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Is Money Evil?

Corey — March 4, 2010

This article has been reprinted with permission from Gary Foreman of The Dollar Stretcher. You can find the original article here: Is Money Evil?

Is it virtuous to be poor? Many people think so. Holiness is partly accomplished, in many religions, by turning your back on material things. To appreciate the spiritual, you need to give up the material, and many people have taken vows of poverty in pursuit of holiness.

I don’t think it’s that simple. Money is just a tool. In other words, it’s just a way that we have of exchanging things. Money has no value on its own. What makes money good or bad is what people do with it. The problem is with the way money is used and not the money itself.

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” found in 1 Timothy 6:10, is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. When you place your affection on money, you become vulnerable to troubles. The problem is not the mere fact that you have accumulated some wealth.

So how can you maintain a right relationship to money? Is there a way to control money…instead of having money control you?

First, we need to be careful not to fall in love with our money, or we will let money have too much influence in our lives. That also goes for the things that money can buy. We’re all aware that the things we care about tend to control us. The only way to avoid that control is to hold on to things loosely.

Secondly, if you believe that money is bad, this thought process could sabotage your desire to build wealth. We’ll even push money away from us. Do you find it hard to do the things necessary to build a savings account or IRA? Always seem to pick the wrong investment? We can’t see our subconscious, but it can have a huge impact on us. Sometimes it even ruins our own plans.

What do you think about money? Do you have a good relationship with it? Or is it time to reconsider what you believe?

________________

Gary Foreman is a former financial planner and purchasing manager who currently edits The Dollar Stretcher.com website and newsletters.

In Contentment

Personal Finance in the Bible: Proverbs 30:8-9

Corey — March 1, 2010

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.

In Contentment, Personal Finance Bible Verses

Thrift Store Bargains

Corey — February 5, 2010

Before our trip to Haiti, my wife, Michelle, and I were shopping at Goodwill to buy some work clothes we could use and leave there. But while we were there, Michelle found a great bargain in the shoe section.

She found a pair of Nike Air Zoom Elite Women’s running shoes for $6.97. Here are a couple pictures:

Michelle's Shoes

Michelle's Shoes - Price Tag

These shoes are in great condition, very clean, and look like they’ve barely been used at all. The amazing thing is these shoes retail for $65.00 new at shoedeals4u.com. That’s a savings of $58.03! Granted, they’re not worth the brand new price since they’re used, but they’re definitely worth more than $6.97.

These shoes wouldn’t be a great deal if Michelle didn’t actually need them and wouldn’t actually use them. But she does and will. I think this example can teach us two things:

You need to keep your eyes open to spot deals.

You shouldn’t ignore thrift stores because of stigmas or misconceptions.

And believe me, there are more bargains to be found in thrift stores than just the shoes. I saw a suit from Nordstrom, jeans from Gap and Calvin Klein, shirts from Tommy Hilfiger, and nice leather jackets – all in great condition. I’m not saying you should focus on name brands only, but it just goes to show you that you can find quality items at low prices in thrift stores.

Your Best Thrift Store Bargains

What’s your best thrift store bargain? Let me know in the comments!

In Contentment, Frugality, Stewardship

What Makes Christian Personal Finance Different?

Corey — February 4, 2010

If you spend much time reading personal finance advice for Christians (either on Provident Planning or somewhere else), you’ll probably start to realize that it’s not all that different from other personal finance advice. Most of the good advice for Christians applies equally to non-Christians as well. Stick to a budget, spend less than you earn, avoid excessive debt, keep an emergency fund, minimize your taxes, don’t buy insurance you don’t need, save for the future – none of those things are particularly Christian in nature.

There may be some points in which Christian personal finance and secular personal finance will differ, but, generally speaking, good personal finance advice is the same regardless of your religion. The difference – and this is a major difference – is in the ultimate purpose, the final goal, of following that good advice.

As far as the world is concerned, it makes sense to make smart personal finance decisions because that’s what is best for you. Good money management will help you meet your goals, maximize your wealth, and get the most out of the money you’ve earned. And according to the world, that’s what you should do with your money. Use it for the things you want. Use it to meet your goals and fulfill your dreams.

