The Bible and 21st Century Finances

2010
The Bible and 21st Century Finances: Thought

Provoking Answers to Nine Common Questions
By Craig Ford
Money Help For Christians

http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com
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The Bible and 21st Century Finances: Thought Provoking Answers to Nine Common Questions
Copyright © 2010 Craig Ford http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com. All rights reserved.
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At Money Help For Christians, (www.moneyhelpforchristians.com) I write financial articles for

Christians and make them available on the internet.
If you’ve never read MH4C, you should know I love to explore the biblical text in a new and
fresh way in my journey to find out what the Bible says about money.
At Money Help For Christians, I challenge some of our common assumptions about the Bible
and money. I do my best to avoid biblical financial sound bites. As such, I try not to formulate
financial principles and then find Bible passages to support my assumptions. Instead, I use the
Bible to challenge our assumptions about money. My goal is always to bring a fresh approach
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The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Does the Bible Say About Money? ........................................................................................................................... 4

The Tree Cannot Be Healthy If the Roots Are Not Healthy ..................................................................................... 5
What Does the Bible Say about Work? ........................................................................................................................... 6
What Does The Bible Say About Saving Money? ........................................................................................................ 7
Four Keys to Helping You Find The Balance Between Saving and Hoarding ..................................................... 8
What Does the Bible Say About Debt and Credit? .................................................................................................... 10
Giving While in Debt .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
What does the Bible Teach About Spending Money? ............................................................................................. 14
What Does the Bible Teach About Investing? ............................................................................................................ 15
What Does the Bible Teach About Retirement? ........................................................................................................ 16
Retirement and Building Wealth: The Wealth Snowball vs. Ocean Tide .......................................................... 17
What Does the Bible Teach About Insurance?........................................................................................................... 20
What Does the Bible Say About Giving? ....................................................................................................................... 22
The Relationship Between the Heart and Action of Giving................................................................................... 22
About www.MoneyHelpForChristians.com Website .............................................................................................. 25
Money Help For Christians Purpose Statement ....................................................................................................... 25
The Four Relevant Foundations of MH4C:............................................................................................................. 25
About the Author.......................................................................................................................................................... 26
Free Preview | The Secret To A Successful Budget: Proven Tips For Creating A Budget That Lasts
(More Than A Week) ............................................................................................................................................................ 27

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT MONEY?
Introducing the Money Tree

The money tree is my attempt to illustrate how Christians make informed Biblical decisions.
The roots are the foundational principles introduced in the Bible. The roots must be strong,
healthy, and firm, or the entire tree will die.
Foundational Principles and Applications
The majority of the biblical teachings about money (especially in the New Testament) deal with
the foundational elements of personal finance. The Bible seeks to lay the foundation, and
Christians then apply those principles to their own situation, context, and setting.

As such, when I’m buying a mutual fund, reading my Bible probably won’t be able to give me
much guidance. When I’m deciding between Allstate or State Farm insurance, the Bible will not
have any direct advice. There is no book, chapter, and verse that helps me know which bank is
best.
However, each and every one of those decisions is informed by some foundational teachings
from the Bible.
What Christians need is a bridge between the biblical teachings and their every day
interactions with money.
Christians need a way to take the important foundational lessons about money (roots) and
apply them to their daily interactions with money (branches). Combining both financial
knowledge and biblical knowledge, you can create a financial system that honors God and
makes wise work, savings, investing, debt, credit, insurance, spending, and giving decisions.
This is the goal of www.moneyhelpforchristians.com.
THE TREE CANNOT BE HEALTHY IF THE ROOTS ARE NOT HEALTHY
During your lifetime, you will make more financial decisions on the application level (leaves).
This is because once the foundation has been established, all your other decisions will be made
in light of that foundation. You will notice that more of the tree is seen. However, the most
important part is the root system. This foundation is necessary to keep the tree healthy. Were
the roots to be destroyed or poisoned, that disease would pass on up to the tips of every
branch.
Said another way, your beliefs about money will inevitably reach into all parts of your
money management.
That is why it is important that we deal with the root issues of money before we deal with
the application of biblical teachings. In order to do this, Christians must learn, study, and
talk more about the topic of money.
This eBook has been compiled as an effort to help you learn the important foundational
elements of personal finances. In my blog, I try to provide more of the practical elements, but
until you learn and understand these foundational teachings, those suggestions might be in
vain.
Why we do things as Christians is often as important as what we do.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WORK?
In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 Paul prides himself in his hard work. Paul was a tent maker (Acts
18:1-3) and spoke frequently how this working morning and night was a blessing to God’s
church (1 Cor. 4:12, 1 Cor. 9:6, 2 Cor. 6:5, 2 Cor. 11:23, 1 Thess. 2:9).
Why should a Christian work? While there are many pragmatic benefits of work, I will focus on
the core biblical reasons.
1. Christians work because of the God ordained relationship between working and
eating.
Matthew 4:4 says, “Man does not live on bread alone,” but this does not deny the reality that
man does live on bread. As created beings we have a physical need for food to sustain us. The
biblical method of satisfying those needs is through work.
 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall
not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10 NIV)
 He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will
have his fill of poverty. (Proverbs 28:19 NIV)
Work is, therefore, a legitimate means for acquiring goods.
2. Christians work so that their families do not become a burden to the church body.
Money, once earned, is a limited resource. For anything that is limited, we become either
consumers or contributors. We work so that we do not inappropriately consume the resources
of the church.
The church should not be forced to help someone who is not in genuine need, because in the
future, the church might be unable help another who is in genuine need. We work so we will
not consume the resources that ought to be directed towards those who are legitimately in
need.
 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he
has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8, NIV).
3. Christians work so they have something to contribute to the church.
Our first goal is to make sure we are not consumers of the church resources. Our second goal is to
become contributors to the church. As such, people are encouraged in Acts 20:34-35 to work hard
and help the needy. Moreover, Ephesians 4:28 says that Christians must work to have something to
give to the needy.
 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with
his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. (Ephesians 4:28
NIV)

