Susan's Reflections

Honoring God With Our Money: Root of Budgeting Problems

Last week, we looked at principles of budgeting. This week we talk about applying those principles to your actual budget. Budgeting principles will never help you accomplish your financial goals until you begin to apply them. God expects us to use the financial resources He provides us wisely. When we demonstrate an ability to do that, God can entrust us with more.

Luke 16:12 “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”

Root of Budget Problems: Attitude

Attitudes that lead to budget problems can manifest themselves as greed, covetousness, ignorance, indulgence, or impatience. (Larry Burkett, Christian Financial Concepts)

1) Greed-__________________ desire, especially for wealth or possessions.

The Bible warns against greed.

Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your __________ against all kinds of ____________; life does not consist in an abundance of ____________________.”

2) Covetousness— ______________desirous of wealth or possessions.

Covetousness is specifically forbidden in the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:21 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your ________________ on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or __________________ that belongs to your neighbor.”

3) Ignorance—not counting the _______________cost of owning an item.

Problems that arise from ignorance include:

______________ things you cannot afford because you haven’t properly considered the purchase ____________, finance charges, ______________costs, maintenance and _________________
Failure to properly balance your checking __________________ and check for bank ____________

4) Indulgence—buying something of little or no _______________ to you

Indulgence purchases frequently wind up in garage sales or collecting dust.

To avoid indulgence purchases:

_____________ your need for the item desired
__________________money to pay for it
_________________ out the best buy
________________ about whether or not to make the purchase

James 5:1, 5 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the ________________ that is coming on you….You have lived on earth in _______________ and self-indulgence.”

5) Impatience–_______________ desire for change and excitement. Impatience manifests itself in:

Making _______________ purchases. Before you buy, identify your need, allocate the money, search out the best buy, and pray about the purchase
Trying to get _____________ quickly

Proverbs 28:22 “The _____________ are eager to get rich and are unaware that __________________ awaits them.”

Two Common Tendencies of Budgeting:

1) Set plans but never _______________ them.

2) Set __________________ plans.

Budgeting Involves:

1) ______________ the current situation

2) ______________ where you need to go

3) _______________ a realistic plan to get there

How I Know My Wife Married the “Wrong” Person

The following is a repost of a very insightful post on marriage. I hope you enjoy it.

How I Know My Wife Married the "Wrong" Person.

Honoring God With Our Money: Principles of Budgeting

In our study of how to honor God with our money, we are now entering the practical application phase. This week we examine principles of budgeting. In the coming weeks, we will focus on applying budget principles, practical money management tips, living debt-free, and cultivating true wealth.

Theme Verse:

1 Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Budgeting Principles

1) Recognize that everything belongs to God. We are stewards of those possessions God has entrusted to us. We have an obligation to be good and faithful stewards.

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the _______________, and everything in it; the ____________, and all who live in it;”

Psalm 50: 9 – 12 “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every ______________ of the forest is mine, and the ______________ on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the ______________, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were ______________ I would not tell you, for the ______________is mine, and all that is in it.”

2) Tithe. God asks us to give back the first portion of what He has given us. The first tenth of our income should be tithed to do God’s work.

(For Scriptures on tithing, please refer to Lesson 4.)

3) Meet the needs of your family.

I Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his __________________, and especially his immediate _______________, he has denied the faith and is worse than an _______________.”

4) Pay debts and obligations.

Psalm 37:21 “The wicked _____________and do not __________, but the righteous give ____________________.”

5) Establish short-term and long-term savings plans.

Proverbs 21:20 “In the house of the _____________ are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man ____________all he has.”

Proverbs 6:6-8 “Go to the ant, you ____________; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, o overseer or ruler, yet it stores its _______________ in summer and gathers its ______________ at harvest.”

6) Set aside money for recreation and leisure.

7) Give money to charitable causes.

Proverbs 22:9 “A __________________man will himself be blessed, for he shares his _____________ with the __________.”

