Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28
“There’s a danger that Christians can think that God is only interested in what they give to church. It is common for people to give a percentage to God, and then feel and even act like the rest of their money is theirs to do with what they please.
Yet we’re called to steward wisely everything that God gives us — doing so requires us to be good stewards in all our financial decisions, not just giving ones. As most of us spend more than we give or save, it is vital that we put our faith into our spending!
Yet it’s hard. Really hard. Buying decisions are complex, with a number of factors to sift through, and we make these decisions all the time, on the go…The best spending decisions will not always result in us buying the cheapest products. There are many factors to consider.
• Does a $10 pair of jeans allow a decent wage to those involved in the manufacture of the clothing?
• Might the higher cost of organic or free-range food be worth the expense in light of creation care?
• What significance do you place on buying recycled or recyclable products?
• What is the environmental impact of your purchases, including for example, flying fruit or toys half way around the world?
The ways that we spend our money can give testimony to our Christian values, and can have as great an impact as our giving. Whilst individually we may feel that we are powerless, caught up in a society where we cannot make a difference, together Christians have the scale to make their influence felt.”
Dr. John Preston in his three-page essay “Putting our Faith into our Spending” in Purposeful Living: Financial Wisdom for All of Life compiled and edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim Macready (Rhodes, NSW: Christian Super, 2018) 40-42. Click on the title to download this free ebook today.
Before serving as the Church of England’s National Stewardship Officer, Preston had a background in marketing — everything from sandwiches to soap-powder, so he offers keen insights for putting our faith into our spending.
His thoughts are timely, at least for folks in the United States. Over the holiday weekend, my email box was flooded with advertisements for sales. If we don’t exercise self-control with spending, we will have no margin to give.
When we put our faith in our spending, the cheapest items may not be the best purchases, especially when we take into consideration factors such as the treatment of workers and the impact on the environment.
If you don’t have margin today to read his three-page essay, at least download the ebook and read it the next time you evaluate your personal budget or before you make a major purchase. Why?
When we as stewards exhibit self-control and put our faith in our spending, “the ways that we spend our money can give testimony to our Christian values, and can have as great an impact as our giving.”