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SAVING MONEY?
Bible Verses that Support the Concept of Saving Money
 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it
grow. (Proverbs 13:11 NIV)
 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all
he has. (Proverbs 21:20, NIV)
 A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is
stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22 NIV)
The question is not whether to save or not to save. Nor is it to give or not to give. Both giving
and saving should be practiced at the same time.
Those who save and do not give exemplify attributes of a hoarder. Saving in excess is a sign of
greed, lack of trust, and a love of money. See Luke 12:13-21.
Finding the Right Saving Balance
We will all find ourselves somewhere on the money spectrum below:

______________________________________________________________________________
Squander Save Hoard
Each of the above choices (squander, save, or hoard) reveal something about our character:
One who squanders lacks self-control.
One who saves has self-control.
One who hoards has greed.
Which of these qualities are spiritual? (Gal. 5:16-26).
Hoard
Squander
In response to the post what does the bible teach about saving money, a reader left a comment
and asked :
We must find the right – God pleasing – balance of saving.

How would you know what that is?
If I save to maintain the same lifestyle (based on my income) that I want in retirement
that I have in my working years, that would be different for each person.

Who gets to decide (judge) what is hoarding and what is just shrewd financial
management?
Who gets to decide what is hoarding and what is shrewd financial management?
I know this answer is going to frustrate many of you. There is, quite simply, no final,
definitive, pat, or standardized way to answer the question.
FOUR KEYS TO HELPING YOU FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN SAVING AND HOARDING
1. Remember, you are not God’s standard.
 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to
the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3 NIV)
The Christian community is one of accountability. It is important that we are accountable to

each other in our actions. However, accountability can cross a fine line and become judgment.
That is a dangerous line to cross. Your job is not to monitor the saving habits of others, but to
be a faithful steward with what you have been entrusted with.
I could chastise a fellow Christian for owning a BMW or having a million dollars. But, a fellow
third world citizen could just as easily condemn me for owning a computer. And, their neighbor
might question why they own a pair of shoes.
My financial situation is not God’s standard of saving and hoarding. In other words, I cannot
say that if someone has more stuff than me they are hoarding. Nor can I say that if someone
has less than me they must be squandering their money.
WHO ULTIMATELY GETS TO JUDGE?
The decision is one of proportion – proportionate to our income, proportionate to our call,
proportionate to our faith, proportionate to our joy, and proportionate to our giftedness. I
found the following quote recorded in Devotional Classics. Elizabeth O’Connor writes:
Proportionate to what? Proportionate to the accumulated wealth of one’s family?

Proportionate to one’s income and the demands upon it, which vary from family to
family? Proportionate to one’s sense of security and the degree of anxiety with which
one lives? Proportionate to the keenness of our awareness of those who suffer?
Proportionate to our sense of justice and of God’s ownership of all wealth?
Proportionate to our sense of stewardship for those who follow after us? And so on,
and so forth. The answer of course, is in proportion to all of these things.
In other words, we are better off focusing on our own knowable selves than being consumed
with the unknowable factors in the lives of others.

2. Recognize your God given limitations.
Speaking directly in reference to third world missions, missiologist Paul Hiebert wrote, “There
are limits to our ability to identify with another culture … we must identify as closely as we can
with a culture, but not at the expense of our sanity and ministry.”
Hibert recognizes that we each have a different relationship with our ‘stuff’.
Some families stay at home and avoid the restaurant to save money. They absolutely love the
experience. Another family eats out often because cooking is a burden and a chore. Is one
family more spiritual than another? Absolutely not. Each is acting in accordance with their
limitations.
Do we need to stretch and grow? Of course. But, at the same time, we do need to realize that
God has not created us all alike.
3. What gives you joy?
I think the key to this question – what is the right saving balance? – revolves around this very
important word: joy.
Mother Teresa, by all legendary accounts, was an amazing woman. While she lived in the slums
of Calcutta, she lived life with joy. Her poverty was not a burden. She answered her call,
recognized her passions, and lived a life that completely overflowed with joy. You can read part
of an interview with Mother Teresa at the bottom of my post on characteristics of the wealthy,
poor, and middle class.
Dave Ramsey, on the other hand, is a man who is passionate about helping people build
wealth. He is happy to teach you how to become a millionaire. He seems to have little guilt
associated with the wealth, and he often attributes his wealth as a blessing to God. He also
recognizes his passions and lives a life that is, in his own words, better than he deserves.
4. Check your motives.
You might have some completely unhealthy reasons for saving. You might save out of fear or
greed. You can also have some completely unhealthy reasons for hoarding. You might hoard
out of fear or greed. Ultimately, your motivations drastically impact the end result.
Saving becomes hoarding when you do it out of unhealthy motivations.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DEBT AND CREDIT?
The debt and credit system is one that was an active and dare I say, an important economic
component of the Israelite community. There are, however, crucial differences between our
debt system and theirs.
In ancient Israel, debt was a function of survival and a ministry to the poor. Those
without any other survival options were forced to borrow. As a result, the lending system was
as forgiving as possible. You would not charge interest (Ex. 22:25), you would not remove items
necessary for one’s livelihood (Deut. 24:10-14), and you would forgive all debts every seven
years (Deut. 15:1).
In our society, debt is a function of convenience. Those who want to accumulate more
items often use debt as a tool. This could be anything from credit card debt, to car loans, to
house loans.
The biggest biblical concern with debt is one of servitude and obligation.
Debts are commitments and promises.
Debts (monetary and otherwise) tie us down and dictate our future. Each debt we assume
offers us less personal choice for our future actions. When we are no longer free to follow
God’s direction for our lives, our debt has reached a dangerous point.
Nevertheless, it would be inaccurate to categorize debt as a sin. Debt is a system for

which God offers directions and structure. Still, I find it difficult to find passages that
mention debt as a positive action.
Even a casual reading of Proverbs makes is clear that debt is not a tool of the wise. Instead,
debt is often more closely associated with the actions of a fool.
 He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands
in pledge is safe. Proverbs 11:15
 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no
food. Proverbs 12:9
 One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great
wealth. Proverbs 13:7
 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? Proverbs
17:16
 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
Proverbs 17:18
 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7
 Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the
means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. Proverbs 22:26-27

