I'd like to seek any advice on how to manage ones estate, be financially responsible, and be a good steward ( Matthew 25:14-30) while avoiding greed or loving money ( 1 Timothy 6:9, Luke 12:15, 1 Timothy 6:10)?
I'm wondering what are some possible indicators of whether someone is starting to like money too much?
Luke Ch 8 V 1-18 , especially V 14 might be helpful to u . Remember that we r not of this world so we shouldn't allow the things of this life to have too strong a hold over us . Where your treasure is is where your heart will b . Thank God for your blessings and help others whenever u can . If u let him , Christ will show u the way he wants u to behave , just listen out for that still small voice .
Hi , I'm very nervous about this same subject . I'm sorry to say that I'm expecting something similar to happen to me . My mum is quite poorly and I have an awful feeling that this might be her final year . I'm her only child and although she is not what most people would call rich , I'm terrified that she's going to leave me some money . The thought of it makes me sick . I've tried to talk to her about it , I've encouraged her to spend her money and enjoy it and not worry about me , leave her sisters and nieces something but she just doesn't seem to understand where I'm coming from . She's not a Christian so she doesn't seem to understand how I feel at all . We haven't had a great relationship and she's quite capable of being very nasty to me so I'm actually hoping that she's playing some sort of trick on me and that she's not actually going to leave me anything . I would be so relieved if she left me nothing . To me , money is a huge worldly responsibility that just seems like a massive burden . I have everything I need , all I want now is God's Kingdom . I'm terrified of making a huge mistake and doing the wrong thing with it and my instinct is just to get rid of it totally . The things of this world mean nothing to me . I want to be with my God and my Saviour for ever . This world is nothing and the things that belong to it are irrelevant to me . Then I wonder if God wants me to have this money and to use it wisely in His service , how would I do that ? I would probably mess it up completely . Hopefully my mum will continue to live and if not , I hope she leaves all her money to anyone but me !
If I might share a little here, Suze. Your love for the Lord & love & concern for your Mother is very apparent. Sometimes, parents will make it known to their children how their Wills have been written & their reasoning for doing so. So, how your Mother has written it or whether you are included in it or not, should be of little concern. I see that her spiritual need is the pressing one of the hour. Even if she might have been indifferent or nasty to you in some ways, it shows even more clearly, that in her later years, she needs to see the love of Christ & His extended Grace being afforded her through you. I imagine that none of your other siblings are believers. Your life, your commitment to her, & your tokens of love, prayer, & encouragement, might mean more to her when things become more difficult for her. The Lord is well able to minister to her every need - He just needs His servant to believe Him & be His Mouthpiece & His Heart to her.
But in the event that you do inherit a sum of money, there are many opportunities & needs around that that can be used for. With a prayerful seeking from the Lord & being aware of the needs around, needs of the Church or of missions taking the Gospel into other countries, it would be easy to pass on such funds as you deem appropriate. Most transactions nowadays can be done via Internet banking but if you're new to this, you may know of someone responsible who can contact & administer the gifts on your behalf. Unfortunately, these mundane matters have to be dealt with even though they may not have great importance in your relationship to the Lord. I'm sure the Lord will help you as you commit this to Him, but even more so, that your Mother will sense her spiritual need & give you her listening ear & the opportunity for you to share what matters most. Be blessed in your Christian walk & witness to all.
That's a great question Adam & shows sensitivity to the things God has blessed you with, as opposed to the world's thinking ( Luke 12:16-21).
The verse that came to mind is Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I believe that the Lord is giving this instruction, one of many special directions to His disciples according to what they were seeing around them: the rich & poor for instance. And this instruction is more than about the measure of wealth, whether in coin or other possessions, since I doubt whether the disciples ever came into a position of amassing any amount of wealth. Rather, the Lord was directing them to the focus of the heart & life to every area of life & not to set their hearts on things that are of little worth or can disappear.
