Today’s Personal Finance Bible Scripture comes from Matthew 16:26.

       ²⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

Matthew 16:26 (NLT)

       Jesus is asking us to consider everything in light of eternity. What good will it do us if we gain everything in the world but end up losing our souls in the process? How happy are you going to be if you work extremely hard all your life so you can have an amazing house, nice cars, and two European vacations every year, but you end up with an unhappy family in the process?

       Or what if you give up your passion to take a job you really hate because you can get paid four times as much? Do you think early retirement from the job that makes you miserable is going to make up for the years you neglected your true passion? Most people don’t even manage to save that higher income so they can later pursue their passion. Lifestyle inflation creeps up and they end up working in a job they hate for 30-40 years.

       The things The World offers us often fail to satisfy us when we finally get them, and they often come at the cost of relationships and true happiness, satisfaction, meaning, and purpose. The Gift of Jesus allows us to experience true wealth in this life while revealing our true purpose as well. And we don’t have to sacrifice our relationships to receive that Gift. However, we can only fully receive Jesus’ Gift when we give up our own dreams, desires, goals, wishes, and The World’s message. To find the Good Life, we must give up this life and fully submit to God’s plan for us.

       Today’s Personal Finance Bible Scripture comes from Ecclesiastes 5:10-11. Solomon has a lot of great advice for us in Ecclesiastes. His simple observations go right to the heart of the matter and still ring very true today.

       ¹⁰ Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. ¹¹ As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 (NIV)

       Solomon wisely observes that the greedy can never have enough. But what is the point of greed? What good does it do us to have more and more? The second verse gives us Solomon’s insight into the folly of greed. Having and eating lots of food only makes you fat. And what good does it do to have all kinds of possessions? Do you want to be wealthy just so you can sit around and look at your stuff all the time?

       How often do we think to ourselves “If I only had some more money in the bank…” or “If I could just get a raise and make more money…”? Solomon is cautioning us against the love of money. More money and more possessions aren’t really going to give us meaning in life. Only when we accept Jesus and give up our lives to Him can we experience any true and lasting meaning in this life. All the things The World can offer us are truly meaningless – they won’t matter at all once we’re dead!

       Today’s Personal Finance Bible Scripture comes from Proverbs 21:20.

   ²⁰ In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
       but a foolish man devours all he has.

Proverbs 21:20 (NIV)

       Same verse but in the New Living Translation:

   ²⁰ The wise have wealth and luxury,
       but fools spend whatever they get.

Proverbs 21:20 (NLT)

       I chose two translations because I think together they clearly tell us what this verse is saying. The wise save up some of their earnings, but fools spend everything they get.

       When talking about contentment and giving in the Bible, I’ve had people ask me if Christians should even save up money for emergencies or retirement. If we save, aren’t we relying on ourselves or our money instead of God? But, as with many things, it really depends on the motives in our hearts.

       If we’re saving up because we don’t think God can provide or we don’t trust in God’s provision, then we’re obviously serving money and not God. But God clearly tells us several times in the Bible that the wise save up some of their money. The wise do not spend everything they get, and the wise prepare for trouble they see coming ahead.

       God can take care of us in any situation, but He teaches us that it is wise to save up when we see that we’ll have a need in the future. This is why I don’t think God is against us having emergency funds or saving for a time in our lives when we won’t be able to work for pay. I’m not sure God wants us saving for things that don’t glorify Him, like a retirement where we golf every day or travel around the world purely for pleasure. It’s the same with anything really. If it doesn’t glorify God, there’s probably a good chance we should rethink it.

       The next time you want to spend all of your paycheck or when the money in your pocket catches fire, remember that the wise person saves but the foolish person spends everything.
 

       I want to apologize.

       I want to apologize for anything I have taught that did not point to Christ crucified.

       If I have written about giving without emphasizing that giving does not make you righteous, I have missed the point. If I have ever implied that your generosity will please God, I have been wrong. If I have suggested that you can find contentment through your own power, I was in error.

