The Scriptures on Finances - Don't just collect treasures on earth

We continue to look at material from the book “Never Enough?” by Ron Blue with Karen Guess.

Matthew 6:19-21 “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

We should give because giving breaks the power of money. There is a freedom in giving away money or goods. Our hearts follow our money. When we give we demonstrate that we believe in God’s goodness, His ownership of everything, and that we are cooperating with His plan for our lives.

I have made the mistake of giving too much away at times or giving to the wrong people or organizations. It is better to error on the side of grace than to be stingy or selfish. I would rather give an account for being too generous than too greedy. I would caution you not to give your entire margin away unless the Lord instructs you to do so.

We need to save for emergencies because the unexpected will occur. When I spend less than I earn I have flexibility and can decide what to do with the extra income.

We live in a fallen world. John 16:33 states, “You will have suffering in this world”. There are times we may struggle in our financial lives because we are still on this earth. Money can help insulate us from some financial suffering. When a problem arises we can meet the need if we have prepared for the unexpected. We also should plan for expenses that are going to occur but are not typically a monthly expense.

I once shredded a tire on a gravel road long before the tread should have worn out. Replacing tires is an expense we need to plan for but having emergency savings available if we destroy a tire can keep us from experiencing anxiety when bad things happen to us unexpectedly.

Regarding the ant, Proverbs 6:7-8 informs, “Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest”. I wonder if the ant knows how much provision it has stored up for the future. Each of us should know where we are sitting financially.

Luke 14:28 says, “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?” Not only do we need enough to complete our projects, we also need to have access to our funds. If we tie all that we possess up for a long period of time we won’t even be able to purchase a gallon of gas or milk if the electricity goes off and the electronic machines that read credit and debit cards won’t work.

We should have long-term goals as well. Money is a tool to accomplish goals. Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.” We have been created for good works that God has prepared for us to do. If we focus just on ourselves we will miss out on the blessings of serving and giving.

Following wise Biblical principles does not ensure a life of bliss. It will help us get through the storms of life. We should remember to spend less than we earn, avoid debt, give generously, plan for financial margin and to set long-term goals.

May God bless you big.

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This is the 14th column in a series by Kevin Barsotti, pastor at Ark Church in Havre, about financial matters and their treatment in the Christian faith.