A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. Our beliefs shape the way we handle our finances. If the roots are bad, the fruits will be defective. Bad beliefs undermine good financial stewardship.
Good financial stewardship starts with good beliefs. It starts with examining the beliefs which we have come to hold. Some of these beliefs, presented more tactfully, carry the air of Christian piety. But like a seed that’s rotten at its core, once you strip away the outer layers that obscure the rottenness inside, you will see the poison for what it is.
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Bad beliefs bear out in bad consequences. In order to steward our finances well, we have to first check our beliefs and make them obedient to Christ.
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1. Money is root of all evil
We seldom hear fellow Christians saying outright that money is evil. More often, this is borne out in action. In discussing major life decisions such as career plans, any talk about potential remuneration is quickly associated with greed, as if the entire subject of money is evil. And so we avoid any talk of money entirely.
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Subtly, this belief leads us to overlook the entire subject of finance. Whatever we do, we leave money out of the picture. When we make purchases, we look only at the potential benefits, neglecting the issue of cost. Without us knowing, our expenses pile up. Because we don’t consider the issue of remuneration either, we don’t earn enough to meet those expenses. Hence, in order to fund the excess expenses, we are driven deep into debt.
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So we face all the ill consequences of severe indebtedness. And we do not present ourselves as good witnesses.
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This belief comes about because of a misreading of Jesus’ statement. He said ‘for the love of money is root of all evil’. It is the love of money that leads people to cheat, to steal, to trample over others for financial gain. Money is a tool which can be used for much good. And God has given us the ability to produce wealth.
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2. We cannot work for our salvation; in the same manner, works make no difference to our financial wellbeing
We are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. It is the gift of God.
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In the process of teaching this truth, works are sometimes cast in such a bad light that they are viewed with disdain. All mentions of works are painted with the same brush, whether relating to salvation or otherwise. So much that even when it comes to matters of financial wellbeing, it becomes more a matter of having faith than it is a matter of works.
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Works here includes what we typically know as work, be it a job or running a business. It also includes acts of charity and other personal achievements such as acquisition of qualifications, networking and personal branding. Wrongly believing that work is purely a matter of doing whatever we find ourselves doing, and doing it with the best possible attitude as the outworking of our faith in God, leads us to pious but ineffective application of labour. We miss out on many aspects that demonstrably relate to higher income, and therefore higher levels of financial wellbeing. With less wealth at our disposable, we become less well placed to function as God’s channel of blessing to those around us.
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Scripture emphasises the ineffectiveness of works towards salvation because it is very different from many other things we know. In the earthly realm, works underpin all sorts of achievements. Status, technological advances, national prestige, security, sustenance. And of course, wealth.
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3. God owns it all, so asset ownership doesn’t matter
Christians agree that God created the universe and owns everything in it. This has led some preachers and authors to conclude that we should be indifferent about the issue of asset ownership, that it does not matter whether we purchase a house or if we rent one. After all, it is God who gives out of His abundance. And we should not be too mindful about His manner of giving.
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By obscuring the difference between earthly ownership and tenancy, this belief leads us on a significantly poorer financial trajectory. Tenancy is advantageous over the short term as it doesn’t require a substantial capital outlay. But it is significantly more costly over the long run. He ends up paying substantially more, without anything to show for at the end of it.
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Compared to another who takes up ownership, the owner pays what would have been spent as rent into the property as mortgage payments. He gains a house that can be sold. In turn, the proceeds from the sale can be used to fund meaningful ventures, such as supporting his children’s education or to do all manner of good works. The amount of money in question is no small amount. It can be worth a lifetime of savings.
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The question of earthly asset ownership is best thought of as a matter of whose charge a particular piece of God’s property falls under. Like the good servants in the Parable of the Talents, we are to nurture what God has placed under our charge. At the same time, we acknowledge God’s sovereign ownership by being open handed towards Him when He asks of us, and towards all who are made in His image.
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4. God’s providence means we do not need to build up for the future
When we say the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to give us this day our daily bread. In the wilderness, the Israelites were told to collect enough manna for one day, except the day before the Sabbath when two day’s worth was collected. Some interpret these as indicating that the default posture for the Christian is to rely on God for daily sustenance.