But for Christians, making smart decisions in our finances is not important just so we can maximize our wealth and meet all our desires. Our purpose is not to find fulfillment in this world and the things it offers. Our purpose is to honor and glorify God – to serve Him with our entire being in everything we do. Our goal is to do His will. And part of God’s will for us is to share His love by caring for those in need through generous giving. We don’t try to maximize our wealth for our own use. We try to maximize our wealth for God’s use.

I want you to remember this as you read the articles I write. Many times there won’t be a Bible verse in a post. Personal finance in the Bible is more about the principles that should govern our decisions – not specific applications (like how to get out of debt). But it’s very important that we remember the purpose of seeking and following good financial advice.

When I talk about spending less, it’s so we’ll have more to give. When I talk about earning more money, it’s so we’ll have more to give. When I talk about making smart financial choices, it’s so we’ll have more to give. It all comes back to giving – giving motivated by love that flows out of our response to God’s Gift to us.

Yes, making good financial decisions will have benefits for you personally. But our focus as Christians is on the benefits those decisions will have for the Kingdom. In our efforts to follow good financial advice, let’s keep our eyes focused on Christ and our minds focused on how we can serve Him fully.

The advice we follow may not be all that different from non-Christians. But the motivation, goals, and results should be very, very different. And that difference will serve as a witness for the power of God’s love working in our lives.

What do you think makes Christian personal finance different? Let me know in the comments!

In Budgeting, Contentment, Debt, Estate Planning, Frugality, Giving, Insurance, Investing, Marriage, Personal Finance Bible Study, Prosperity, Retirement, Saving, Stewardship, Taxes, Work

Personal Finance in the Bible: Exodus 20:17

Corey — January 11, 2010

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Exodus 20:17 (WEB)

The Tenth Commandment – you shall not covet. God warns the Israelites here against desiring things that belong to others. The interesting thing is that this is the only commandment that primarily focuses on internal sins specifically. All sin begins from within us, but coveting is something that can be very difficult for others to see. God’s teaching the Israelites they should guard their hearts against greed and envy.

Coveting is still a major pitfall for Christians today. Whenever we desire something that’s not ours – something beyond what we have – we make ourselves susceptible to greed, envy, and discontentment. These are all things that God’s Word warns against throughout the entire Bible – not just in the Ten Commandments.

This verse gives us at least one way we can try to avoid coveting in our lives. You’ll notice that the focus is on coveting what your neighbor has. “Your neighbor” doesn’t just mean the people you live near. It can be anyone you interact with or see. And in the case of coveting it’s anyone who has something that you want.

So what can we do? Focus on ourselves instead of looking at what everyone else has. Count your blessings. Keep your eyes on your own situation and God’s plan for you. Don’t worry about what everyone else has – stop comparing yourself with them. Keep your heart focused on serving God and pleasing Him. By doing these things, we can guard against the envy, greed, and discontentment that always follow coveting.

What about you? Have you struggled with coveting in the past? How did it affect you? How did you overcome it? Share your story in the comments!

In Contentment, Personal Finance Bible Verses

God’s Purpose for Christian Prosperity

Corey — January 7, 2010

I’ve written in the past about the problems with the “prosperity gospel”. But something I haven’t done is discuss God’s purpose for Christian prosperity. God does want to bless us, but it’s not so we can waste that wealth on lavishly pampering ourselves. He has a specific purpose for prospering Christians and we can find that purpose in His Word.

God Prospers Us To Meet Our Needs

God blesses us to meet our physical needs. Christ promised us that God knows what we need and He is happy to provide it, but we should seek His Kingdom first instead of worrying ourselves to death about those needs.

³¹ “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:31-33 (WEB)

We should have faith that God will provide for our needs as we seek His kingdom. This is something I struggle with myself, for Jesus’ words here are difficult to follow despite the freedom they offer. Our weak flesh leads us to worry even though Jesus has promised that God will meet our needs. We must remember that God desires and has the power to meet our needs. He has given us eternal life in Christ, and He will not withhold what we need when we seek Him.

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 (WEB)

God Prospers Us So We Can Give Generously

God also blesses us to meet our spiritual needs and the physical and spiritual needs of others. We see another purpose for prosperity clearly illustrated in the Bible – namely the purpose of generous giving.