Honoring God With Our Money: Charity and Debt

I once read a definition of debt as “excessive charity.” My initial reaction was to disagree with the statement, as I tend to think of debt as resulting from either living beyond one’s means or from hardships, such as the loss of a job. I had never considered that some people might be in debt due to giving away too much of their money. I don’t have any idea what portion of America’s debt-riddled masses might have gotten into that state through excessive charity. I am still inclined to believe that most consumer debt results from the desire to ‘have our cake now and pay for it later’ and the hardships that have been imposed by our recent and ongoing economic crisis.

Nevertheless, an examine of when to give to charity and how much to give is an important part of our discussion of honoring God with our money. The Bible is clear that those who have more resources than they need are to share with those less fortunate than themselves. Many people are tempted to give to every good cause. And there are many, many good causes to which we feel obligated to donate. In fact, the IRS reports that there are 1.5 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States. They each represent a ‘good’ cause that we might be tempted to support. To protect our budgets and not go into debt through giving, it is important to have a plan for giving and standards to determine the causes or groups to which one will donate.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when planning charitable donations:

1) Tithing is the first priority. Christians are directed to tithe one-tenth of the income to the work of the church. Giving to other charities should be above and beyond tithing. God clearly distinguished tithes from other giving, as in Deuteronomy 12:11, “Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.”

2) Determine what you can afford to give. Everyone should have a budget and giving to charitable causes should be included. Those who have more excessive income should be more generous than those with less. Don’t try to ‘out give’ others. In 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul reminded us that giving should be based on income, “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

3) Give for the right reasons. The right reason to give is because you identify with the charity and feel led to support it. The wrong reason is to receive the praise of men through recognition and status. Jesus told his followers, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:2)

4) Pray for God to direct your giving. As you pray, God will lay burden’s on your heart. You cannot give to every good cause. God only expects you to give as He instructs you. In Exodus 25:2, God commanded the Israelites to bring an offering. “You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to.”

5) Give to charities that share your values. As a Christian, I have an obligation to use the money God has provide to me in a wise manner. This includes supporting charities that further God’s kingdom. It also includes giving to causes that don’t directly support our Christian mission but that are not in conflict with it. Such causes might fund medical research or help to protect our environment.

6) Seek our charities that have low administrative costs. Using God’s money wisely involves giving to charities that are well-managed and whose administrator are not receiving exorbitant salaries. All tax-exempt charities must provide information on what percent of donations is used for administrative and fundraising expenses. This number should be less than about 15 – 20%.

I encourage everyone to give within their means and as God leads them to the causes that move your heart. I firmly believe that if everyone does their part, many needs will be met.

What is your position on giving to charity? What charitable organizations do you support?

Thirty-two Years and Counting

Today Steve and I celebrate thirty-two years of marriage. We started dating as our high school graduation approached and married one week after graduating from college.

This is what we looked like in our dating days (circa 1980).

Our family grew in 1985 with the birth of our son Chris and expanded again in 1987 when our twins, Jon and Matt, were born.

We took our first cruise in 2006 to celebrate our twenty-fifth anniversary. With us in the picture is our amazing server Virginia.

Celebrating our 25th anniversary with a Caribbean cruise

In recent years our family has grown rapidly as both twins married and became parents.

God has truly blessed us and our family. We are grateful that God is the head of our household and that we can look back together on thirty-two incredible years as a family. We can’t wait to see what the coming years hold. Through the good and bad, we will face all of life’s challenges together with God’s help.

Happy Anniversary, Steve. I love you with all my heart!

Honoring God With Our Money: Lesson 6

In week 6 of our Bible study on honoring God with our money, we look at what the Bible says about the value of work and God’s commands regarding charity. This lesson concludes our exploration of what the Bible says about money. In the coming weeks, we will examine practical applications in regarding to budgeting and living debt-free.

God commands those who can work to work and provide for their families.

Prov. 10:4 Lazy hands make a man __________, but diligent hands bring __________.

Prov. 21:17 He who loves _______________ will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be __________.

Prov. 28:19-20 He who works his land will have _______________ food, but the one who chases _______________ will have his fill of poverty. A _____________________ man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go ____________________.

Yet God commands us to be generous and share with the poor. What do the following verses tell us about how we are to treat the poor?”

Deut. 15:7 If anyone is poor among you…do not be __________________ or ______________________.

