Month: January 2021

How to Overcome the Love of Money

Posted on by richabbaholyabba

When I was a teenager and young adult, my youth-pastors and leaders regularly emphasized the importance of seeking a Biblical understanding of sex; namely that it is a God-ordained act between husband and wife in marriage. We studied God’s word at length on the subject.

As a parent, my church leaders, along with Bible-based parenting books and courses constantly called out the importance of instructing our children on what the Bible teaches about sex.

The reason for this was clear. If we don’t seek our truth from the Bible and properly instruct our children about this — let’s face it — awkward topic in a Biblical context, then the only source of truth they will have is from ungodly sources like the media, or peer pressure in the schoolyard etc.

How I wish that my pastors and teachers had approached money, stewardhship and Biblical financial conduct with the same wisdom and offered Christian money talks.

Instead, my church leaders, Godly mentors and Christian peers figuratively screamed, “The love of money is the root of all evil!” and ran for the hills.

“Oh! And make sure you give your tithes and offerings to the local church,” a few of them called over their shoulders as they fled. Beyond that, my Christian brothers and sisters generally refused to broach the subject further in any shape or form.

That left me fumbling about in a material world, desperately trying to figure out, as best I could, how I should earn, manage and spend my money. And the only source of truth I had were the credit card companies, the media, the advertising industry and peer pressure from the “Joneses” next door or at the end of the street who, it seems, everybody had to keep up with.

Christian Money Talks

I know I am not alone in this. Almost every one of my Christian peers has lived the same experience. Small wonder so many first-world Christians are locked in an eternal state of debt and financial struggle!

Some seek a way out but before they even have a chance they are, once more, shouted down by the built-in Christian Love-of-Money alarms we all know so well

  1. Don’t make money an idol in your life.
  2. Life isn’t just about making lots of money.
  3. Stop focusing on money and put God first.

None of the above statements is wrong in and of itself. The trouble is this:

  1. If we are in a place of desperate financial struggle, it’s quite likely that money is already an idol in our lives and has been for some time.
  2. If life isn’t just about making lots money, it most certainly is not just about making ends meet. Where is God in either of those pursuits?
  3. If we have put God first in our lives we probably would not have racked up so much consumer debt in the first place.

Financial struggle is a desperate plight for many believers and echoing mindless platitudes that all boil down to ‘Poor good, rich bad’ while pretending that the Bible has nothing useful to say on the subject of ‘filthy lucre’ is not a solution to the problem.

In truth, the Bible has heaps to say about how we can and should earn, manage and spend our money. Yes, I acknowledge 1 Timothy 6:10 and I acknowledge that we need to give our tithes and offerings to God’s kingdom.

10 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.

1 Timothy 6:10

This is God’s word and His word is true.

If we are to overcome crippling debt, financial struggle and the constant fear of not being able to pay our bills, we need to understand such scriptures in their fullness. That means understanding what they mean beyond the simple pursuit of riches. We also need to read and discuss everything else the Bible says about money to develop a full understanding of the subject.

We can only do this by studying scripture and discussing money and wealth in a Biblical context. We need to grasp the nettle and begin talking about — let’s face it — an awkward topic. In other words, we need Christian Money Talks!

Here is an unpalatable truth. Whenever we experience worry and fear in our lives, it is usually an indication that we are not walking in righteousness as we should according to God’s word. Sure, there are exceptions like persecution for the sake of the gospel but they are just that; exceptions.

In most instances, my fears, worries and struggles are a consequence of my own sin, disobedience or lapse of judgment. This is true in all other aspects of my Christian walk. Why should the financial realm be any different?

How often do we stand in judgment of someone who is rich or who is pursuing some sort of financial gain? We quickly assert, ‘The love of money is the root of all evil!’

But what about the love of money in our own hearts? I’m talking about the love of money that spends every penny we earn each month on new cars, bigger houses, the latest fashions, expensive holidays, restaurants and endless entertainment.

3 “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?

4 How can you say to your brother, ‘let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time, there is a plank in your own eye?

5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:3-5

Jesus’ words, not mine.

The good news is that God’s word offers us a way out of crippling debt, worry and constant financial struggle. All we need to do is study the Bible, discuss the subject of money with fellow-believers and seek Godly wisdom with respect to handling money in our lives. Christian Money Talks!

As we seek God’s truth on the subject, His word will begin to drown out those worldly voices that have dominated our thought patterns and poor financial decisions for far too long.