Thus, we should say when it comes to debt that less is better.
Debt Principles That Will Help You Honor God
In the book Debt-Free Living, Larry Burkett suggests four borrowing principals. (The four points
are Burkett's and the comments are mine.)
1. Debt is not normal (Deut. 28:1,12). God prefers us not to be in debt servitude to others.
2. Do not accumulate long term debt. Burkett points to the seven year limitation in the
Bible (Deut. 15:1-2). Debt is a temporary event, not a way of life.
3. Avoid surety – When you borrow without a means of repayment, you venture into
dangerous ethical, spiritual, and moral waters.
4. The borrower has an absolute commitment to repay (Ecclesiastes 5:5). For my thoughts
on bankruptcy, see Should Christians Declare Bankruptcy?
In Taming The Money Monster, Ron Blue suggests four helpful rules when it comes to deciding
about borrowing. (The four points are Blue's, and the comments are mine.)
1. Common Sense – There is a greater economic benefit than cost. This rules out any kind
of credit card or car debt.
2. A Guaranteed Way to Repay – Your income (if consistent) is conservatively adequate to
make all payments or you have items that can be sold to make the payment.
3. Peace of Heart and Mind – How do you feel about borrowing? Does it cause internal
strife? I’m allergic to debt, so this knocks out a lot of my borrowing decisions.
4. Unity – Do you and your spouse both agree?
GIVING WHILE IN DEBT
Here is a question that was once emailed to me:
How do you balance good stewardship and putting God first – or is there a
difference?
Let’s say you have gotten into a lot of debt, learned a lot of hard lessons and are doing
everything possible to improve your financial situation. You have worked diligently to cut
expenses wherever possible and have come up with a budget, including a certain
amount to give. As a result of debt, your budget is so tight that there is not much
money, if any, left over after giving, debt, living expenses, etc.
What would you say is being a better steward of the money God gave you?
(Understanding that poor stewardship may have put you in the current financial
situation, but looking forward with determination, dedication, a proper focus and the
understanding that less debt does not mean more spending power.)

1) Pay the amount of tithe you determined appropriate (10%, etc), even if it means
making close to minimum payments on bad debt. God should be the first line in your
budget, but also could mean wasting thousands of dollars towards interest. Is this good
stewardship?
Or
2) Lowering the amount of giving in order to create an opportunity to pay off debt
more quickly. This could result in saving thousands of dollars of interest, but lowers the
priority of giving back to God first. Are you robbing God?
Here’s my response:
First, I think God is honored by the heart with which you ask these questions. Your
question seeks to determine how your relationship with God impacts your finances. For a
person who says they were formerly a ‘poor steward,’ you are showing a healthy spiritual
disposition of inquiry. I believe God is honored by your conscientious consideration as you seek
to find what pleases him.
Second, the severity of your debt may (or may not) impact your individual situation.
I believe tithing is not just a monetary practice (like paying a bill), but it is a spiritual act.
Therefore, when we neglect spiritual activities, it impacts our relationship with God. Giving
releases us from the heavy grip of money. Tithing is a spiritual activity that vividly reenacts the
reality that God is the owner over all things. When you stop giving, you miss out on these
spiritual blessings.
There is not a single situation in the Bible (that I am aware of) where someone was too
poor to give. There are, however, situations where those who were financially struggling
gave. Here are three such examples:
1. The Widow at Zerephath (1 Kings 17:7-24). Out of the thousands of people God could
have sent Elijah to, he sent Elijah to a woman who was collecting wood to cook her last
supper. God asked the woman to act in faith because God’s strength is made perfect in
weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
2. The Widow with two coins (Luke 21:1-4). Continuing the theme of the widow’s
generosity, here Jesus commends this woman’s action. Surely, many of us would
condemn it as poor stewardship, but Jesus speaks positively of her actions.
3. The Macedonian Christians (2 Cor. 8:1-7). Once again, we see this theme of
commending those who give even in the midst of their poverty. Again, the overall
impression is that this is a positive – not a negative act.
Perhaps the story of the woman who anointed Jesus would be a positive illustration for us (John
13:1-7). Here, the woman’s action does not make sense to those with Jesus. The extravagance