Deut. 15:11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be ______________________ toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Read Deuteronomy 26:12, Leviticus 19:10, and Luke 14:13. To which specific groups of people are we commanded to show generosity?

1) ______________________________

2) ______________________________

3) ______________________________

4) ______________________________

5) ______________________________

6) _______________________________

In 2 Corinthians 9:11 and Proverbs 19:17, what does God promise to those who are generous?

1) ______________________________________________

2) ______________________________________________

Read Proverbs 17:15, 21:13, and 28:17. What does God promise to those who do not assist the poor?

1) _______________________________________________

2) _______________________________________________

3) _________________________________________________

Acts 10:1 – 4 Story of Cornelius—

“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”

What did Cornelius do that attracted God’s attention?

____________________________________________________________

What characteristics of Cornelius’s life should we emulate?

____________________________________________________________

Life Application:

Luke 12:33, 34 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourself that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Honoring God With Our Money: The Shrewd Manager

As I developed this Bible study, the parable of the Shrewd Manager didn’t seem to agree with my sense of reasoning, yet I felt strongly that it should be included.

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16: 1- 9)

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

What do you think Jesus was trying to illustrate with this parable? In our class, someone read a commentary that suggested that the manager had been cheating the customer and that he actually changed the bills back to what was truly owed to the master. There certainly is reason to believe that as we know from the story of Zaccheus that tax collector frequently charged people more tax than was owed and kept the difference for themselves. So, it may be the manager was undoing his wrongs and was, thus, commended by his master.

I found the final statement to be the most surprising, ” I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” I am quite certain that Jesus is not advocating “buying” our way into Heaven, but I’m not sure what He is saying to us in the passage.

I do like the translate from the message. The final portion from that version reads, “The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way–but for what is right–using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.”

What does this parable say to you? Does it inspire you to better money management? Does it inspire you to live in a more Christlike manner?

Jesus followed this parable with the verses I chose for this week’s life application:

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealthy, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16: 10 – 12)

God expects to manage the assets He has given us to the best of our abilities. He also expects us to manage well any assets others entrust to us. If we manage well what He give us, He can entrust us with more. And as we have seen in earlier lessons, He gives to us abundantly so that we in turn can bless others.

Honoring God With Our Money: The Workers in the Vineyard

The Bible makes it very clear that employers are supposed to treat workers justly and pay them a fair wage when it is due to them. Most of the Scriptures on the subject of workers are in agreement with our current employment practices and law. However, the Parable of th Workers in the Vineyard doesn’t seem to fit with our ideas of fairness.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20: 1 – 16)

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius^[ for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The discussion questions asked how would you feel if you were one of the first workers to be hired? I think most of us would be as upset as the workers in this story were. Imagine toiling for 8 – 10 hours in the hot sun, only to receive the same pay as those who worked for only one hour. Yet, those first workers hired got exactly what they were promised–a fair day’s wage.

If you were the last worker hired, you attitude would be one of extreme gratitude. All day long those workers had waited for someone to offer them employment. Each time an employer showed up, I am sure they prayed to be chosen. The last workers need employment just as badly as the first workers hired. They had families that needed food and provision. When the employer finally called them over and offered them work, I am sure they were grateful for the opportunity but were expecting only an hour’s pay. How their hearts must have swelled with thankfulness when a full day’s wages was paid to them.

I believe that Jesus described an employer who looked at each worker with compassion and saw the desire of their hearts to provide for their families. His distribution of pay was not intended to hurt those who worked all day but to help those who hadn’t been provided the same opportunity. Today our employment laws prevent employers from treating workers differently. However, the law doesn’t prevent employers from being generous with employees who need assistance.

One of the ways an employer can honor God with her money is to ask God to show her which employees are hurting financially and to look for ways to bless those individuals. An employer might provide an employee with an opportunity to work overtime and earn extra money. She might provide additional training and money for college classes to help an employee to advance into a higher paying job. If the employee’s need is urgent, God might instruct the employer to personally provide the funds to meet the need or to direct the employee to churches and agencies which provide assistance.

