Psychologists at the University of California at Berkeley recently conducted experiments to test this.   Here’s what they found:

People who are socially and financially better-off are more likely to lie, cheat, and otherwise behave unethically compared to individuals who occupy lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder.

Paul Piff, the lead author of the study, says the following:

Elevated wealth status seems to make you want even more, and that increased want leads you to bend the rules or break the rules to serve your self-interest.

The researchers’ findings were taken from seven separate experiments that included more than 1,000 people from a wide variety of professions.  Piff and his colleagues used various measures to gauge the participants’ socioeconomic status including education levels, annual income (which ranged from about $16,000 to $150,000), and the participants’ own perception of their social standing. No matter what measure was used, higher-status people tended to act in ways that served their own self-interest.  [Read more about the study]

I found this study to be pretty interesting.  I know money can make people do things they normally would not do but I personally feel that money makes us more of who we already are verses shaping us as the study suggests.  If someone is a greedy person, I feel that more money will make them less giving with his/her money. I have met very wealthy people (at least when it comes to his/her bank account) who are absolutely miserable and greedy.  These people complain about how much they are paying in taxes and all sorts of other things.  On the other hand, if one is a giving person, money will enable them to be more of a giver.  I look at people such as Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates.  Yes, these two are pretty extreme examples and have made more money than I will probably ever dream of.  I am sure they have bought some pretty nice things but what are these two going to be remembered for most.  Well, in Oprah’s case I would say it is the school she runs in Africa and the positive effect she had on others because of her talk show.  For Bill Gates, it will be his foundation that has helped numerous causes and organizations.

I know there are some people who act dishonestly when they are given a certain level of power.  They abuse this power in an attempt to gain even more.  However, there are also people that are in a less powerful position that cheat and lie to better themselves.

As 1 Timothy 6:10 states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 

I feel this spreads across all income brackets, not just the wealthy!

What do you think – does money make you become more unethical or does it just showcase  what is already there a  a little more?

We learned about biblical financial stewardship years ago when we took the Crown Small Group Study.  This created a desire to manage our finances in a way that’s pleasing to God.  While our financial situation is far from perfect and sometimes probably not very pleasing, we’re doing our best to learn to manage our money wisely.  Here are a few things we are trying to do to grow as faithful financial stewards  and mange money God’s way -

True Financial Freedom – We want to be financially free to serve and give.  We believe God’s purpose for money is to use it as a resource to grow his ministry and help others follow Christ.  Therefore we want to make sure we’re always working to become debt free and that we don’t have too much debt or leverage in our lives.  As an example, we’re  trying to minimize car payments by driving used cars and trying to drive them for several years after they’ve been paid off.  In addition, we’re trying to make sure we don’t exceed a mortgage (including taxes and insurance) of 25% of take home pay.  This hasn’t always been the case and we found it challenging when our home exceeded 25%.  Doing these practical things have provided more freedom and we’ve found we have more money for  important priorities such as giving and saving.

Manage our Money as One – We manage our money together as husband and wife.  We definitely know we’re on this journey together and want to help each other grow as stewards and in our relationship with God.  Therefore, we have one checking and one savings account which all the money goes into and we manage them together.  We do allow for each other to have our own spending money, but this is tracked in the budget.  We believe we became one in marriage and our finances should be one too!

Communicate about Money -  We try to communicate about money regularly by budgeting together and setting our financial goals together.  We’ve found that we tend to overspend when we don’t take a few minutes to talk about our budget regularly.  We try to set aside time each week for a “money meeting”.  We talk about all of our upcoming expenses and how we’re going to manage them.  Additionally, having a money meeting helps us avoid talking about money at the dinner table or during date night!

Financial Goals – The money meeting also provides and opportunity to set  and review financial goals together.  We talk about our financial goals such as saving and when called to give more in certain situations.  We definitely want to make sure we have enough cash saved to help us avoid emergencies that often present themselves.  Dave Ramsey calls this “Murphy.”  What can go wrong, will go wrong!  We remind each other of these goals to make sure we’re not forgetting them and getting off track throughout the year.  This provides good accountability for both of us.

Giving – We make sure we’re giving our first fruits to the Lord each month out of faith and love for Him.  We choose to tithe on our gross income because we believe this is God’s money and we’re giving it back to Him for His purposes.  Tithing is no longer a question for us and is something we our pleased to do as stewards.  Money may be tight one month because of unforeseen expenses, but we give no matter what.  We believe God will provide for us and meet our needs if we honor him first.