of her gift violates common sense and mathematical sense. In fact, one of their underlying
accusations was that she was a poor steward. The money would have better been used for
the poor. Jesus explains that anything done in an effort to honor him cannot not be construed
as poor stewardship. In other words, if you tithe while in debt and your tithe is a gift out of
love for Christ, you need not worry that you are being a poor steward. In fact, Jesus would
congratulate you for being a good steward.
Withholding a tithe may be questioning God’s ability to provide. Personally, I would rather
have a longer journey out of debt while enjoying the blessings of giving. Furthermore, I only
find one scriptural reason to stop tithing – when giving has become a burden, not a blessing,
and you give out of obligation instead of joy (2 Cor. 9:7). If you are currently in this situation,
wrestle in prayer with God, study the scriptures, and trust him to show you the right pathway.
If a person did decide to postpone tithing, I would suggest implementing the following
guidelines:
1. I would suggest you sit down with a respected leader in your church. Discuss your
considerations openly. This will first provide you some feedback, and second, it will
provide you with some accountability.
2. It must be done with the belief that this action is both pleasing to God and honoring to
your family. Do not stop tithing if greed or selfishness is your motivation.
3. It must be for a short predetermined period of time. Remind yourself that you are not
forming a new habit, but instead temporarily accepting a little lack of equilibrium with
the desire to get back into a normal habit of giving.
4. Be sure you know exactly why you went into debt. Otherwise, you will likely forgo
tithing and end up further into debt.
5. Be sure you are following a plan to get out of debt. Don’t just quit tithing with a hope
that one day you will be out of debt and able to tithe again. Have a detailed game plan.
Otherwise, you will never get out of debt, and subsequently, probably never resume
your giving.
To be clear, I do not suggest you stop tithing while you are trying to get out of debt. But if
you choose not to accept this advice, you need to be sure the proper boundaries are in place so
that you can return as quickly as possible to practicing this spiritual discipline.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH AB OUT SPENDING MONEY?
There are two common feelings associated with spending – guilt and pleasure.
At times, people feel those emotions in isolation, and at times they feel both simultaneously.
Both extremes are terribly dangerous. An overactive guilty conscience makes it difficult to
honor the generosity of the Father. If God is the Source of all we have, then ultimately it is a
blessing to be able to enjoy his abundant generosity. Job 1:1-3 introduces a man of great
wealth. From the very first paragraph, the writer assures us that “this man was blameless and
upright; he feared God and shunned evil.”
On the other hand, spending without any awareness of others ignores the biblical mandate to
consider the needs of others. This is, after all, the second most important command. Luke
16:19-31 highlights this flaw with the story (parable?) of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The Rich
Man enjoyed all he had in abundance without regard for his neighbor.
Most likely, you tend toward one extreme or the other – guilt or unchecked pleasure. It is
essential as Christians for us to recognize our tendencies so we can address them for the sake
of God.
Guilt Pleasure
 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the
secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether
living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
(Philippians 4:12-13 NIV)
In Living on Less and Liking it More, Maxine Hancock writes, “Nagging feelings of guilt about
physical comforts should be banished if, first of all, the good things we have are not received at
the expense of others; and second, if the good things we enjoy are truly within our means and
are not just a result of setting ourselves adrift on a sea of credit.”
Both perspectives have legitimate Biblical foundations. Perhaps that means we should find a
balance. Regardless, it is important to spend time in prayer to determine how God wants you
to use the resources he entrusted you with. Ask a Christian friend or church leader to honestly
determine how your spending needs to change for it to become more healthy.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT INVESTING?
Investing can be a means of (1) maximizing your resources, (Mt. 25:14-30) and (2) helping you
provide for your family (1 Tim. 5:8).
Matthew 25:14-30 records the well known Parable of the Talents. Of course, this discussion is
much broader than the discussion about handling money. Nevertheless, the foundational idea is
that when we are entrusted with something from God, if handled responsibly, God will provide the
increase. We could apply this to anything from spiritual gifts to money. God wants us to wisely use
everything we have.
How much investing risk should Christians take?
Investing is an area where a person cannot succeed without basic knowledge. Since our money has
been entrusted to us by God, one needs to properly learn and research the investing world. Dave
Ramsey rightly advises, “Never invest in something you do not understand.” Honor God by
investing in things you properly understand.
There are two obvious practical dangers with investing. The first is completely avoiding risk and
thus avoiding any potential for positive gain. In fact, with inflation and devaluation, you might just
end up behind where you started. In the Parable of the Talents, this is what the last man did when
he hid his money in the ground.
The second danger is assuming too much risk which could result in a complete loss in what you have
been entrusted. The clear goal is to balance risk and reward and make decisions based on the
likelihood of success.
The more you diversify your account and the longer your timeframe, the more likely you are to
meet your goals successfully. It is essential for Christians to have proper investing boundaries. How
much risk? How much time? How much gain? Otherwise, investing can consume the investor.
The Sound Mind Investing Handbook proposes we put boundaries in place because of impure
motives, limited vision, powerful emotions, and flawed wisdom. The suggested boundaries to help
control our investing are mechanical guidelines, a manager’s mentality, long term perspective, and
broad diversification.
Like each element in this biblical money tree, your purposes and intentions are tantamount to
determining if your actions are biblical. Essentially, through investing you can take the little you
have and maximize its earning opportunity in order to benefit God’s kingdom by placing the gains in
service to God’s kingdom. Ultimately, Christians are not required to invest and may not invest for
legitimate reasons. Nevertheless, do not allow ignorance to be one of those reasons, as ignorance
can be solved by a little education. On the other hand, investing and investing gains can become
such a focus that we do truly hunger and thirst for money more than we do for righteousness (Mt.
5:6). Invest it, monitor it, but do not obsess over it.
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. (Proverbs 23:4 NIV)

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT RETIREMENT?
The retirement question is perhaps the most difficult to address. Saving for retirement is a
means and a way to care for and provide for one’s own family. But, saving for retirement can
also easily morph into a greedy race to accumulate. The answer? Once again, it is that illusive
word BALANCE.
The probing question is – should I be saving more for my future retirement than I am currently
contributing to God’s present work of the Kingdom of God?
How we frame a question gets us halfway to the answer, so I want to point out the six words I
intentionally put in comparison:
Group #1: My vs. God’s
Group #2: Future vs. Present
Group #3: Retirement vs. Kingdom of God
The Bible Warns Against Two Dangers of Future Savings