In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul is asking the Corinthian church to complete their desire to give to the poor Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering from a famine. He provides wonderful counsel for the Christians in Corinth about God’s ability to bless them so they can be a blessing:

⁷ Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work. ⁹ As it is written, “He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever.”

¹⁰ Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; ¹¹ you being enriched in everything to all liberality, which works through us thanksgiving to God. ¹² For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God; ¹³ seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all; ¹⁴ while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. ¹⁵ Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:7-15 (WEB)

Paul explains to the Corinthians that God is able to meet all our needs so that we may focus on being generous and doing good things in His name. God prospers us so that we will have the opportunity to give generously. It is up to us to use that opportunity to honor Him instead of following the Worldly path of honoring ourselves.

Even though the “prosperity gospel” is false, there are small nuggets of truth in it that get warped into something ungodly. God desires to bless us so He can meet our needs – both physical and spiritual. But wealthy Christians are called not to merely go through life enjoying the wealth God has blessed them with but to use that wealth to honor God and help others.

When God makes Christians rich, it isn’t for our own benefit only – it’s so we can glorify His name by being obedient to our confession of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our response to that Good News should be unending thankfulness and amazing generosity. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

In Contentment, Giving, Prosperity, Stewardship

Not for Itching Ears

Corey — December 31, 2009

If you want to hear how the Bible can make you a millionaire, you’re in the wrong place. If you want to hear that you can give 10% and you’ve done your duty to God, you’re in the wrong place. If you want to hear how easy life is going to be as a Christian, you should go do another Google search because you’re not going to find that here.

Provident Planning is not a place for people with itching ears.

But if you want to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you’ve come to the right place. If you want to know what the Bible – not man – teaches about money, you’ve come to the right place. If you desire to be a lover of God rather than a lover of money, then I invite you to join me as I seek God’s Truth for personal finances.

³ For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts; ⁴ and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside to fables.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (WEB)

A lot of the most popular teaching about personal finance for Christians emphasizes how Biblical financial principles can make you rich. This naturally appeals to many people because the love of money is so prevalent in our society. Those who teach how the Bible can make you rich while putting little emphasis on God’s true purpose for those riches are doing nothing but scratching the itching ears.

God’s Word is not a guide on how to get rich and enjoy all the fine things of the World. God doesn’t want rich Christians to splurge on luxuries while their brothers and sisters die from hunger and thirst. The Gospel is not about how you can prosper in this life. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so you can retire early.

Jesus warned us of the dangers of greed. He taught us to give generously to anyone in need. He taught us to seek God’s Kingdom first – to make it our top priority in life. All of God’s Word testifies to the fact that our best life will be an eternal life in Heaven – not here on Earth. He has warned us that this life will be full of trials, tribulations, hard times, and difficulties. But He has promised us the most wonderful blessing – eternal life with Him for anyone who believes in His Son, Jesus Christ.

³ If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, ⁴ he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions, ⁵ constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 (WEB)

Many false teachers talk about how God will bless you if you’re a Christian. Or they tell you to send them a love gift or plant a seed and God will pour out miraculous financial blessings for you. These people do not teach the whole Word of God! We are to have nothing to do with those who twist the Scriptures for their own financial gain or teach a gospel different from the one Jesus taught.

As Christians, we are rich – but you can’t measure our wealth in dollars. We have eternal life with God as our promised reward for faith in Jesus. That reward outweighs anything you can imagine for yourself in this life – and that reward is why contentment and giving should be our primary concerns when it comes to money. Reflect on these words from the Bible:

       ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. ⁸ But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.

       ⁹ But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

       ¹¹ But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. ¹³ I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁵ which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

       ¹⁷ Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; ¹⁸ that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate; ¹⁹ laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.

1 Timothy 6:6-19 (WEB)

So if you want to learn what God says about money and what the Bible teaches about personal finance, then please sign up for free updates to Provident Planning. And if you ever find me teaching anything contrary to the Scripture or the Gospel of Jesus Christ, please contact me and let me know.

But if you just want someone to tell you the things you want to hear, you’ll have to go somewhere else to get your ears scratched.

In Contentment, Frugality, Giving, Investing, Miscellaneous, Personal Finance Bible Study, Personal Finance Bible Verses, Prosperity, Retirement, Saving, Stewardship, Work

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