As it relates to giving, I will tell you this wasn’t always an easy decision for us.  It wasn’t until I started my training as a volunteer Money Map Coach with Crown that I became completely convicted about giving.  I felt God was laying on my heart that we could do more and give at least 10% of our income each month.  We had reasoned we couldn’t afford it because of a new house and other expenses families often experience.  It didn’t make sense from a budgeting standpoint either.  I remember we would’ve had to cut a lot of Christmas savings to reach this amount of giving each month.  My wife is the one who pushed me in this area while I had the reservations.  We figured that Christmas was about Christ and that if it meant we didn’t spend as much that year all would be fine.  Honoring God with our first fruits was more important so we made the decision and haven’t looked back.  And we were able to have a great Christmas that year!

Avoid Chasing after the Joneses – We try not to compare ourselves to others. It’s not easy to avoid this one, but we are learning to be more content with what we have.  Keeping up with the Joneses is not easy and it’s never ending.  We know we’ll never catch them.  The problem with entering into this race is that we know  it’ may cause us to go into debt or experience discontentment.  We are learning more and more to be content in what God has blessed us with and focus on managing money in a way pleasing to Him.  We’ve found focusing on our finances is much easier to manage then trying to follow what everyone else is doing around us that sometimes may not be pleasing to the Lord for our family.  After all, God should be the source of our contentment.

Raising Stewards – Finally, with two young children we realize it’s extremely important for us to raise little stewards.  We desire our children to understand God’s purpose for money and teach them this perspective.  We’re trying to help them learn to give and why it’s important to save.  These are not always easy things for our children to understand because they see advertisements and sometimes desire what their friends have.  They naturally want what the Joneses have, but it’s our job to teach them to be faithful stewards and find contentment in the Lord.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, we’re still learning a lot and our finances are far from perfect.  However, I hope you’ve found some of this helpful and this post serves as an encouragement to manage money as a faithful financial steward.

What are some things you’re doing to manage money God’s way?  Let me know in the comments.

 The Secret of Generosity [Chapter 8]

Generous giving starts with grace:  “We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.” (8:1, NIV)  Paul’s in-depth discussion of biblical generosity begins and ends pointing towards God’s grace.

God’s power enables our giving:  “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity…they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.” (8:2-3, NIV) How does poverty overflow into rich generosity? This sounds contradictory…because it is.  Biblical giving extends beyond empathy and humanitarianism because it is a process empowered by God–not limited by our trials, poverty, or ability.

Sacrificial giving is willing: “Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service.” (8:3-4, NIV)  Christ transforms the selfish sinner to one who urgently pleads for the “privilege” of giving generously.  If such willingness isn’t present in our hearts, let us seek Christ in this place.

Generosity follows surrender:  “They gave themselves first of all to the Lord” (8:5, NIV) First we give ourselves to the Lord and His work, and then generosity follows.  Much like the previous point, if we find ourselves ungenerous, let us give ourselves “first of all to the Lord.”

Generosity is an act of grace: “This act of grace” (8:6, NIV).  Once again, we are reminded that grace is where generosity begins, continues, and ends.

Generosity is part of a mature walk: “Since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (8:7, NIV).  We fool ourselves if we think we are mature Christians, yet lack generosity.  Giving generously is a sign of maturity and “excellence” in the faith.

Generosity is a test of our love: “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.”  (8:8, NIV) Paul said that he wanted to compare the love of the Corinthians by comparing their willingness to be generous to others.  While that would definitely raise some hairs in modern churches, Paul had no problem using giving as a gauge for the sincerity of love.  We usually interpret the notion that it is not a “command” as liberty to not give…which, sadly, reveals the sincerity of our love.

Sacrificial giving was Christ’s example: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (8:9, NIV)  Generous, sacrificial giving is nothing more (and nothing less) than following the example of Christ Himself.

There is a difference between wanting to give and actually giving: “Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it.” (8:10-11, NIV)  How often do we say we would, could, or should give, but it never amounts to anything?  The real test of our sincerity and maturity is found in what we actually give, not what we “desire” to give.

Biblical generosity is according to means: “According to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.” (8:11-12, NIV)  While we are called to sacrifice in order to give generously, it is not acceptable to give what we don’t have.