Danger #1 – Finding security in items instead of the Father
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds
them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:24, NIV)
In an agricultural society, survival was linked to land. No land means no produce. No produce
means no crop. And no crop means no food. Thus, Jesus’ missionary movement is hindered by
those who choose ‘false security’ (a full storeroom) over ‘true security’ (the Father’s ability to
provide). Ministry cannot be stopped because of an unfounded lack of security. For most of
the North American population, the relationship between land and sustenance is no longer
applicable. People have the ability to travel around the world without that impacting their
ability to eat. Thus, staying home is no longer more secure than going away.
Danger #2 – Saving in excess and saving to the exclusion of others
Consider the parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21). This parable highlights an unhealthy
savings extreme. This is called “hoarding.” Hoarding is an insatiable acquisition of things.
‘Enough’ has no place in the vocabulary of a hoarder. A hoarder is closed-handed and has an
inward selfish concern. His foolishness is that he was exclusively storing up for himself without
any generosity towards God. This makes him a fool.
”Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and
rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV)

Earthly treasures do not and will not last. Earthly treasures play a role in physical survival, but
they do not offer eternal salvation. The fool confuses that which is eternal and that which is
temporary. One who treasures items will focus on saving while neglecting generosity because
the fool thinks saving is the only thing of value. One who stores up earthly treasure without
any regard for an eternal treasure (goodwill towards men) will surely find his savings are
ultimately lost.
Legitimate Biblical Reasons to Save For Retirement

1. God is honored when you manage your money in such a way that your family has its
necessary provisions. This way you remove your family from potentially being an
unnecessary burden on the church both today and in the future. (1 Tim. 5:8)
2. God is honored when you are in a financial position that allows you to help with various
needs. (Eph. 4:28)
3. God is honored when you biblically exhibit wise choices rather than foolish practices.
(Proverbs 21:20) You should save rather than doing things that the Bible calls foolish.
4. God is honored when you learn to be content. (Phil 4:11) This allows you to accept the
blessings of God along with the hardships of life.
5. God is honored when you recognize that you have enough. Without this realization, you
may be in danger of becoming a hoarder.
6. God is honored when you are free to follow without the obligation of debt. (Deut. 15:6,
Proverbs 22:7) Savings keeps you further from the distractions of debt.
RETIREMENT AND BUILDING WEALTH: THE WEALTH SNOWBALL VS. OCEAN TIDE
Wealth is much more than a bundle of money. To be truly wealthy is to live in the presence
and in the blessings of God.
When it comes to retirement planning and saving for retirement, every Christian investor
should add a simple word to their vocabulary – enough. The Bible seems to indicate that a
Christian who neglects an I-have-enough attitude is considered a hoarder.
On the bottom of every page in the book The Total Money Makeover, Dave Ramsey writes the
words, “Live like no one else, so that you can live like no one else.” Unfortunately, Dave
Ramsey never completely defines what that means. My understanding of the phrase is
something like this – “Don’t buy something now, so that in the future you can buy something
better.” This makes me wonder: Do I sacrifice today so I can win more tomorrow, or do I
sacrifice today so I can help someone else win tomorrow? Is the goal of Christian finances just
to build wealth for myself?

As Christians, it is essential that we clarify our financial goals. While our spending, earning, and
investing might mirror the actions of others, the differentiating factor is our motivation. A
significant part of good financial goals ought to include assisting others.
To simplify things, there are two options you can adopt as retirement saving strategies. The
two retirement options are the WEALTH SNOWBALL AND THE OCEAN TIDE:
Choice #1: The Wealth Snowball
The pattern is obvious. When you get ahead financially, it is easy to stay ahead and become
more and more wealthy. Perhaps this is why the rich keep getting richer. The problem with an
unchecked wealth snowball is that your life will be consumed with building bigger and bigger
barns to store your wealth.

Choice #2: Ocean Tide
The ocean pattern is painfully predictable. The tides are equalizers. If tides keep coming in
indefinitely, we would have issues with flooding. If tides keep going out forever, there would
be issues of water shortage. But, the tide’s high and low maintain a balance for an overall fixed
sea level.
Applying this illustration to our finances, we should find a fixed level for our retirement
savings. This predetermined level becomes our equalizer. When money comes in, there is an
opportunity to look around for helpful places to use those funds as a blessing to others.
Notice that those extra funds are not just going to be used to increase your nest egg; instead,
they will flow out into the pockets of worthy churches, organizations, or individuals. When you
appear to be falling short, (tide goes out) you can once again rebuild your nest egg to your fixed
level. This allows you to ensure that you have enough, while also avoiding the temptation of
hoarding.
When is enough, enough?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer that for you. I have enough difficulty answering that question
for myself. It is, however, a worthy issue to discuss with trusted friends and your church staff.
Pray over the issue, insightfully read your Bible, and trust that God will make things clear to
you.
You might have enough when:
 You have the ability to follow God’s calling without wrestling with the monetary
implications.
 You have the ability to provide for your children. I have sat with mothers who have
worried over their children because they had nothing to feed them. That worry is
painful and excruciating. Peace flows out of the realization that my children are well fed
and provided for.
 You have the ability to provide for the needs of others. I want to learn to increase in
the grace of giving. I pray God grants me that opportunity. I want to experience the
fullness of the blessings of giving.
I pray that the financial advantage you gain as a steward for Christ will be used to bless others
as much as it blesses your own family.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT INSURANCE?
I’ve heard it taught that the truly spiritual don’t need insurance.
I read a request in a church bulletin. An old man – a preacher for most of his life – was
collecting funds to pay for thousands of dollars in medical bills. He did not have insurance. I
immediately thought to myself that if this man had insurance he would have saved himself and
the church a lot of resources that could have been used for other necessary ministries in the
church.
Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? (Ecclesiastes 8:7 NIV)
Insurance does not reveal a lack of faith.
Insurance would be a lack of faith if Jesus said nothing bad or unfortunate would happen to
Christians. However, Jesus seems to indicate that we will struggle while we live on this earth.
The common argument is that if we trust God, we will not need insurance. I think this
assumption is flawed because:
Trusting in God does not exempt us from hardship, struggle, and sickness.
In fact, we should not be surprised by hardship (1 Peter 4:12). If we are to anticipate it,
surely we are to prepare for hardship. Faith is not the ability to control the outcome of
our lives, but rather the attitude necessary to submit to whatever God brings our way.
Trusting in God does not excuse us from living lives of wisdom.
Proverbs teaches that in times of surplus. we should prepare for an unknown future.
(Proverbs 6:6-8)
Trusting in God does not encourage us to embrace foolish decisions.
There is no Bible verse that specifically addresses insurance, but I believe after reading
through Proverbs that not getting insurance would not be described as virtuous.
How Insurance Honors God
1. Insurance allows us to protect our family and the church. If we have a financial need,
surely that burden would be placed on the church (1 Timothy 5:8). If I am financially
able to prepare for an unplanned future, I should save the burden from my family and
church by purchasing insurance.