       All too often in “Christian” personal finance (and Christianity in general), we fail to emphasize the fact that Christ accomplished all on the Cross. We can put heavy burdens on readers and listeners because we may teach that your choices and your determination will glorify God.

       There is a choice you must make. But that choice is not to change your heart of greed to a heart of generosity, your heart of laziness to a heart of diligence, or your heart of covetousness to a heart of contentment.

       The only choice you must make is to accept the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that Christ offers us through His death on the Cross for our sins. Until you accept that Gift, nothing will make you right before God – in your finances or any other area of your life.

       Tithing will not make you holy. Generous, sacrificial giving will not make you righteous. Contentment will not bring you salvation. Diligence cannot save your soul. Only Christ can.

       The evidence of a Christ-filled life is not in your choosing to be generous. Generosity flows out of your choosing to follow Christ. Contentment does not come by your choosing to live simply and reject consumerism. Contentment comes from your choosing to focus solely on Christ and the rich Gift He gives.

       If I ever teach that you will glorify God through your finances by doing certain things, living a certain way, or giving a certain amount, I am wrong. You will glorify God through your finances as Christ lives in you and pours out His love through your life. Contentment, diligence, stewardship, and generosity will result as you look to Jesus’ example and follow Him – not as you make specific choices and fulfill certain objectives.

       Do not be misled by what I am saying. Faith without works is certainly dead. How can our response to Jesus be anything other than contentment, diligence, stewardship, and generosity? But neither are we saved by our works. And it is not our power that produces these good things within us. It is Jesus who saves us and the power of God’s Spirit that produces whatever good we see in our lives. This does not relieve us from responsibility for our actions. We are called to seek holy lives in light of our new life in Christ. If we are not following and obeying Jesus, how can we call ourselves His disciples?

       I ask you to keep me honest to this truth. If you see me teach anything other than Christ crucified, call me out on it! If I teach that you will please God by doing specific things, remind me that God is pleased when we listen to His Son and follow Him. Yes, this requires action on our part. But it is action that flows out of faith (faith that works) – not action that precedes faith or salvation. Show me my error and refute it. Do not allow me to continue in a lie or lead others in it either. I pray that we may all remember how powerless and fallen we are and that we will learn to rely only on the salvation Jesus gives and the example He taught and lived.

       ²² For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:22-25 (WEB)

       I’ve written extensively about tithing in the bible, New Covenant giving, and New Covenant giving guidelines for Christians. Not too long ago, I wrote that tithing is so Old Testament. I explained that I don’t hate tithing, but I’m against teaching it because we have a much better example for giving in the life of Jesus Christ.

       But to make my point a little clearer on how New Covenant giving differs from Old Testament tithing, I thought it would be helpful to look at Jesus’ teaching. I’m going to divide this into two sections. First, we’ll look at what Jesus taught about tithing. Then, we’ll look at his other teaching on giving in general. This will be the verses only – no commentary.

What Jesus Taught about Tithing

       Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

Matthew 23:23 (WEB)

       But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

Luke 11:42 (WEB)

       ⁹ He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14 (WEB)

       And that’s it. That’s all Jesus said about tithing.

What Jesus Taught about Giving

       ²³ If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24 (WEB)

       Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:42 (WEB)

       Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

Luke 6:30 (WEB)

       ³⁵ …for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. ³⁶ I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’ ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? ³⁸ When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ ⁴⁰ “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:35-40 (WEB)

       ³² If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. ³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

Luke 6:32-35 (WEB)

       But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you.

Luke 11:41 (WEB)

       ³³ Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luke 12:33-34 (WEB)

       ¹² He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back. ¹³ But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 14:12-14 (WEB)

       In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Acts 20:35 (WEB)

       For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

Mark 9:41 (WEB)

       ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, ³⁴ came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’

Luke 10:33-35 (WEB)

       ¹ He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. ² He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. ³ He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, ⁴ for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”

Luke 21:1-4 (WEB)

       ¹ Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ² Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³ But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, ⁴ so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:1-4 (WEB)

       ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²² But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions. ²³ Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶ Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ²⁷ Then Peter answered, “Behold, we have left everything, and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive one hundred times, and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many will be last who are first; and first who are last.