Equality, not self-denial, is the goal of generosity: “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality.” (8:13-14, NIV) Equality, community, and relationship drive biblical generosity…not self-denial.  The point is not for us to suffer so that others can be at ease.  Rather, the church is to care for one another as loving members of God’s family. Following Christ means letting some of our “plenty” go out to those who are ”hard pressed”.

Christian giving is part of God’s provision: The verse, “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little,” (8:15, NIV) is a reference to manna the Israelites gathered in the wilderness.  This is a remarkable comparision.  This equates God’s provision, miraculously falling from heaven, with our gifts sent to other Christians.  Part of God’s plan to provide is through the generosity of His people one to another.  Our gifts can be “manna”.

Recipients of Christian generosity must have integrity: “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.” (8:20-21, NIV) Financial integrity and accountability are essential before God and man.  This includes caution, above and beyond efforts, and plurality (more than one person) to be without blame.

For more of my thoughts on giving, pick up a copy of my most recent book, The Secret of Generosity.

Photo © by rkramer62

As I was reading some of Randy Alcorn’s work, I was challenged by some of his ideas and dug deeper into the scripture regarding the simple word “share”.  I have to confess, I have always considered the word “share” to be synonymous with the word “give”.  Essentially, sharing meant giving in any and all translations, and there are many verses that encourage believers to share what they have.  In several of them, I think we could simply walk away from the verses equating sharing with giving and more or less be correct (Luke 3:11, Eph. 4:28, Heb. 13:16, NIV, for example).

However, while it might sound like I am splitting hairs (I’ll get to why this all matters in just a moment), I think there are several verses that depict sharing as a separate and different act of generosity.  Consider the following:

“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” (1 Tim. 6:18, NASB)

“The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.” (Gal. 6:6, NASB)

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Rom. 12:13, NIV)

These verses present sharing as something different than giving.  Paul tells the rich to be generous AND ready to share.  In the passage from Galatians, if share means give, then we are called to give all good things we have to our teachers of the word.  This doesn’t seem quite right.  Hospitality implies inviting people into our lives…not giving them our home.

In all of this, I present a different layer of Christian Generosity:  Sharing.  The simple act of allowing our resources to be used by others (willingly) is a biblical strand of a believer’s call to give.  I think that sharing has at least four impacts on a Christian’s life.

1. It creates another layer by which to reach the world with our generosity.  In some ways it’s easier and certainly more affordable!  Maybe we can’t buy/give a car to a ministry that operates primarily on Saturdays, but we could “share” our vehicle.  Opening up our minds to sharing greatly expands our capacity for generosity, and in many ways, stretches us differently than giving does.

2. It frees us of being owned by our possessions.  The Bible speaks strongly on the subject of not holding tightly to the things of this world.  What Alcorn calls “possessiveness”, we tend to be tenaciously protective of possessions we have convinced ourselves we hold loosely.  Essentially, if we aren’t willing to share a possession, it has an unhealthy grip on our hearts.  Sharing keeps us from putting too much priority on a worldly possession.  Letting someone else use our stuff forces us to loosen our grip (or get ulcers!).

3. It testifies that God is the owner of all things.  If we honestly believe that God owns all of us and all we have (all the world for that matter), then sharing is rather easy.  If we believe we own what we have, sharing is very difficult.  Christian sharing can be a strong testimony to a world that craves ownership.

4. It shows that God’s kingdom is our first priority.  If we share all we have for God’s glory, it shows that our possessions are not our purpose.  When everything we own is out on the table to be used as God sees fit, we can be assured that His kingdom is first in our hearts. Sharing is the product of a mindset focused on God’s purposes for our lives, our house, our car, our lawn mower, our ladder…

I think room remains for us to be inspired by the earliest days of the church:  “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32, NIV)  There is something liberating about extending our generosity beyond giving.  Sharing stretches us to consider that even ”our” possessions are not really our possessions–they are God’s, fully available to serve His purposes.  It requires a different type of generosity.  We can’t stay uninvolved when we share.  It requires communication, trust, and a perspective that puts God’s purposes above possessions, dings, dents, scratches, rips, tears, and maybe, even losing the item we are sharing.

When we tell children they must share, they often protest, “But this is mine!”  Will we respond in the same manner when God asks this of us?