And as we begin to share openly and apply God’s word in our lives, we can begin to break the yoke of financial bondage that has held so many Christians captive for far too long.

The solutions to our financial challenges may not be easy but they are there for the taking. The answers are in God’s word, just as they have always been.

I would encourage all believers to openly read and discuss God’s word on the subject — for, in the Bible, there lies freedom.

Astonishing Financial Investment Advice in the Bible

Posted on by richabbaholyabba

At first blush, you wouldn’t think that there is investment advice in the Bible. Money, in general, yes. Storing up wealth, maybe. Giving and generosity, absolutely. But investment… really?

Of course, the Bible is concerned, first and foremost, with our spiritual condition, our eternal salvation and our relationship with God; not money.

That said, we can actually find investment advice in the Bible. For instance, let’s look at the following verse in the book of Proverbs..

The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

Proverbs 12:27

How Does Hunting Equate to Investment Advice in the Bible?

How hunting equates to investment advice in the Bible

Ancient Israel had an Agrarian / Hunter-Gatherer economy. As such, agriculture and hunting were, in Biblical times, what investment and speculation are in our society today. This may sound like a stretch but it really is not.

In Old Testament times, hunting and farming were the primary methods by which people acquired resources to provide food, shelter and clothing for themselves and their families. We provide for our families today by waiting at tables, working in IT , running a business or investing in the stock market.

Hunting was more speculative than farming in that it could produce immediate results. For instance, a farmer would have to first plough, then sow and tend a field for months before reaping a harvest. Conversely, a hunter could return with enough bounty to feed their family for weeks in a single expedition.

However, hunting was also riskier than farming as the hunter would, more often than not, get zero return for their effort. While a farmer could judge the weather and hedge their bets by planting different crops or adjusting their approach and timing throughout the year, to ensure a bountiful harvest, the hunter thrived or starved on the results of each expedition.

Looking at Proverbs 12:27 in this context, there is much to glean about our approach to investment in the modern world.

Hunting, like investment, has an element of risk. Both are endeavors with no guaranteed outcome. In Bible times, a person could spend days out fishing, for instance, and still return empty-handed, or worse. Damaged nets or boats lost to rough weather could ruin the hunter financially. In the same way, we can invest time, energy and funds in an investment today only to find that all our efforts come to naught – and in the worst case scenario, the investor might find they have lost everything.

Hunting is also a skill. Hunters and fishermen hone their craft over time through diligent practice and learning. As their skill grows, so do their results. I go fly-fishing with a good friend once or twice a year. He is an avid fisherman, dedicated to his craft, and usually returns home with a good catch while I often return with little or nothing to show for my efforts despite fishing no more than ten or fifteen yards up-stream of him.

So it is with investment in the modern world. There are successful investors and poor investors. We can learn to become better investors and we will improve through coaching and practice.

And so we come to the crux of the proverb – those who are lazy will not roast any game but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt. This is what investment advice in the Bible looked like. Just as it was with hunting in the Biblical hunter/gatherer economy, so it is with investment in the modern economy. Those who are diligent, who practice and learn their craft, and who refuse to quit no matter how hard it gets, will feed on the riches of the hunt.

Those who are lazy will not. Laziness takes many forms in this context. There are those who love the idea of feasting on the riches of the hunt but who are simply not prepared to put in the time to learn their craft. ‘I’m not good with numbers,’ they say. ‘I hate accounting and trying to understand high finance. I don’t have the time to read all that content.’

Others may have tried but become disheartened when they are not immediately successful. These people often dabble for a month or two but quickly give up when they discover that investment is not the easy win they had hoped it would be.

Then, there is the laziest of all investors who loves the idea of creating a passive income but never even bothers to try. The “hunt” for such people is little more than a pipe-dream; something they yearn after but will never actually attempt.

In Proverbs 12:27, the one word that makes all the difference between success and failure is… diligent.

But the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

Here are the fundamental differences between Diligence and the Laziness

  • Diligence may try and fail – Laziness fails to try
  • Diligence seeks opportunities to learn – Laziness refuses to learn
  • Diligence learns from every failure – Laziness quits on the first failure
  • Diligence works toward results – Laziness expects instant results
  • Diligence believes in practice – Laziness believes in luck
  • Diligence strives for excellence – Laziness makes no effort

Spiritual Implications

One of the most likely reasons I have never heard Proverbs 12:27 taught in church is because it has little eternal application. It does not deal with salvation, eternal life, our relationship with God or even relationships with our fellow human beings.

