Spend it!

An anonymous wise man once said, “If you want to get better off financially, Quit buying things.” And Henry David Thoreau said “Just about everyone knows how to make money, but very few know how to spend it.”

The prophet Isaiah asks us a very important question in Isa 55:2

Isaiah 55:2 ESV

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Spending money is a reality of life; there is no getting around it. Economists think that the first use of a standard form of money started in Mesopitamia to help bring equality between bartering and trading for goods and services.

From that season on we have all lived in a world that requires money. There is no getting past it, no matter how much we resist the temptation of money and no matter how much we may loathe it we must have it.

Isaiah’s question for us is not why we spend money, but why do we spend the money on the things we do. What is our motivation, or our drive, to spend the money we spend. What if we had to present a rationale for every purchase we make before we could have the funds, what would that reveal about us, our motives, our passions, our priorities?

The world says to squander our money, but the Bible says to spend it wisely

“Squander” is not a word we see used in marketing. Come waste your money here. Great money-pit opportunity! Give us your money and we will give you something that will break, become obsolete, or require even more money to maintain! That kind of language would not sell a product, but, as with most things we buy, that is usually what will happen. So why do we squander money? As Isaiah 55:2 (ESV) asks, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”

God has a different invitation for us when it comes to how we use money: Spend it wisely. Money itself is not evil. Besides earning, saving, and giving, money is also used for spending—it’s a tool. The key here is not overindulging or squandering, but to use it with discretion, a habit that goes against our consumer-driven culture.

So, what can we glean from the Bible about how we are to spend our money as followers of Jesus? Let’s look at a few truths this morning.

Remember, when we seek after Jesus, he will provide what we need.

Let’s read together Matt 6:25-34

Ultimately, God is the source of all things in this world. The Scriptures make us this promise, when we seek the things of God and His Kingdom he will take care of us and give us what we need. How much money is spent in a year’s time either trying to satisfy a person’s natural desire for Jesus, or out of fear that God will not take care of us?

Sometimes Jesus miraculously meets our needs, like the Israelites getting manna in the morning, sometimes Jesus meets our needs through the faith and generosity of others like the church in early Acts who sold their possessions and gave to one another as they had need; and sometimes he meets our needs through providing a way for us to work, make money, and provide for our families.

You tell me, is it a bigger miracle for someone to randomly find $1000 on the ground when they need it? Or for a man or woman to work 60 years with a steady income and opportunity? Both show the hand a grace of God in different ways if you ask me.

So, any important question for us when we purchase things is: Does this purchase reflect Jesus and his Kingdom? Does this purchase tempt me to abandon Christ or compromise my relationship with him?

You see, Satan is no dummy and can tempt us with all kinds of things, and our own selfishness and sinfulness can get in the way too. We need wisdom.

When we make major purchases most of us ask the experts. We have home inspections, take a care to a mechanic, or read reviews online; we ask friends for recommendations and experiences, and sometimes we even consult financial advisors or lawyers. We know that we do not know it all, so we ask the people that know.

Why would we not ask God for his wisdom as well? James 1:5 tells us that if we need wisdom we should ask. As Christians this should be a part of our spending process. “God, is this purchase from you? Or is this purchase getting in your way?”

Rejoice in what you have

If you have ever consulted Dave Ramsey materials you may have heard him use the framework of “wants vs needs” So much of our spending is based on coveting and not knowing the difference in wants and needs.

I need food- I want crablegs.

I need a house- I want granite countertops and a whirlpool tub.

Don’t get me wrong, it is okay to have wants, and it is okay to buy some of the things that we want. Where we get in trouble is when we convince ourselves that our wants are really our needs.

Contentment is the key. Paul told us in Philippians 4:11-12

Philippians 4:11–12 ESV

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 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.

When we allow Christ to be the center of our lives and realize that nothing will change his love and presence we can begin to live a life of contentment. That is the problem with making worldly things your God- worldly things change all the time. The money loses value and the things get old and worn out; the buzz wears off; the house needs repairs and upgrades; the beautiful spouse will grow old and their beauty will fade in time. But God, God is unchanging; he is constant and thus can can offer true contentment.

G. K. Chesterton echoes Paul, saying, “There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.”[1] Contentment is the key, but you can easily get off track.

Contentment is build from a foundation of knowing who you are in Jesus. So many of the “things” we strive after are based in trying to create or sustain a persona? Trying to live up to other people’s expectation of you, or your false expectations of yourself.

Resist the urge to compare yours to theirs

You know, I have the most beautiful Foxbody Mustang…until I take it to a car show. Then, once my car sits alongside of all the others I start to notice how worn my paint is next to the brand new showroom paint of that car; or how dingy my engine and bay are next to the guy with the car next to me.

My car was just fine until I allowed someone else’s car to enter my vision. I was completely content with what God gave me, until I saw what God gave them, then my expectations changed- drastically!

There is a reason that God placed coveting our neighbors things in the 10 Commandments. Remember that one? Its the last one, number 10 and its found in Ex 20:17

Exodus 20:17 ESV

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Why? Because coveting can lead to compromising- compromising your faith, your integrity, your lifestyle, even your God.

In fact, the first and the last of the commandments are related when you think about it- covet something so much and it will become your God. You will serve it, worship it, sacrifice to it, and chase it with all you have. It will be your God.

I remembering hearing a pastor say once that if we broke commandment #10 it would tempt us to break 9-2 until we broke #1....

Hold your possessions lightly

Land mammal meme.

1 John 2:15 tells us this: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Now, to really understand what the Scriptures are telling us we need to break that word “love” down. The Greek word is agapao- the present and active tense of agape.

Agape is that special kind of love- a Jesus love. Agape love is not like I love burritos, or I love my mom, or even I love my friends. No, agape love is a self sacrificial love. Agape love is the kind of love that God showed for us when he gave Jesus for us.

In other words, says John, you can really like some of the worlds things. Love your wife, love your home, love your golf clubs, but do not sacrifice yourself for them, do not give yourself to them- do not let them be your God.

Here’s what I mean by hold them lightly- hold them, take care of them, and appreciate them. But don’t hold them so tight that if God asks for it to serve someone else or to move you in another direction you are able to give it up.

Holding lightly means allowing space for God to use the things we buy as a way to bless others.

Instead of being the child who gets something new and puts the death grip on it, refusing to let it go.