Bible Study © by DrGBB

I’m reading through a new version of the Bible – Complete Jewish Scriptures (it has both Old and New Testaments hence the complete at the front of the title.), so I have never read all the way through this particular Bible nor do I have it all “marked up” like I like my Bibles to be.

So this year, I’m coloring my Bible green.  You might ask me, “Green, why green?”  Well, I have taken a list of all the bible verses on money – all 2,350 verses and made it a 5 page list of references only.  You can get a copy of my list by clicking here.  I printed this list out and placed it in my Bible.  Each day after I finish my reading, I see if there were any money verses in that passage, and if so, I highlight them in green.

My reasoning behind it is to help me understand just how much the Scripture does say about finances from a Biblical perspective and what it really has to say on stewardship.  It has been absolutely amazing to me.  I have done this on occasion before, and so much of the gospels turned green, but it is not just the gospels, it is all throughout Scripture.

Why is this important?  I think it says a lot not only about our finances, but it also speaks about God’s ultimate care for all the details of our lives.  It also tells us that God is a jealous God in that He does not want something else coming before Him or interfering with our relationship with Him.  So He gives us clear instructions on a major stumbling block in our lives to help us prevent trouble before it happens.  Is this not just like a loving Heavenly Father?  To care about every aspect of my life.

So I challenge you, are you willing to turn your Bible green and see what happens to your perspective after reading all these bible verses on money?

It’s a tough question, and one that merits consideration from anyone seriously considering the call of Christ.  After all, Jesus plainly told the rich young ruler:

“Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21, NIV)

Then, on another occasion, He used an analogy to explain that a person who builds a tower will first calculate the cost, and a king who goes to war will first consider his chances for victory.  Jesus then wraps up the discussion by stating:  “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:33, NIV)  Jesus did anything but make it easy for His followers to hold tightly onto money and possessions.

Give © by Tim Green aka atoach

Any way you look at it, these are tough verses to ponder.  (If you want hear my complete answer to these questions, you’ll have to pick up a copy of my book!)  However, while mulling over the challenge that Jesus’ blatant and bold statments present, and wrestling with just why Jesus would say something so bold, I had a profound thought hit me just the other day…what if He didn’t?

When we ask ourselves “why” Jesus spoke so boldly in this area, we should stop and take a moment to think about if He didn’t.  What if Jesus simply said, “Give what works for your budget“, or “Remember the poor every now and again”?  Certainly, we could all set our Bibles down a lot easier after a verse like that.  If would definitely be more comfortable and convienent.  But, there is no tension there, no spiritual discomfort, and no pressing against our sinful selfish nature.  We would simply be free to give what works for our budget, and move on with life as we know it (reaping no growth, no maturity, and no spiritual transformation).

Take holiness for example.  Jesus said, “You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48, NASB).  That pushes pretty hard against our sinfulness (to say the least!!).  And again, what if He said, “Be as holy as you can reasonable be”, or “Give holiness a good effort”.  Would it have the same effect?  Would it stir all sorts of convictions in our hearts to strive towards holiness if He described it in such a manner?  I don’t think so.

This leaves me with an interesting thought:  Perhaps Jesus spoke so radically for two reasons.  One, it casts us all back wholeheartedly upon His amazing grace.  Secondly, it forces us to realize that biblical generosity is something we will never have figured out, finished, and checked off our list.  We will pursue its high calling ever deeper as we mature.  In a sense, Jesus spoke of money, possession, and generosity in a way that challenges all of us, stretches all of us, and pulls us closer and closer to heaven all the way until the day we find ourselves in heaven itself.

Building Temples? 

“The house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent.” (1 Chron. 22:5, NASB)

Photo © by aprillynn77

Some congregations use Old Testament passages that cite the splendor of the temple in Jerusalem as justification to build elaborate churches.  Thus, they create extravagant worship centers in an attempt to build a house that is “worthy of the Lord” (and often do so by using debt as mentioned earlier).  Feel free to disagree, but I believe there are a couple things missing from this picture.

First, there are no instructions regarding a physical location for worship in the New Testament.  The Old Testament includes very detailed explanations for the creation of the temple, yet the New Testament literally has nothing to say on the subject.  In fact, when “the church” is mentioned in the New Testament, it is referencing a group of believers not a building (Rom. 1:7, Eph. 1:1, James 1:1, 2 Pet. 1:1).  On the other hand, there is an abundance of New Testament references to support a church’s usage of money to fund the work of God in the world (locally and globally), and care for the poor, needy, and afflicted.