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Yes, even our very breath depends on God’s pleasure. So does our daily sustenance. But it is something very different to say that it is okay to have nothing in your bank account as a default, and hope that some form of provision comes your way every day. Or worse, to insist that having anything more than what is sufficient for today reflects a lack of trust in God’s provision.
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With that belief, no effort is made towards building up for the future by increasing our bank account balance, which leads to tremendous financial inefficiencies. A 10kg sack of rice may cost 4 times as much as a 1kg bag of rice. But because of the lack of wriggle room, an individual may not have the choice of purchasing the more expensive but cost-efficient sack of rice. He ends up stuck in the rut of having to live hand to mouth. Had he built up sufficient savings, he could have saved the equivalent of 6 bags of rice, some of which he could have used to bless his neighbours. With the remainder, he could make improvements to his financial situation, so that financial help that was previously channelled his way could be channelled to those who need it more.
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And the principle does not stop at his daily bread. A healthy bank balance allows an individual to take advantage of cyclical discounts, and so afford him many provisions in life that he would otherwise miss out on.
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In Proverbs, the sluggard is told to observe the ant, to learn its ways and to be wise. For it stores up its food at harvest. In Genesis, God spoke to Joseph through dreams, which led to the storage of massive amounts of grain in the years of plenty in order to tide over the 7 lean years. Trusting in God means trusting in His Word. The examples of Joseph and the provision of manna are exceptions when God gave specific instructions in specific circumstances. The default is for us to learn from the ways of the ant – ways which nature has shown to conduce towards the survival of various species as well as the individual.
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5. The more you give, the more you will receive (financially)
In the Bible, God commands to the Israelites to bring their tithes into God’s storehouses, promising to open the floodgates of blessing upon them if they do so. Some preachers cease on verses like these, and teach their flock to be generous in expectation of a manifold return.
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Like a placebo, some Christians give, and find that there are improvements to their financial situations. Some Christians give, but find their financial situation getting from bad to worse. They start blaming God. They start blaming themselves for not giving in the proper manner. Bitterness wells up, and they turn away from God.
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By giving in expectation of receiving a greater return, they give away the very resources they need to lift them out of their financial doldrums. Instead of focusing their efforts on solutions that could be effective, they waste their hopes and emotions on an ineffective course of action.
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There are reasons why poor Israelites were instructed to sacrifice two pigeons instead of a lamb. There are also reasons why the Israelite society had structures in place to assist those who were destitute – the poor tithe, gleaning, the Year of Jubilee. If what these preachers preached were true, then why were the poor Israelites not instructed to give more so that they could receive much more in return?
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6. If we go by faith, God will provide (so we need not bother about finances)
In discussing plans for the future, whether for the church or individually, it is common to hear Christians saying that they will go by faith. Sometimes even when financial resources are insufficient. In some circles, the topic of financing is shunned like a taboo. If someone brings up the issue of money in the form of cost, it is as if he said something anathema.
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All that matters is that the project is borne out of goodwill, that it is in line with Scripture, and that we feel strongly convicted. If it is in line with God’s will, God will foot the bill. Or so we may believe.
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Some go ahead in faith and succeed. They praise God for His faithful provisions. Others go ahead and run into difficulty in the process. Badly bruised, they wonder why God didn’t come through for them. With their passions quenched and their faith shaken, they turn cold, never to pursue the will of God anymore.
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Pause for a moment to consider: in the cases of those who succeeded, where did God’s provision come from?
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First, it is instructive that Jesus told us to count the cost in the Parable of the Tower. Second, in the years immediately after Jesus’ ascension, the apostles received their living from the early church as they preached the gospel. Third, even as Paul received an explicit calling from God to witness to the nations, he sustained himself through tent making. God’s provision does not always come in the form of manna from heaven.
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Good financial stewardship involves sound understanding of scripture, right attitude towards money, and good financial management. For a holistic approach to financial stewardship, attend our Workshop or obtain a copy of The Financial Machine.