“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
1 Timothy 6:17 ESV
How much should we give? How much should we save? How much can we spend on our material things such as a house, cars, and vacations without feeling guilty? Is it okay as a Christ follower to retire and if so, what should retirement look like? How can we buy ourselves stuff when we know there are people around us starving? How can we justify our actions? Good honest Christians tell me that I am overacting and being too radical, but I read in the Bible about giving and it is so clear about this issue.
“Now a full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of these things belonged to him was his own, but they held everything common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need”. Acts 4:32-35 ESV
The Old Testament talks about giving a tithe which is considered 10% of our income, however the New Testament does not mention tithing in specific numbers. In the book of Acts, it talks about how everyone gave what extra they had and shared with other followers while helping the poor and people in need. Why is this not the model today for Christ Followers? There are obviously people in need in our lives (if there are not, then we should question our purpose as believers because there should be if we are trying to reach the lost).
I am so focused on saving money for my future or a rainy day and can easily justify this by remembering what I have already given instead of what I haven't given. Instead of investing in retirement, what if I gave that money away to someone currently in need. And what if there was a day when my family needed help and rather than relying on our own savings; we had to trust God to provide through His people.
Is this radical or Biblical?
Am I taking these verses out of context? People will tell me “God does not want us to give everything extra we have to the poor, just give cheerfully”. I agree. However, if I am really a Christ follower and understand the full extent of my salvation and eternity by God’s grace, shouldn't I want to give it all away or at least spend more time questioning how I spend it all while being cheerful?
I have a choice:
-I can continue to use my finances wisely by living a life much lower than my budget states, saving for rainy days and our children’s future, and continue to give cheerfully. I can justify this life by not being a burden to others and our children.
OR:
-We can pray about our extra finances and give to others who need help right now and let God use others to help us when we are in need.
I have to confess that I am greedy and love money. Lacey and I love our vacations. We want Sophie to enjoy and experience the things that we were unable to as a kids. We also want to give her every opportunity to be successful both spiritually and in life. However, are we taking away an opportunity for God to work in her and our lives by having all of our financial needs met?
We are about to move to another country to share the Good News with the lost and yet we are still consumed with money:
- We need to raise enough support so that we can go and reach the lost
- We need to work as hard as we can before we go so that we can have a good savings built up just in case.
- We need to consider the fact that we might not get enough support and we need a back up plan which will involve more money.
- I have to think about my wife and daughter and their needs and future.
- Is my daughters college education more important than a stranger who has nothing to eat or no where to live?
I am currently struggling with all of these thoughts and people have encouraged me in different ways.
Some mentors will tell me that I have an obligation as a husband and father to take care of my family and supply them with the things they need. I am encouraged by these people to save money and use it wisely to strengthen God’s kingdom through stewarding the things that He has given me. Others will tell us that missionaries should not have a savings or even an income. We should give all of our money to our ministry since we are not actually working anymore.
My conclusion:
I firmly believe that we should all pray about our money and how we should spend it. Can I sell my house and live in a smaller one in order to give to others in my own church or community that are in need? Can I sell my car and get a cheaper one to give more to others in another country who have absolutely nothing? If I eat out less, I can give more to others who have nothing to eat. Do we need to go on a vacation for every holiday?
Every financial decision should be prayed about and we should always consider weather it is benefiting ourselves or glorifying to God.
On the other hand, I also firmly believe that just because Lacey and I decided to give up our great jobs and material lifestyle to pursue a life that focuses on eternity rather than our current circumstances, we should not have to sell all of our possessions and live with no guarantees every day. If we should live like this for doing God’s work full time, than why shouldn't all Christians do the same. Why are missionaries and people in ministry expected to give up all earthly pleasures because we chose to glorify God as our career? Are we expected a larger portion of eternity?
I am convinced that struggling with these issues is a good thing and healthy for our family. I am also convinced that we as a family should pray about all of our finances (giving, receiving, spending) and should consider how we can glorify God with them. There should be things in our life that we are sacrificing or giving up for others in need.
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