2. Insurance honors the biblical principle of reimbursing with compensation those who
have been wronged. The biblical principle throughout Exodus 21:12-36 shows that
people who are harmed should be compensated. Auto insurance provides us a way to
care for our neighbor in case we are at fault in an auto accident. Health insurance
ensures we have a way to pay medical bills we owe. We might not be able to personally
handle the financial obligation, but insurance will provide the needed resources.
3. In many instances, insurance is required as a part of government submission (Romans
13:1).
4. Insurance can be a loving action towards a spouse or your family. Life insurance, for
example, is a way for a husband to love his wife (Ephesians 5:25). If one spouse is left
behind, they and the children will have the necessary provisions.
5. Insurance helps to ensure you will have something to leave to your children (Proverbs
13:22).
6. Insurance provides us with a way to ensure our debts are paid. Major illnesses are the
number one cause of bankruptcy. Insurance not only protects us, but also those who
choose to serve us in our times of great need (Romans 4:4).

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GIVING?
When it comes to giving, not one passage has caused as much debate as the following Bible
verse: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7 NIV).
Traditional Interpretation of 2 Cor. 9:7
If you don’t feel like giving, (your heart is not right) then it is better not to give.
I know this is the common explanation because I Googled “How much should a Christian give”
and I looked at a lot of the top articles. I read all the same stuff said a bunch of different ways.
I scanned through the dozen commentaries I have on my computer; essentially all had the same
answer.
If you don’t feel like giving, (your heart is not right) then it is better not to give.
First, let me say I don’t really disagree with the interpretation, but I have trouble accepting
whether this traditional application tells the complete story.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HEART AND ACTION OF GIVING
Should we interpret 2 Cor. 9:7 as saying:
When you give, GIVE WITH A CHEERFUL HEART.
OR
If asked to give, DECIDE IF YOU HAVE A CHEERFUL HEART. If not, don’t.
I believe the goal of this passage is to lead us to a both/and conclusion (give and give with a
right heart) not an either-or conclusion (if you don’t have a good heart, don’t give).
Paul is saying if your heart is in the wrong place, change it so you can give generously.
Paul is not saying that if your heart is in the wrong place, stop giving.
Giving is a Christian Spiritual Discipline

What is a Spiritual Discipline? A spiritual activity that we learn to do in order to draw closer to
God.

Discipline is the other side of discipleship. The practice of a spiritual discipline makes us more
sensitive to the small, gentle voice of God. Speaking of solitude, Henri Nowen writes (in Making
All Things New):
Once we have committed ourselves to spending time in solitude, we develop an

attentiveness to God’s voice in us. In the beginning, during the first days, weeks, or
even months, we may have the feeling that we are simply wasting our time. … It is clear
that what matters is faithfulness to the discipline. In the beginning, solitude seems so
contrary to our desires that we are constantly tempted to run away from it.
I believe the same can be said of giving – it is “so contrary to our desires that we are constantly
tempted to run away from it”.
How then can we apply the traditional application to giving – give only if you “want to”?
True or False: I don’t feel like reading the Bible, so it is probably better for me not to read the
Bible.
True or False: My heart isn’t into praying today, so it is probably better if I don’t pray.
Perhaps, rather than having the heart to give, all we need is the desire to learn to give. I
might be greedy or stingy or find it is so hard to give. Should I force myself to give so that I can
learn the art of giving, or should I stand on the sidelines until I FEEL like it?
I’m not trying to promote legalism. Continually giving because you feel like you must is
spiritually unhealthy. I’m trying to caution us against the fallacy of the I’ll-do-it-if-I-feel-
like-it mentality that is robbing people of enjoying the grace of giving. I tend to think
giving is a good thing. So much of the debate about giving seems to leave the impression that it
is bad to give.
I struggle to find the “If you don’t like it, don’t do it” motif in scripture.
I find it hard to believe that an entire gospel message about sacrifice, about discipleship, about
giving would apply to every spiritual discipline except one – giving.
The problem is when we always give out of obligation. If I read my Bible every day because I
have to, that means I am not open to discovering the spiritual blessings through my reading. In
this case, I’ve missed something about the discipline of reading, and as such, no matter how
long I continue reading, it will not bless me.
I just think we somehow miss the main biblical focus when we encourage people to take the
road of not giving instead of finding a way to challenge them to develop a heart for giving.
Can a change in action ever result in a change in heart? I’d say yes.

