My wife and I were both approached by people in need in the same week. People who appeared to be genuinely in need instead of folks simply pan-handling to be lazy (which is a bit of a generalization, and I apologize). One of the things that we wrestle with this is that we want to be generous, we want to look for opportunities to help others, and we really like the idea of serving people as Christians. However, we’re paying off debt because as a moron (instead of a Christian) I allowed the family finances to get way out of whack. That being said, we’re considering pulling $40.00 aside from somewhere to setup someone else’s emergency fund. That is $20.00 for each of us to help others in an emergency.

We don’t anticipate tapping into it regularly, but the opportunity to serve is great, and sometimes we may have the ability to use our finances when others are in a teachable moment. Of course, in those same moments we need to remain teachable, but we’re glad to have learned to live on less than we make. What do you think? Would you create an OPEF category in your budget?

I’m reminded of Bob at ChristianPF and his story of compassion.  God uses us, others needs are met, and we can learn something.  That’s worth more than $20.00 to me.

While I’ll admit to having had a wee bit of fun with this podcast, its a serious concept that every Christian needs to grasp. God doesn’t just give us stuff and take stuff away, the real passion of His heart is intimate relationship with Him.

God Giveth & Taketh Away is 6.5MB in size and requires iTunes or Quicktime to view.

I come from a family of pastors - My great grandpa was a pastor, my grandpa was a pastor my uncle is a pastor and so is my father.  The description of an overseer/pastor/elder in first Timothy three is pretty darn critical to their lives and due to the power of Christ in their lives, has not been something that they didn’t stack up to:

1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),
6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.

Nestled in the middle of that description is the requirement that is most applicable to the focus of this site: Free from the love of money.  The Greek for the text translated about freedom from love of money is two words: not (μή) eager for base gain (αἰσχροκερδής).  The second word is a compound word combining disgraceful (αἰσχύνω) and gain (κέρδος), or a disgraceful, dishonest, wicked, embarrassingly motivated increase in wealth.  Practically speaking a leaders (elders) in a church should be focused on the edification of the saints and the maturation process of the sheep.  The leader should be focused on what God’s word says and not using that position of authority to maximize financial well-being.

Things this passage does not say:

• Overseers shouldn’t have money
• Overseers should be idiots with their money
• Overseers shouldn’t see an increase in their wealth
• Overseers shouldn’t be allowed to have nice things
• Overseers shouldn’t ever talk about money - especially when they’re teaching on Sunday mornings and there are visitors

This passage seems clearly oriented towards the character of the overseer and not the financial wealth of the overseer.  This passage does seem to indicate that the person is managing their household already.  That’s where many people fall into a stumbling block.  It is apparently common for paid leaders of small congregations to be in debt.  This is simply not a good thing for a long list of reasons (you can read a few of them here) but part of it is that financial strains can sometimes weaken the will and cause leaders to stumble.  In one town that I lived in a church’s pastor took the church credit card (why did such a thing exist?!) and maxed it out - on things for himself.  This not only should have brought him under extreme scrutiny, but it should have also alerted the congregation to the needs of that family on other levels.

I happen to know that the three elders/overseers at the church I go to are not broke.  I know that they have carefully and methodically increased their net worth outside of the church body [to imply without dishonest gain is an understatement]!  Instead, they have looked to manage their finances in such a way so as to take care of their families and reduce any financial strain on the congregation.  When the flock gathers at any given time under their teaching the focus is on God’s Word and not on funky distractions.  The result is a growing body of sheep with a great respect for their leaders.  You just can’t beat that!

Its a wee early for implementing a New Years resolution, but its never too early to start doing some of the things I’d like to do. One of the reasons that I moved from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) in 2004 and relocated my family to Denver was to go to a church here. It was a big move with some big implications. We left friends there in DFW but we hadn’t found a church we felt comfortable calling ‘home’ and after giving up (we were notably picky and have since learned to mellow out… but that’s another story) we looked at a few places to move and finally picked Denver. At our church we have learned a major amount of things about our relationship with Christ. One of the passages that has rocked my world since moving here is Second Corinthians 3:18:

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. [New American Standard]

This passage describes a relationship with Christ that is intimate and unencumbered with the normal distractions of life, but instead lends itself to the illustration of a bride and groom looking at one another, gazing with nothing between them. I recall standing on the stage in our wedding ceremony and looking at my wife-to-be and thinking, “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful - I must continue to behold her, to gaze at her and enjoy her beauty.” If anything had come between us I would have known it! Money can be one of those things that draws your gaze away from beholding. It can act like a hand that sticks out between you and the Lord and blocks your gaze. If money becomes one of those elements then its time to move on. It is time to get rid of the distraction that has interfered with the beholding of the Lord.