It is a straightforward proverb that offers some equally straightforward investment advice in the Bible. This leaves pastors and teachers very little spiritual meat, if you will excuse the pun, with which to feed their congregation.

However, this should not invalidate the verse. It is still in the Bible, after all. I am the first to acknowledge that this is not a verse that covers one of the great theological themes.

It may not be a John 3:16. However, as God saw fit to include it in His word, I would submit that we should, at least, make the effort to study it and understand how we can, or should, apply it to our lives.

While Proverbs 12:27 may not affect our eternal fate, understanding the verse and applying its wisdom in our lives today could have a big impact on us and our families this side of heaven.

Fascinating Truth – How to Seek God’s Kingdom First

Posted on by richabbaholyabba
seek first the kingdom of God

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:31-33

This well-known Bible passage is often used in the context of money – and rightly so. But what does it really mean?

For many Christians, a natural tendency applies this scripture as follows. ‘Stop dabbling in the pursuit of wealth. Life is not all about money. Investment, passive income, capital gains… that’s all just worrying about money! Rather, seek first the kingdom of God.’

The unspoken message in this rhetoric is this. ‘Look at me. I don’t worry about money; I don’t spend my days and nights chasing after filthy riches. I have a secure job with pension plan and that is enough for me.’

To which I ask; how is this seeking God’s kingdom?

The truth is this; too many Christians in the modern age overcome financial anxiety by cocooning themselves in job security. This is not a solution to the core spiritual problem.

We don’t cling to job security as a way to overcome our financial anxiety. Rather, we do it because of our financial anxiety.

In other words, having a job does not cure our worry about what we will eat or what we will wear. Instead, because we worry , we cling to job security at all costs.

Usually the cost is lost time with our families and those we care about the most. We also feel the impact in our relationship with God and lost opportunities to share the gospel.

In short, all too often, job security comes at the cost of seeking God’s kingdom first.

What Does Seek First the Kingdom of God Mean?

seek first the kingdom of God

Paraphrasing Matthew Poole’s commentary on this passage ‘seek first the kingdom of God’ means our primary care and study should center on how to get to heaven, and how to promote God’s kingdom in this world. It means subjecting our hearts to the will of God, so that the kingdom of God may be within us. And it means spending our time and energy bringing others to the obedience of faith (i.e. sharing the gospel).

In order to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God’, we need to overcome the worries and cares of this world; what we will eat or drink and what we will wear. Clinging to job security is a distraction from that goal – not the means of attaining it.

Practical Steps to Putting God First

putting God first

Before we get ahead of ourselves, I’m not suggesting that everyone quit their jobs tomorrow and embark on full-time ministry. What I am suggesting is that we pause and ask ourselves, ‘What should God’s Kingdom look like in my own life?’

When we know the answer to that question, we can begin to shape our lives around that ideal – and we need to do this above all else! This is how we ‘seek first the kingdom of God’.

Other helpful questions might include:

  • What would I do for God’s kingdom if I didn’t have to spend every waking moment working to pay my bills?
  • Who are the people I most want to share the gospel with?
  • How can I find more time or energy to spend reading God’s word and praying each day?

The answers will be different for everybody. After all, God has a unique plan for each of our lives. Once we understand what the Kingdom of God should look like in our own life, we need to have a plan.

Our plan should list the changes and choices we need to make in order to bring God’s kingdom to bear in our lives. It should include some goals and dates by which we aim to achieve those objectives.

This might include reducing our living expenses or creating a second stream of income that makes you less reliant on your current job. Or it might mean switching to a new job that is less demanding and closer to home, allowing you to spend more time with the people you care about.

It might mean switching to a four-day week so that you have more time to spend with your children or to spend in a morning Bible study at your local church.

It could mean investing in a rental property which produces enough income for you to take an extra week or or two of unpaid leave from your job each year so that you can do that annual mission trip to Africa that you know God has placed on your heart.

Or it might mean a wholesale change in your life that includes quitting your job and going into full-time ministry of some sort.

Whatever it means to you, I urge you to ‘seek first his kingdom’ with all your heart. Don’t let something as fleeting as job security rob you of God’s plan for your life!

My prayer for you is that you stay fast and hold the course as you seek God’s kingdom in your life – and that you never give up until he has brought it to pass.