This doesn’t mean that it is unbiblical to have a large church building or unspiritual to put any sort of amenities in the house of the Lord.  I would even go as far as to say that it isn’t wrong for a church to build an elaborate worship center—I just fail to find the biblical support for such an idea.  However, we have every bit of scriptural evidence to believe that God is glorified when churches use the resources they collect to do the things that the Bible instructs us to do with money rather than build monuments.

What do you think?

Do you believe the Bible teaches the poor should or shouldn’t give?.

“I think all Christians are called to give, although the amounts and proportions may be different for the poor and the wealthy.  Giving is a matter of the heart, and we should give freely what Christ has called us to give.  Christ commended the poor widow for giving, so I think that right there should show us that it’s a good thing for all of us, including the poor to give.  I don’t think, however, that the poor should go into debt to give – as having debt is in most cased frowned upon by the bible.” – BibleMoneyMatters.com

“I believe everyone should give according to their ability. I also believe that a smaller gift from a poorer person is just as “valuable” as a larger gift from a wealthier person. 2 Corinthians 8:12 says, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.” – FreeMoneyFinance.com

“I believe that God wants everyone to give.  We are all responsible for managing God’s resources as His stewards no matter our income level.  I believe God can provide blessings to us on this earth in the form of additional resources to manage for Him, should we put Him first in our finances.  He who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).  This is challenging for those who are finding it tough to meet expenses or get out of debt, but I’d like to encourage people to give as much as they can to the Lord out of trust and faith that He provides for all of our needs.” – OneMoneyDesign.com

“I believe that God is very clear in the Bible that He expects all His followers to be generous and ready to share at all times.  So I wouldn’t necessarily prevent a poor person from giving.  Giving is a grace of God and a joy to those who are following Him in the power of the Holy Spirit.  However, I also don’t believe that the Bible teaches that a poor person must give beyond their means.  We must never forget that God wants us to give so there may be equality and not to place an undue burden on anyone.” – ProvidentPlan.com

“Whether we realize it or not, when we begin to distinguish who should or shouldn’t give based upon their financial situation, we unknowingly make biblical giving about amounts–turning what is spiritual into economics, and turning the focus on our wallets instead of our hearts.  This is clearly not the way the Bible approaches generosity.  The scripture does advocate proportional giving…but I believe the call to generosity extends to all believers.  I wrote a position post on this very topic.”- DollarsandDoctrine.com

“The Bible is clear in teaching us that everyone should be generous with the resources they have.  Often quoted is the story of the widow in Luke chapter 21, who gave much less than the others in monetary terms.  Jesus was quick to say that she had given so much more because of her willingness to give all she had.  Remember, giving is more about the motives of your heart than the size of your offering check.”-FaithandFinance.com

“Everyone, bar none, is accountable to the Lord for how they live on the earth.  God requires everyone to be generous (Matt 5:42, Luke 6:38).  Do we get an out if we are poor?  No.  There are too many examples in the Bible of God requesting even those with little, to give what they had (1 Kings 17:8-24), and those who had little, giving all the have (Luke 21:1-4).” – DiscipleshipGuy.com

“The Lord instructs everyone – the rich & the poor – to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20).  It is evident in numerous passages of scripture, that one of the many ways a believer stores up treasure “where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” is to give generously of the money God has entrusted to them.  If it is indeed “more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), the poor should strive to be active participants in the process as well!  To advise those lacking in financial resources to withhold their gifts from God is to not only take away their opportunity to receive a blessing, but is in direct opposition to Christ’s teaching.  “Give and it will be given to you…For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).” – StewardshipWeekly.com

“The Bible is pretty clear in terms of what God expects of the poor.  Just like the rich, God expects us to give to others and for his kingdom.  The best example I can think of is the story of the widow who gave away her last coin in Luke 21 1:4.  That is a shining example of what God expects of the poor and how we should all view giving.” -FreeMoneyWisdom.com

For more on the Christian Financial Alliance (or to join our team) click here.

Whether you’re a Christian or not, I believe people can find some financial truths in The Bible to help guide them in managing money wisely. Let’s take a look at 3 examples and how they might apply to your situation.

Avoid Debt

What does The Bible say about debt? The Bible helps us gain the right perspective about debt so we can avoid it.