An employer who seeks to honor God with his money will find many opportunities to bless his workers and help improve their lives. God, in turn, will bless that employer and allow him to create more jobs to provide more people with employment.

Honoring God With Our Money: Lesson 5

Our dealings with others in business, whether our employees or co-workers or those serving us, need to reflect Christian principles of fairness and honesty. In this lesson, we look at what the Bible says about fair business practices and it’s warnings against dishonesty.

Think About: Do you reflect Christ in the way you treat those with whom you do business? In the way you treat your co-workers or your employees?

Reat the following verses to discover what does the Bible say about how we treat those who work for us?

Leviticus 19: 13b Do not hold back the ______________of a hired _____________overnight.

Deuteronomy 24:5 ___________them their wages each day before sunset, because they are ______________ and counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of ________.

Isaiah 58:3 “Why have we ____________”, they say, “and you have not seen it? Why have we ____________ ourselves and you have not noticed?” Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you ___________ and ____________ all your workers.”

Malachi 3:5 So I will come near to you for _______________. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, against those who defraud _______________ of their ____________, who oppress widows, and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me, says the Lord Almighty.

James 5:4 Look! The ___________you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The ___________ of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.

Read the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard Matthew 20:1 – 16

(1) How would you feel if you were one of the first workers to be hired?

(2) What if you were the last worker hired?

(3) What are the implication of this story for how we treat workers?

(4) Do our laws prevent this type of generosity by an employer?

What does the Bible say about other business dealings?

Prov. 13:11 ______________money ____________ away, but he who gathers ________________ little by little makes it grow.

Prov. 28:8 He who increases his ______________ by ______________ interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the _____________.

Luke 3:13, 14 Don’t ______________ any more than you are required to, he told them…Don’t ______________ money and don’t accuse people falsely…Be ______________ with your pay.

Read the Parable of the Shrewd Manager Luke 16: 1 – 9

(1) How do you feel about the behavior of the manager?

(2) Would you have commended the manager if you were the master?

(3) Are you surprised by Jesus’s comment in verse 9?

Life Application:

Luke 16: 10 – 12 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealthy, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

Oh How He Loves Us

Have you ever been totally blow away by the magnitude of God’s love for you? His love for us is overwhelming. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His son to pay the price for our sins. When I really stop and think about what God and Jesus sacrificed to save me, I am overwhelmed by God’s great love for me. Most often I experience this overwhelming passion when reading David’s psalms and when engaging in singing songs of worship to God.

There are many songs of praise that express God’s love to us. One of my favorites is “Oh How He Loves Us” by The David Crowder Band. This song captures a bit of the incredible power of God’s love for us. I invite you to experience this song for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7CQ96uohcM

There are people in my life, whom I love and admire, who believe in predestination. They believe that God predetermined before we were born whether we would be saved and spend eternity in Heaven or whether we would be condemned to Hell. I agree that not everyone will go to Heaven, but I cannot believe that God, who created us and loves us passionately, would condemn anyone to Hell. This belief is not based on my emotions or hopes but on the Word of God.

John 3:16 is perhaps the best known verse in the Bible. It says, “For God so loves that world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (King James Version) I believe that ‘whosoever’ means everyone and anyone who will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be saved. Furthermore, Peter tells us that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV).

These truths were reinforced this week as I read David Hill’s book , Whirlwind. David describes a near-death experience he had when he was lost in sin. He knew without a doubt that if he died he would go to hell. He felt the horror of spending eternity separated from God. Furthermore, he realized that the greatest pain of hell was the agony caused to God by those who rejected His love. The following is a quote from David’s book:

As much agony as I experienced on the night that I tasted hell, there was a greater pain. During the entire experience, I was aware of how much sorrow I had caused the Lord. You see friend, the real tragedy of hell is that God’s heart is broken for those people who reject Him. Although there will be no sorrow in heaven, Jesus will forever bear the scars that paid the price for all of mankind’s redemption.” (Whirlwind, page 56)

God does love us–every single person He created–completely and passionately. If you have not yet experienced God’s love, please consider accepting Jesus’s free offer of salvation today. Please click on the ‘Basics of Salvation’ page to learn how to do this.

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