Therefore, the first indicator of a misdirected attraction to one's possessions or to the inordinate pursuit of them, would be: is there still a true mental & emotional balance when dealing with personal finances? Is the heart continually affixed on making more of it for reasons that show one's lust to gain more rather than for more worthy reasons? Certainly, we need to provide for loved ones, pay bills, put aside some for the future, but also, we need to have the capacity to look for opportunities to give to those in real need, the work of the Gospel, to organizations/ministries that are truly reaching out with help to the poor.
And in the parable of the talents, the message was more than making good decisions in trading, but that responsibility in small things engenders greater trust in handling larger endowments. God will trust us with more when our hearts are towards Him alone & not affixed on perishable things.
Thanks Chris, I appreciate your insight. It sounds like your points were to watch out for an unhealthy emotional balance, or an unusual addiction- unquenching lust for more, if its just about providing for family/responsibilities or more?, and if we still leave some for helping others.
I have been questioning and self-evaluating lately as people often say what you spend the most time on reflects ones priorities. For most people, this is work, and that means we spend most of our time in pursuit of money. On the surface that sounds bad and contrary to the scripture. Of course we all need it in order to live, to buy food, have shelter, provide for family. Perhaps the love of money is more than just trying to get it to make ends meet, because otherwise everyone might fit into that category, maybe even Jesus.
Jesus spent most of his life working as a carpenter from my understanding and didn't start his ministry until age 30-33. 3 years of 33 years is just 9% of his life. Maybe half of his life was working, so He probably did that more than His ministry. I assume He worked to sell his work to make money or trade so He could eat food and have shelter.
Where our treasures are our hearts are also. My hunch is that this pursuit of 'treasure' is more than just being financially responsible, preparing for retirement, etc., but when we spend most of our lives trying to earn money it would seem wise to have clear boundaries to keep ourselves in check.
Yes Adam, that's the way I see it. What the Lord has blessed us with, enabling us to provide for ourselves & others, should not be cause for us to be unwise in this matter, but demonstrate much prudence (which also is given us by His Spirit within us to lead us aright in all matters of life & godliness).
Of course, we give the greater part of our day to work & sleep & rightly so, but when those remaining hours are given to devising plans or pursuing acts to make more money than needed, when that desire may only be to fulfil a lust or habit, then truly we're setting incorrect priorities & feeding an innate undesirable bent that can never meet God's approval.
Even the Apostle Paul encouraged good honest work ( 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12), as he himself probably resorted to his profession as a tent-maker when his purse became depleted; yet, pursuing his calling by the Lord to minister this Gospel of Grace at every opportunity. Maybe he even saved some money to finance his various journeys into Asia Minor, Greece, & Macedonia.
I believe that what the Lord gives us, in both money & kind, they have to be used, spent & saved responsibly. And at the heart of the matter is: what part of that blessing may be used to bless others? When the conviction is strong to share what God has blessed us with, then the inner joy & satisfaction in expressing our faith in good works, can be greater than those lusting to acquire more & more for their selfish ends. And we know that His Spirit will always lead us aright, & we'll know when we wilfully take another path to satisfy self. May the Lord lead all of us in the correct understanding & use of this powerful resource & glorify Him through it.
Hi Adam, I hope you get some good responses on this question.
My husband and I are preparing for retirement and getting our finances in order has been something we have worked on for the last five years. It isn't always and easy of instant fix. But we were able to pay off our home and save substantially over the past three years. We banked as much as we could each paycheck and try to live simply.
With the economy going so haywire now, the future seems pretty uncertain. I am planning to grow a vegetable garden this spring and summer and preserve as much as I can for the upcoming winter. I am buying meat on sale and freezing it to keep fill our freezer again (it was depleted during the first 6 months of covid. I am stocking up on necessities and unperishable with each shopping trip. May need to purchase some freeze-dried survival foods as well. We continue to practice shooting our guns and are buying ammo when we can. We have assorted camping gear that will allow us to cook without electricity if needed.