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. 
(Proverbs 22:7)

If you’ve ever taken out a loan to buy something such as a car, TV or large appliance you may have felt a lack of freedom afterwards. Sure, you enjoyed your new purchase, but not as much when the payments were due each month for several years.

The Bible simply helps us understand we are in servitude towards debt or a lender when we borrow. You’re in a better situation when you’re free of such financial obligations. In other words, you can use your money to improve your financial situation and free yourself from that servitude by saving, investing or even giving more. Practically speaking, the calculation of your net worth (assets minus liabilities) will give you insight into the same truth.

Save for the Future

What does The Bible say about saving money? The Bible reminds us of the importance of saving and preparing for the future.

The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.
(Proverbs 21:20)

Many people know the importance of saving, but can’t seem to find a way to put money aside each month after expenses that often include credit card payments and other financial obligations. The Bible clearly tells us it’s foolish to spend all that we have. Rather, we need to save for the future because Murphy, as Dave Ramsey puts it, lurks around every corner.

Murphy’s Law says, “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.”  So, you can count on needing some money in the future to manage emergencies such as the car breaking down, a job lay-off or a problem with the house. Dave Ramsey tells us to avoid Murphy with such savings and The Bible clearly teaches the same.

Learn to be Content

How do you learn to be content from The Bible? There is a warning in The Bible against greed and pursuing too many possessions.

Then he said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
(Luke 12:15)

Learning to be content is a tough one for many of people. As an American society, we’re always wanting to spend more and have more. It’s certainly easy to want instant gratification when commercials and advertisements tell us we need something now versus later. And the amount of money we have available through credit cards makes it even easier to get today what you should probably be saving for to buy tomorrow.

Rather, The Bible says to be content and know that life is more than the abundance of possessions. Faith, family and relationships are often the most important things to people when you boil it down. Practically speaking, learning to be content involves creating a spending plan, or budget, that allows you to save for things you want versus buying on credit today. You can also use PerkStreet to earn cash back rewards on your purchases, which my family has found to be a new way to save some extra month each month.

Final Thoughts

Again, whether your’e a Christian or not, following these principles from The Bible of avoiding debt, saving for the future and learning to be content can help you manage your money wisely. There is that wonderful thing called “Financial Peace” Dave Ramsey always talks about. Yes, he even created a class around it. Following all of these principles will definitely create more financial peace in your life and help put you in the driver’s seat of managing your money. Remember, if you manage your money, your money can’t manage you.

What other lessons does The Bible teach about finance? Please share your favorites below so we can start a longer list.

This is a post I originally wrote for the Perkstreet Financial blog.

In your own words, define biblical generosity.

“Biblical generosity is giving that is a result of a transformed heart.  We give because God loved us first and because we long to love, live and give as He did.  We want to grab hold of the abundant life in Christ – of which giving is an important part.  We are told by Jesus himself that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).  By giving we are also able to help release the hold that money can create on our hearts.  “Instruct those who are rich in this present world…to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share…so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” (Tim. 6:17-19)  We are told that our heart can’t serve two masters, and by being generous with what God has given us we’re able to release it’s hold on our lives and truly serve Him.  “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7)  To me giving generously in a biblical manner leads to happiness, fulfillment and to loving others as Christ first loved us.” – BibleMoneyMatters.com

“Loving your neighbor by using money to make his life better in some way.” – FreeMoneyFinance.com

“Generosity, in my own words, is being spirit led for giving decisions.  If we feel that God is leading us to be generous in a certain way with our money, we should act on this in faith.  This requires us to not be overly attached to money, but always remaining open to God’s plan.  After all, we’re called to manage it for him.  The best way to release the hold on money is to stretch your faith and give to God first out of every paycheck.” – OneMoneyDesign.com

“Biblical generosity is fueled by a passion for sharing God’s love with the world.  It’s about realizing the great gift we’ve received from God through Jesus Christ and desiring to pass that gift on to others (in a variety of ways – not just money).  It’s cheerful, freewill, and sacrificial and is motivated purely by love.” – ProvidentPlan.com

“Biblical generosity is extending the goodness of God and grace of Jesus Christ to the world by living a life of pouring out–of putting the needs of others above ourselves.” – DollarsandDoctrine.com