Matthew 19:21-30 (WEB)

       ²¹ Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.” ²² But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions. ²³ Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” ²⁶ They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.” ²⁸ Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all, and have followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, ³⁰ but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last; and the last first.”

Mark 10:21-31 (WEB)

       ²² When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.” ²³ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich. ²⁴ Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” ²⁶ Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” ²⁸ Peter said, “Look, we have left everything, and followed you.” ²⁹ He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the Kingdom of God’s sake, ³⁰ who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.”

Luke 18:22-30 (WEB)

Note: I didn’t include Luke 6:38 in this list because when I read it in context Jesus seems to be speaking about giving forgiveness rather than money.

       I’m seeing a pattern in Jesus’ teaching and it’s not tithing. I wonder why so many churches spend more time talking about tithing than Jesus did…

       ⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; ⁹ lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Proverbs 30:8-9 (WEB)

       These two verses from Proverbs give us wonderful insight into our need for contentment and Jesus’ purpose behind praying for “our daily bread”. First, we see that contentment is important because it helps us to remember God in all things. When we become rich, we can easily be tempted to ask why we even need God’s help any more. We have our money – why do we need God?

       But it’s also equally interesting that we should be praying to have the food that is needful – just enough. If we are poor, we’ll be tempted to steal and that would dishonor God’s name. It would be a sin that would grieve Him. So we see that it’s not outside of God’s will for us to pray for our needs to be met.

       Jesus makes this point in His example for prayer:

       ⁷ In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. ⁸ Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. ⁹ Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. ¹⁰ Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. ¹³ Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Matthew 6:7-13 (WEB)

       Jesus teaches us that it’s important to remember God knows our needs before we even ask Him. But it is still appropriate for us to pray for our daily bread – the things we need to get through each day. Again, showing that we are seeking contentment and not personal, worldly riches. We are praying for just enough – not for things that far exceed our needs. But we’re also praying that our needs will be met so we won’t be tempted to steal and thus sin.

       This idea of daily bread also ties into the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness where God provided them with manna. The Israelites could only collect enough manna to feed themselves for one day. Anything extra would rot. They were in complete dependence upon God’s provision. That’s what we’re praying for when we ask God for our daily bread. We’re saying, “God, I need your provision. I know I can’t do this on my own, but I know you can meet my needs.”

       So the next time you’re praying, remember to praise God and thank Him for the blessings He’s provided. But don’t hesitate to ask Him to continue to meet your needs. Ask Him for your daily bread – for just enough. Don’t be lead away by the deceitfulness of riches and begin praying for wealth. Ask God to give you what you need so you can serve Him faithfully, according to His will. God will answer such a prayer given with the right motives.

       Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

Proverbs 19:20 (ESV)

       Sound, prudent advice is a valuable tool for those who want to become wise. This admonition in Proverbs counsels us to listen to advice so we can gain wisdom. It’s a good idea to seek the advice of those with knowledge and wisdom. If we fully hear and accept their words, we can learn from them and prepare ourselves for the future.

       But we must be careful to weigh the advice we receive rather than believing everything. The idea behind this verse is not to necessarily do everything people tell you that you should. Rather, we should hear them and try to learn from their advice. Is it good or bad advice? Why? We’ll only gain wisdom when we examine the quality of that advice and how it applies.

       It’s interesting that this verse says you’ll gain wisdom in the future. The things we learn right now may not be of much help currently, but they may help us have a better understanding in the future. I’ve found this to be true in my life. I enjoy learning about a wide variety of topics – many of which are quite useless to me right now. But what I’ve found is that having a broad knowledge helps me understand the issues I’m dealing with now. I can apply concepts from one field to comprehend ideas in another. So it’s prudent for us to listen to good advice and be learning even when we don’t think it is useful now. A love of learning is a great tool for gaining wisdom.

       I pray that my writing on Provident Planning will help you gain wisdom for your personal finances. But please examine what I say, thoughtfully consider it, and see how it may or may not apply to your own situation. Ask questions. Disagree. Share your advice. In this way, we can all gain wisdom for the future.