is giving important?
Why does the Bible tell us to give so often? The Bible talks about money more often than it talks about love and grace. Think our attitude about money might be a big deal to God?
Giving makes us more Christ-like; a spiritually mature Christian gives.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Giving moves you to become less selfish, and less selfish people have more of a tendency to prosper in relationships and wealth.
Because we are designed in God’s image, we are happiest and most fulfilled when servingand giving.
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Giving is a reminder of ownership. Giving is praise and worship. Giving is spiritual warfare.
Tithes & Offerings
The tithe is a tenth of your increase. The Bible says to give your first fruits, meaning off the top.
Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
The tithe is to go to your local church, which provides the same function as the OT storehouse.
Offerings are different than the tithe. They are above the tithe and are freely given from surplus.
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
Never give with the motive of having your giving returned.
Saving Money
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
One definition of maturity is learning to delay pleasure. Children do what feels good; adults devise a plan and follow it. -Dave Ramsey
Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
The secret to saving money is to make it a priority.
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Budgeting
The flow of money in a household represents the value system under which that household operates…When you agree on your value system, you will reach a unity in your marriage that you can experience in no other way.
Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
“A budget is simply telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” -John Maxwell
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Other Scripture about Money
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
, 19
Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Resources for budgeting:
Apps— EveryDollar, Mint