But I am sure some who are more financially savvy than me can give you better suggestions. But I hope I have been helpful.
Thanks for sharing Gigi. I agree there are many uncertainties, more than I've ever seen before. With high inflation most people in the US lost 7% in the last year. It's like the government reaching into everyone's wallets and taking an extra 7% tip for itself on top of the taxes already taken. One could invest time in research how to protect against inflation through various investments, but in doing so furthers the pursuit of money and maybe inches closer to that scary invisible line of loving money.
You might check the thread as Chris offered some good input.
Yes, Adam, I wholly agree with what Chris said. As I said, we live simply. We have never had very much extra each month until the last 12 years when I was teaching full time. So, we realized that we needed to restrict our spending and save for retirement as we were unable to do so prior to this time. I know that there is a place in scripture that speaks that it is disgraceful to not have an inheritance to leave to children. So, I do not think it is wrong to have savings or investments in the retirement years. I was a stay at home mom for 17 years. If we were pursuing monetary gain, I would have worked full time as a teacher for those 17 years. But valued being able to be with my children over making lots of money.
I am sure many Christians have IRA's, 401K's, investments, etc. Those things are very much o.k. to have. We should not look down on earning a living that generously provides for our family. The Scriptures do not say anything against this, nor against saving or investing. Jesus did speak of the (already) rich man who filled his storehouses and built more to store more as evil because this man was depending on His riches, not on God, nor concerning himself with matters of the kingdom.
So, I understand your word of warning. I would give the same warning to someone I know who is too fond of their money and ability to gain it. I am not one of those people. My husband and I just believe that it is much better to own one's home outright than be in debt for it until one dies. And we believe that saving by living as simply as we are able is wise. Scripture does not speak against such attitudes and practices. The parable of the talents is instructive. Although it is not really speaking about monetary matters, but fruitfulness in the kingdom of God, Jesus is equating multiplying monetarily with good stewardship of our gifts and talents for the Lord's work.
I'm not sure what your specific question is looking for in an answer. Perhaps being more specific can help.
I'm wondering what are some possible indicators of whether someone is starting to like money too much?
But in the event that you do inherit a sum of money, there are many opportunities & needs around that that can be used for. With a prayerful seeking from the Lord & being aware of the needs around, needs of the Church or of missions taking the Gospel into other countries, it would be easy to pass on such funds as you deem appropriate. Most transactions nowadays can be done via Internet banking but if you're new to this, you may know of someone responsible who can contact & administer the gifts on your behalf. Unfortunately, these mundane matters have to be dealt with even though they may not have great importance in your relationship to the Lord. I'm sure the Lord will help you as you commit this to Him, but even more so, that your Mother will sense her spiritual need & give you her listening ear & the opportunity for you to share what matters most. Be blessed in your Christian walk & witness to all.
The verse that came to mind is Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I believe that the Lord is giving this instruction, one of many special directions to His disciples according to what they were seeing around them: the rich & poor for instance. And this instruction is more than about the measure of wealth, whether in coin or other possessions, since I doubt whether the disciples ever came into a position of amassing any amount of wealth. Rather, the Lord was directing them to the focus of the heart & life to every area of life & not to set their hearts on things that are of little worth or can disappear.
Therefore, the first indicator of a misdirected attraction to one's possessions or to the inordinate pursuit of them, would be: is there still a true mental & emotional balance when dealing with personal finances? Is the heart continually affixed on making more of it for reasons that show one's lust to gain more rather than for more worthy reasons? Certainly, we need to provide for loved ones, pay bills, put aside some for the future, but also, we need to have the capacity to look for opportunities to give to those in real need, the work of the Gospel, to organizations/ministries that are truly reaching out with help to the poor.
And in the parable of the talents, the message was more than making good decisions in trading, but that responsibility in small things engenders greater trust in handling larger endowments. God will trust us with more when our hearts are towards Him alone & not affixed on perishable things.
