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
- Don’t make money an idol in your life.
- Life isn’t just about making lots of money.
- Stop focusing on money and put God first.
None of the above statements is wrong in and of itself. The trouble is this:
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.