Why giving is a spiritual discipline:
1. Through giving, you release yourself from the clutches of money – I have an
unpopular opinion that money might not be a neutral or amoral thing.
2. In giving, we imitate the attitude of Christ. Give up part of ourselves and our
ownership for the sake of others.
3. Giving provides the resources necessary for work in the Kingdom of God.
4. Through giving, we fulfill the command to love our neighbor.
5. Giving is a kind of grace – a grace we both receive and a grace we have the opportunity
to share in.
These things are of such vital importance that I wonder if we should allow them to be held
subject to our whims and feelings. Does not the heart deceive?
God loves a cheerful giver.
“Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.” (2 Cor. 9:5b)
Seems to me that the gift will be given. It can either be given generously or grudgingly. Paul
prefers for it to be given generously.

ABOUT WWW.MONEYHELPF ORCHRISTIANS.COM WEBSITE
Every week day at Money Help For Christians, I write a free article and make it available to
everyone on the internet. Sign up for the free MH4C Newsletter. Sign up for free daily email
article updates.
MONEY HELP FOR CHRISTIANS PURPOSE STATEMENT
Money Help For Christians promotes a frugal, simple, debt-free, and generous lifestyle so
Christians can faithfully maximize their resources by putting them at the disposal of God’s
Kingdom. MH4C is committed to providing relevant resources in order to assist Christians in
this effort.
THE FOUR RELEVANT FOUNDATIONS OF MH4C:
FRUGAL, SIMPLE, DEBT-FREE, AND GENEROUS LIVING
While the goal of MH4C could be to help you out-earn your life style so that you could give
in abundance, I ultimately believe that our first task as Christians is to be faithful with the little
we have. Changing your lifestyle to a frugal, simple, debt-free, and generous life will ultimately
improve the quality of your life regardless of your income.
While our prevailing cultural motto is work like crazy and spend like crazy, I prefer a
lifestyle that is a little more archaic. It’s about doing what you love and feeling passionate
and invigorated. It is about living based on your own terms and definitions, not because you
envy what others have. It is a stress-free existence that enjoys God’s good creation. I think
those desires are rooted in four key terms – frugal, simple, debt-free, and generous living.
FAITHFULLY MAXIMIZE RESOURCES
Whatever we have is offered as a gift. Yes, certainly you may have worked hard (extremely hard
even), but unless God had willed those opportunities and employment opportunities, success
would not have happened. Thus, I fundamentally believe all that I have (and all I am) was
received by the grace of God. I apply this belief to all facets of life – even finances. As a
result, what I do with God’s things will either be described as faithful or unfaithful.
Maximizing your God given resources might mean fully developing, exploring, and perfecting
your income earning opportunities – for the sake of the Kingdom. Maximizing your God-given
resources might mean calling a second store for a quote so that those savings might be used
faithfully. Maximizing your resources may mean purchasing the appropriate amount of life
insurance to ensure that your family is provided for.
DISPOSAL OF GOD’S KINGDOM

The word disposal is not intended to relate to its synonyms. The goal is not to waste your
resources. Instead, it means to relinquish control and put it to the service of God’s
Kingdom. This concept is likened to the action of Joseph (Barnabas) who sold a piece of land
and laid it at the feet of the apostles (Acts 4:36-37). Those funds that were previously managed
by Barnabas have now been offered to be used at the disposal of the Kingdom of God. This
control-releasing action transfers ownership from self to God.
PROVIDING RELEVANT RESOURCES
The task of frugal, simple, debt free, and generous living cannot be accomplished without a
basic knowledge of financial workings. It is hard to faithfully maximize resources if you don’t
know anything about how money works. If you want to make your dollars go further, you will
need to know where to get the bargains. If you want to grow what you currently have, you will
need to know some investing basics. If you want to retain what you currently earn, you will
need to understand the positive and negative power of interest.
Thanks for reading this book and I pray that God will help you develop a financial plan that
honors him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Along with his wife and three kids Craig lives in Papua New Guinea. For the last four years he
has been working there as a full time missionary. He has a Masters of Divinity degree from
Harding Graduate School of Religion. Craig has also worked as both a youth and pulpit minister.
You can read more about Craig here.

FREE PREVIEW | THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL BUDGET: PROVEN
TIPS FOR CREATING A BUDGET THAT LASTS (MORE THAN A
WEEK)
Sometime in the summer 2010 I’ll be releasing The Secret To A Successful Budget. I want to give you a
free preview of the content to come. The eBook is not completed, but I thought these sections would
give you a taste of what is to come.
Aching and sore, I removed my pack. My 65 liter Lowe Alpine hiking bag had been plastered to my
back for five or six hours. My weak chicken legs and my weary body rejoiced as I sat down to rest
and eat. I laid back across some smooth rocks on the east side of the river bed as my eyes drifted
upward to see the afternoon sun attempting to peak through the dense trees that made up this
portion of the Karamui District in Papua New Guinea.
Only one day before, I was on a small twin otter aircraft landing on the grass runway in this isolated
corner of Papua New Guinea.
But, for hours now, I along with several others had been hiking further and further into the deep
heart of the unknown. Only about an hour ago, I started a mile plus downward journey into the
cool canyon. It was here that I now rested. Towering escarpments plastered with overgrown trees
surrounded this cozy place as raging rivers reminded me of my rustic reality.
As I rested, one thought continued to haunt me. It was my elementary understanding of a reversal
of Nutonioun law. If what goes up must come down, then it must also be true that what goes down
must go up. In this case, what went down was me. I ignorantly enjoyed the downward journey into
the canyon. Having never traveled this treacherous trail, I faithfully followed my guide.
Eventually, I found myself here at the bottom.
Because I had never traversed this path, what I had unknowingly done was placed myself in a
position where any forward progression would require me to claim the steep edge of the
escarpment.
Walking down into the canyon, I had no idea I would have to walk up the other side of the canyon.
But, the time to rest was done, and it was once again time to walk.
I was burdened by my overweight hiking bag stuffed with essentials like clothes and rice. There
were also some non-essentials like chocolate and Coke. The climb up put pressure on all the wrong
joints. The straps on my back gripped deeper and deeper into my flesh. The minor rubbing of my
boots was now producing serious blisters. The journey up was a nightmare. Sweat dripped down
my fatigued body. The sun scorched as many parts of my flesh as it could access.
As I struggled up the mountain, my military style hiking boots gripped tighter and tighter to the
loose soil. My breathing quickly labored and I knew the journey to the top was going to be a
difficult one. We walked along as boys pretending to be men knowing that each needed a rest, but
no one wanted to be the first to call the break. Overwhelmed, fatigued and tired we continued the
upward hike. We inched closer to the top, but when we calculated the energy expended compared
to the energy required to go on, it seemed as though our strength and endurance would not
maintain us.