I have been questioning and self-evaluating lately as people often say what you spend the most time on reflects ones priorities. For most people, this is work, and that means we spend most of our time in pursuit of money. On the surface that sounds bad and contrary to the scripture. Of course we all need it in order to live, to buy food, have shelter, provide for family. Perhaps the love of money is more than just trying to get it to make ends meet, because otherwise everyone might fit into that category, maybe even Jesus.
Jesus spent most of his life working as a carpenter from my understanding and didn't start his ministry until age 30-33. 3 years of 33 years is just 9% of his life. Maybe half of his life was working, so He probably did that more than His ministry. I assume He worked to sell his work to make money or trade so He could eat food and have shelter.
Where our treasures are our hearts are also. My hunch is that this pursuit of 'treasure' is more than just being financially responsible, preparing for retirement, etc., but when we spend most of our lives trying to earn money it would seem wise to have clear boundaries to keep ourselves in check.
Of course, we give the greater part of our day to work & sleep & rightly so, but when those remaining hours are given to devising plans or pursuing acts to make more money than needed, when that desire may only be to fulfil a lust or habit, then truly we're setting incorrect priorities & feeding an innate undesirable bent that can never meet God's approval.
Even the Apostle Paul encouraged good honest work ( 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12), as he himself probably resorted to his profession as a tent-maker when his purse became depleted; yet, pursuing his calling by the Lord to minister this Gospel of Grace at every opportunity. Maybe he even saved some money to finance his various journeys into Asia Minor, Greece, & Macedonia.
I believe that what the Lord gives us, in both money & kind, they have to be used, spent & saved responsibly. And at the heart of the matter is: what part of that blessing may be used to bless others? When the conviction is strong to share what God has blessed us with, then the inner joy & satisfaction in expressing our faith in good works, can be greater than those lusting to acquire more & more for their selfish ends. And we know that His Spirit will always lead us aright, & we'll know when we wilfully take another path to satisfy self. May the Lord lead all of us in the correct understanding & use of this powerful resource & glorify Him through it.
My husband and I are preparing for retirement and getting our finances in order has been something we have worked on for the last five years. It isn't always and easy of instant fix. But we were able to pay off our home and save substantially over the past three years. We banked as much as we could each paycheck and try to live simply.
With the economy going so haywire now, the future seems pretty uncertain. I am planning to grow a vegetable garden this spring and summer and preserve as much as I can for the upcoming winter. I am buying meat on sale and freezing it to keep fill our freezer again (it was depleted during the first 6 months of covid. I am stocking up on necessities and unperishable with each shopping trip. May need to purchase some freeze-dried survival foods as well. We continue to practice shooting our guns and are buying ammo when we can. We have assorted camping gear that will allow us to cook without electricity if needed.
But I am sure some who are more financially savvy than me can give you better suggestions. But I hope I have been helpful.
You might check the thread as Chris offered some good input.
I am sure many Christians have IRA's, 401K's, investments, etc. Those things are very much o.k. to have. We should not look down on earning a living that generously provides for our family. The Scriptures do not say anything against this, nor against saving or investing. Jesus did speak of the (already) rich man who filled his storehouses and built more to store more as evil because this man was depending on His riches, not on God, nor concerning himself with matters of the kingdom.
So, I understand your word of warning. I would give the same warning to someone I know who is too fond of their money and ability to gain it. I am not one of those people. My husband and I just believe that it is much better to own one's home outright than be in debt for it until one dies. And we believe that saving by living as simply as we are able is wise. Scripture does not speak against such attitudes and practices. The parable of the talents is instructive. Although it is not really speaking about monetary matters, but fruitfulness in the kingdom of God, Jesus is equating multiplying monetarily with good stewardship of our gifts and talents for the Lord's work.
I'm not sure what your specific question is looking for in an answer. Perhaps being more specific can help.
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