We live in a consumer-driven culture where most people are in pursuit of material possessions. We’ve been accustomed to people trying to get noticed in social media with all the new things they have bought.
Older people call the young people today as the ‘Selfie’ generation. It’s said that this generation thinks everything is about them and the world owes them a lifestyle of instant indulgence.We’re all familiar with the sales pitch telling us to ‘buy now, pay later’. Modern consumerism tells us we can get things instantly; we just have to swipe our credit card and worry about paying later.
To avoid falling from this deception, we need to understand that God’s Word is full of instructions on how to handle our finances. We need to dig deep and prayerfully meditate on godly principles that will help us overcome the ongoing trend of our consumer-driven culture.
Here are five things you need to put in your heart to be a Christ-centred steward of your finances.
1. God owns everything; you get to be the steward.
It’s tempting to think that because we worked hard for our pay cheques, we’re the one’s who own every cent of it so we can do whatever we want with our money. The thing that sets Christians apart from non-believers is the fact that we acknowledge God as the owner of our finances.
The Bible says in Psalm 24:1 that, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” This sets the foundation for biblical stewardship: God owns everything and he lends some of it to us to use and manage on his behalf.
A steward is someone who is trusted to take care of someone’s property and resources. When it comes to our money, careers, and businesses, we are servant-managers only and Jesus Christ is the real owner.
God has given each of us our time, our talents, and our energies, and how we use and manage these defines our stewardship. It is not limited to whether we give a tithe, or how we manage our personal finances.
Every choice that we make is part of our responsibilities as God’s stewards. It’s our job to put the things in our lives in the right priority and use them according to God’s standards. When we have this mindset, whatever we do in our jobs, personal lives, and ministry can be a vehicle through which we live out our life purpose.
2. Money is not the root of evil, but your love for it is.
Nobody will admit that they love money. However, if you look closely at what’s happening in the world, we live in a culture where the cliché is true: “Cash is king” and “Whoever has the gold makes the rules.” That’s why there are people who really would do anything just to get rich or die trying.
Simply put, materialism is a futile effort to find significance apart from God. Money can become an idol even for Christians and the Word of God is never short of reminding us that we are not to be lovers of money but instead love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.
In Mark 4:19, we read “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” While Psalm 62:10 reminds us that, “though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”
We need to take an honest examination of our heart because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21). What we do with our money reveals if we’ve fallen into a victim of material. What we buy and how we spend our money is a clear indication on what we truly value.
3. Be content and count your blessings.
The Bible clearly teaches us to “be content” regardless of our circumstances.
The Apostle Paul is a great example for being content. He said in Philippines 4:11-12, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.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.”
Notice the word “learned”. Contentment is something we all have to learn. It’s not something that comes naturally. It’s actually counter-intuitive to our nature. Where the culture encourages greed, the Word encourages us to be thankful of what we have.
Most of us are finding it hard to be content with the lifestyle God has given us right now. The grass looks always greener on the other side of the fence. This should not be so. We must train ourselves to be appreciative for what we have and train ourselves to live within our income. Being blessed isn’t limited to money and material possessions.
4. Giving is the antidote to selfishness.
Unless we surrender the ownership of our possessions and wealth to the Lord, it will very hard to give. But once we do, the act of giving proves that money is no longer our master but rather we give up the control, power, and prestige that come with wealth.
Start giving regularly to your local church. Honouring God with your income is a way to recognise the Lordship of Christ and prove your faith and reliance on him. When we give, it should be done with a humble and worshipful attitude.
We also need to understand that giving shouldn’t only be done when everything is going well with us financially. In 2 Corinthians 8, we read about the way the Macedonian Christians gave,
“1And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.”
This story offers guidelines for giving that can help us fight the pull of materialism:
- Grace-giving. Grace is the divine enablement from God so we can do things that we cannot naturally do on our own; be selfless and be servants like Christ.
- Give generously. Instead of having an excuse not to give, the Christians in Macedonia gave more than what was expected from them.
- Give joyfully. The fact that we are free from the love of money, we can now give with a happy heart knowing that we can help and bless others through our giving.
- Give voluntarily. When we receive God’s grace, we will give beyond our obligation.
- Give sacrificially. Giving when we ourselves are in need is telling God that we trust him and not money.
5. Debt is a trap, borrow wisely.
Debt is discouraged in the Bible. Romans 13:8 says “Let no debt remain outstanding.” Proverbs 22:7 says “the borrower is servant to the lender.”
If you’re considering taking a loan, seek the Lord and give God the opportunity to provide through other means before you go into debt. If you do have debt, you need to pay it off as quick as you can. Pay off the items that have high-interest such as credit cards, car loans, or other consumer debt first.
Seek good Godly counsel prior to going into debt as it could say you heaps in the future.
