God grants to us two types of treasure: spiritual and earthly. Our spiritual treasure is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Our earthly treasure is that which God entrusts to us in this world. We must be careful with our earthly treasure because it is fleeting (Prov 27:24). Earthly treasure is also dangerous because it can lead you to forget God (Deut 8:13-14,18) and subject you to powerful temptations (1 Tim 6:9). Therefore, we must honor God with our treasure by investing it wisely in His kingdom.
Wasting Your Life
We waste our life when we spend it upon ourselves. John Piper has said, “America today is a ‘save yourself’ society if there ever was one. But does it really work?…Our affluence has allowed both mobility and isolation of the nuclear family, and as a result, our divorce courts, our prisons and our mental institutions are flooded. In saving ourselves we have nearly lost ourselves.” The Apostle John warned against “all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Will Rogers said, “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people that they don’t like.” God’s gift of riches and treasure is a false hope. Job said, “If I have made gold my hope, or said to fine gold ‘You are my confidence’; if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gained much…this also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, For I would have denied God who is above” (John 31:24-25,28). Proverbs 11:28 makes the point very clear, “He who trusts in his riches will fall.” Don’t waste your life.
Investing Your Treasure
One way to not waste our life is to invest our treasure. This means we need a biblical view of possessions. Everything you have in your possession has been given to you by God. He is the rightful owner and He has given it to you to manage. As managers of God’s resources we will one day give an account of what we did with it. What does it mean to have a biblical view of possessions? It means answering the question: “Do we have possessions or do our possessions have us?” Art Rainer helpfully describes the biblical perspective in his book The Money Challenge. He wrote, “You are made for something more. Your money [possessions] was made for something more. God’s formula for money is simple: Give Generously, Save Wisely, and Live Appropriately.” Consider:
Give Generously
While the vast majority of born-again Christians want to give generously, very few actually do. According to a recent study, only 10–25% of Church members regularly give. Religious giving is down 50% since 1990 and Christians are giving approximately 2.5% of income. Why is giving decreasing? Researchers are finding that, overall, giving is decreasing while debt is increasing. Christians, especially young adults, are accumulating debt to the detriment of their giving. Just as Netflix and Disney+ have exposed the lie that we do not have time to pray, they have also exposed the lie that we do not have enough money to give in tithes and offerings. Interestingly, 80% of people who do give regularly to churches have little to no credit card debt. Giving is not to be a legalistic burden, but a joy. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.” Our giving should be a priority. We should give proportionally, sacrificially, and cheerfully.
Save Wisely
As we just learned, if giving is to increase, debt must decrease. For debt to decrease, you need to save. Saving is wise. According to a recent survey, many Americans would not be able to pay for a financial emergency that costs more than $400. This means that many Americans will take on debt in order to pay for a financial emergency. A $1,000 refrigerator can end up costing upwards of $2,000 when you “rent to own”. Saving is edifying because it helps us conquer debt (which enslaves us) and it helps us conquer lust (which intoxicates us). Saving is a tool given by God to help us fight against the desire for instant gratification. We want what we want and we want it now. Saving also reminds us to consider the future. There are seasons of abundance and of scarcity. Abundance gives you the opportunity to prepare for scarcity. Saving requires a goal. Saving requires persistence. Warren Buffett gives this advice, “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging and ask for help.
Live Appropriately
You cannot give generously and save wisely until your standard of living is based on godliness rather than worldliness. There is nothing sinful about an expensive house, car, etc. There is nothing sinful about having nice clothes or furniture. Having said that, we must examine our heart and our motives affecting our lifestyle. We must manage our resources in a way that is both financially healthy and God honoring. Your lifestyle can either help or hurt your ability to live generously. The lifestyle you choose to live and the purchases you choose to make will have a dramatic effect on whether or not you are able to give and save. What does it mean to live appropriately? To live appropriately means having a Biblical view of possessions. It means knowing what you can (and cannot) afford. It means finding greater fulfillment in advancing God’s kingdom rather than building your own. Art Rainer wrote: “Most Christians ask, ‘How much should I give?’ This is a good question, but a better question may be, ‘How much should I keep?’” Asking that question helps put possessions into their proper perspective.” Christians who wish to give generously and save wisely will adjust their standard of living to accomplish both.
Practically speaking, what does this look like? While there are no specific percentages mandated in the Bible (especially the New Testament), a good goal is “10/10/80”. Give 10% of your Gross Income as a tithe to the local church, Save 10%, and Live on 80%. Financially speaking, it may not be possible to give 10% next week and/or set aside 10% to savings. Don’t despair or give up before you begin. Pray about it and commit your way to God. Make wise decisions in order to move towards these goals. Begin with small amounts. Seek help from mature Christians as you get out of debt and increase your giving and saving. Set goals in order to live wisely so that you can devote more of your resources to God. Maybe you are afraid that if you prioritize giving and saving, you will not have enough money. Remember Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” We waste our life when we spend it upon ourselves; let us honor God with our treasure by investing it wisely in His kingdom.
First Baptist Scott City, MO 
You must be logged in to post a comment.