Eventually, however, we arrived at the summit. Standing on what I believed was the top of the
world, I knew anywhere we went from there would be down hill.
------
Have you have been on this type of a financial journey? You ignorantly followed the advice of
parents, peers, or even financial gurus. You ‘enjoyed’ the lovely ride down into a deep canyon of
debt while your finances spiraled out of control.
And now you sit in a valley. You can look back over a long history of mistakes and missteps that
took you further and further into money trouble. No matter how you got here, the climb out of the
canyon seems awfully difficult and every option seems like a long, long, uphill battle.
The truth is it will be difficult.
But, if you prove to be one who masters your money mountain, you will eventually get to a point
where no matter where you need to go, it will all be downhill from there.
This is the first step in your journey to financial control – creating an effective budget and financial
plan.
Introducing the Financial Focus Point: Excerpt from the introduction

The purpose of the budget is to help give a name to every dollar so that you can properly allocate
those dollars according to your larger financial plan.
Every dollar you make must be told what to do.
Once you have adopted a long term financial plan – like the Baby Steps, you now know your
Financial Focus Point (FFP). The FFP is where you send all the dollars your budget helps you
create. For example, if you are trying to get out of debt, that is your FFP.
Financial focus is essential so you can make progress towards your goal.
Consider the ten women in Matthew 25. These women went to wait for the bridegroom, but they
all fell asleep. When the voice proclaimed, “Here comes the bridegroom”. The five women who had
extra oil would not share. Why not? Because if the available oil was split between all 10, none of
them would have enough light to be of value.
What is better? 10 people all having an even share of oil that burns out before needed, or 5 people
having enough oil to last through the festivities?
In your finances, this is called financial focus. You need to focus your finances on accomplishing
one major task at a time.
“Devoting a little of yourself to everything means committing a great deal of yourself to nothing”.1
Anytime you have extra money at the end of the month (yes, it is possible), you will know where it
should go. Anytime you get a bonus you know how best to use the money to further your financial
1 God’s Little Instruction Book, 49.

goals. Each time your income increases, you spend that money in a way that actually makes a
difference.
Income
Savings
Bonus
$
Directed to your Financial Focus Point
Homework: Decide today where your extra income (created by your budget) should go – what is
your Financial Focus Point?
Tips to remember as you start making an effective budget:

Excerpt from How to Make an Effective Budget
 Budgeting is a process, not an event. You won’t wake up tomorrow with an effective budget. You
will start with a decent budget that later becomes a good budget that we hope will eventually
become a great budget.
 There is no such thing as a failed budget. There are simply ample opportunities to learn how to
do it better. When you make a budgeting mistake, just make the necessary adjustments and keep
on budgeting.
 There is no such thing as a perfect budget so stop trying to make it perfect. Make it your goal to
have an effective budget, not a perfect budget.
 If you try to address every single financial detail in your budget, it will bury you. Make it your
goal to set a simple budget and build from there.
To be sure you don’t miss out on the release of this book, please sign up for the MH4C Newsletter. If
you are subscribed to the newsletter you will have the opportunity to buy the eBook at a
discounted rate.

The Bible and 21st Century Finances

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The Bible and 21st Century Finances: Thought

Money Help For Christians

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The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 2

What Does the Bible Say About Money? ........................................................................................................................... 4

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 3

Introducing the Money Tree

Foundational Principles and Applications

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 4

THE TREE CANNOT BE HEALTHY IF THE ROOTS ARE NOT HEALTHY

Why we do things as Christians is often as important as what we do.

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 5

Work is, therefore, a legitimate means for acquiring goods.

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 6

Bible Verses that Support the Concept of Saving Money

Finding the Right Saving Balance

We will all find ourselves somewhere on the money spectrum below:

We must find the right – God pleasing – balance of saving.

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 7

1. Remember, you are not God’s standard.

The Christian community is one of accountability. It is important that we are accountable to

WHO ULTIMATELY GETS TO JUDGE?

Proportionate to what? Proportionate to the accumulated wealth of one’s family?

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 8

3. What gives you joy?

4. Check your motives.

Saving becomes hoarding when you do it out of unhealthy motivations.

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 9

Debts are commitments and promises.

Nevertheless, it would be inaccurate to categorize debt as a sin. Debt is a system for

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 10

Debt Principles That Will Help You Honor God

GIVING WHILE IN DEBT

Here is a question that was once emailed to me:

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 11

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 12

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 13

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 14

How much investing risk should Christians take?

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 15

The Bible Warns Against Two Dangers of Future Savings

Danger #2 – Saving in excess and saving to the exclusion of others

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 16

Legitimate Biblical Reasons to Save For Retirement

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 17

Choice #1: The Wealth Snowball

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 18

When is enough, enough?

You might have enough when:

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 19

Insurance does not reveal a lack of faith.

Trusting in God does not excuse us from living lives of wisdom.

Trusting in God does not encourage us to embrace foolish decisions.

How Insurance Honors God

The Bible and 21st Century Finances Page 20