“Biblical generosity is seeking first the kingdom of God.  It is accepting and adopting a new mind with which we evaluate what makes sense and what is a good financial decision.  It is the desire to love God and others – even when others can’t understand those choices.  Biblical generosity means acknowledging the blessings of God in our lives and giving him full ownership over everything we have.” – MoneyHelpForChristians.com

“It blesses God when we are generous.  It’s an act of worship; it’s a way we can show love to others; it develops character within the giver.  When we give freely, we can experience the joy that comes from it and be blessed in our own life as we bless others.”-FaithandFinance.com

“To me, there is one very straightforward passage in scripture that tells us what Biblical generosity looks like, those verses are found in Luke 10:25-37.  It’s the story of a Samaritan (who was hated by the Jews), stopping alongside the road, and helping and providing for a Jew, someone that socially despised him.  This is the present day equivalent of a well known political nemises, the star player on a sports team that just beat your team, or someone from a different religion as you.  And what Jesus is asking you to do is this, stop what your doing, help them out, and provide for their needs.  There is only one way that we are able to meet the scriptural example of being generous.  We must love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31), and we must be willing to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).  If our life, not just our answer, looks like this, then I think we are living a Biblically generous lifestyle.” – DiscipleshipGuy.com

For more on the Christian Financial Alliance (or to join our team) click here.  This month’s post was originally published at Dollars and Doctrine.

In Genesis 14:19b, we are told “God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.” He owns everything.

We are even told we cannot out give God in any way.  “Your, O Lord, is… everything that is in the heavens and the earth…who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants… all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours.” (1 Chronicles 29:11,14-16).

He continuously repeats that point in Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” And “For the earth is the Lord’s, and everything that is in it.” (1 Corinthians 10:26)

He even gets specific “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,” declares the Lord of hosts (Haggai 2:8) and “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the fields is Mine.” (Psalm 50:10-11)

The Remaining 90%

So assuming that we’ve got the 10% is God’s done, have we really thought about the remaining 90% and what is required for good Christian stewardship?  Most of us do not really think about it any other way than what I own and can use personally.  Have you ever stopped to think that it is really owned by God and entrusted to us to use for His glory and the provision of our family?  The verses we checked out show us that YHVH our God owns EVERYTHING even down to the gold and silver.  I don’t own anything…but do I live like that?  I know that I often just purchase something according to my desires.  But that is not how I should live.

The real question then becomes “So how do I live like God owns everything?”  First of all, I dedicate it all to Him and entrust it back to Him coming to the mental realization that it is just entrusted to me.  I can then say “He gave, He takes away.”  I also then seek to use everything I have entrusted to me for His glory.  Am I willing to open my home to visitors?  Or someone in need?  Or do I think “they might mess up ‘my’ house?  Do I take good care of the items entrusted to me as I know they are really owned by the Father?  It is all contained in our heart and thereby our actions.

So this week, I’m purposing to stop and think about my care of the “other 90% and practicing good Christian stewardship.”  Will you do the same with me?

Photo Credit: Dottie Mae

The easiest way to handle your finances wisely is to allow wise principles to govern your financial decisions.  Simple enough.  Rules like “start early” or “only borrow on items that appreciate” begin to run our financial life like some sort of mechanism that pushes our money through a gauntlet of our own personal principles.  And all of this, in hopes that we end with a final product of our liking.  There is nothing wrong with this process…with one lone exception.

The idea that wise principles can govern our financial life flawlessly carries with it one fatal flaw.  There is nothing governing our principles. We must have a transcendent purpose for our money that overshadows all other decisions.  There must be an overarching purpose for our money that provides the basis for all other decisions. For Christians, that is Christ (for non-Christians, you still must seek to ask yourself what the real, end-all purpose of your financial life truly is).

The Bible provides us with a perfect example of just how crucial this concept is.  We will look to the ultimate wise guy himself–Solomon.  He wrote the book of Proverbs, which for many Christians, provides many of the financial principles that they follow.  Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived, yet he could not escape the impact of this missing ingredient. Observe the following passage:

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.” (1 Kings 11:4-6, NIV)

Solomon could not rely on wisdom alone.  Without Christ, without a transcendent purpose above and beyond wise principles, he wandered.  We need more than wise principles to follow the Lord completely. We can’t rely solely on wisdom to get us where we want to go…we must rely solely on Christ.  Then, we have a backbone to hold all of the other principles in place.  Our financial life needs more than just principles to survive over the long haul. We need something greater than wisdom to hold everything together.