The consequences of beholding the Lord is that money and wealth get their proper place in life. You don’t find them to be worth beholding because they don’t hold a candle to the glory of the Lord! The consequences of beholding the Lord also include our spiritual growth. As we meditate on God’s glory (the emanating character of Christ) this passage tells us that we’ll be transformed into His likeness. Money can barely transform us into anything, and at best plastic surgery is temporary… but beholding has eternal benefits - I like that.

This is by far the most taboo post I’ve posted to date. You’ve been warned

One of the things that I don’t see posted on Christian Personal Finance Blogs that I think need mentioning is the fact that there is a lack of “to others” in most churches. Each Christian should seek out opportunity to serve one another with financial and spiritual and labor oriented needs. What if you could help someone else at your church save hundreds of dollars by coming over and doing some honey-do list items on Saturday because you saw the opportunity, you met the need, and you loved them with the very life of Christ?

One case in point was recently on Gather Little By Little when the pastor’s wife verbalized something that was odd: Thank God for Credit Cards. That is putting a reliance on the wrong things for sure. Hopefully this post will outline some of the philosophical changes that need to be put in place in the life of believers when it comes to finance and the body of Christ.

Relationship with God
This post doesn’t mean anything if your relationship with God isn’t first priority. The Bible says that the Christian has been identified with Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension and seating in the Heavenlies (Romans 6:6, 6:8; Col. 2:12; Col 3:1-3). That identification means that you don’t have to be dealing with any guilt for sins past or present. It also means that every Christian can boldly approach the throan of God (Hebrews 4:14-16) because you’re seated there in Christ (Colossians 3).

II Corinthians 3:18 tells us that we’re to behold the Lord Jesus Christ for spiritual growth. This beholding is part of the relationship. I liken this to a bride and groom gazing at one another during a wedding ceremony. If anything were to get in between them they’d know it! At least in their minds would be, “Hey! That’s not my husband!” or “That’s not my wife!” Think of your relationship with the Lord as the same thing. That relationship must come first before the rest of this post will have any value. If you’re not sure about some of this, I’d strongly recommend the daily devotional “None but the Hungry Heart” which you can buy at mjsbooks.com [disclosure:I have helped with that site in a very limited way but do not get compensated. One of the elders at my church is the steward of that site].

Relationships with One Another
The body of Christ is made up of individuals that have hearts, minds and spirits (spirits that commune with the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor 2:12). This body works as a unit. As Paul illustrated in I Corinthians 12 each person plays a part. Here’s the thing though: there is a very real need for the body to have a strong inter-personal relationship focus which operates like a neurological network. That is to say: I should know you, and you should know me because we’re in the body, and we should know each others joys and sorrows! We should each choose to cultivate an attitude of intimacy so that we can understand when needs arise. I personally believe that credit card debt in the church is evidence of shallow relationships. I’d be ashamed to tell anyone that I have a need because they don’t know me and I’ve put on a false face! The opposite should be true. We should be gladly admitting our needs and fulfilling them for one another (Romans 12:13).

As that last reference to Romans 12:13 states we should be giving to those who are in need. This can come from an attitude of service, but it can also come from the provision that exists in our own resources. While I’m getting out of debt I simply don’t have lots of extra money to throw around to help others, but once I’m out of debt, I will explicitly seek to give some of my money to those in need. Each believer who is not in need should wait on the direction of the Holy Spirit (sometimes its a phone call, sometimes its an observation, and sometimes its a prompting from God) and give to those in need through financial or service oriented opportunities. While I don’t have money I am going to serve others with my time and abilities.

An Attitude of Unity of Mind and Unity of Body
We as believers need to have unity of mind. In a relativistic culture that teaches, “We just need to disagree, ” we need to have a counter-culture mindset that says we agree that we may disagree here, but we’re working towards unity. I disagree with lots of Christians about lots of things, but I never once set those things aside as something to be ignored. Instead I see that as an opportunity for us to grow together and fulfill the command of the scriptures to be of the same mind (Romans 12:16).

An attitude of unity of body is similar to a unity of mind. We need to see to it that we’re hospitable to one another and identify how our lives can intersect beyond a handshake and a howdy on Sunday morning. Acts 2:42-47 describes the very first church, and in doing so it clearly explains that they were intimate and united spiritually and physically.

A Doctrine of Provision
All of this boils down to a doctrine of provision: God provides the needs, God provides the solutions, and God provides the agents of those solutions. Philippians 4:18-19 clearly presents the idea that God handles needs. It is clear that in times of need we have growth in our lives, so God can be seen to use these needs and provides them (James 1:2-4). The real area that I desire to see growth in the lives of believers (those who blog and those who do not) is the understanding that the doctrine of provision accounts for an agency! We are agents of God in the lives of those around us. God will provide fulfillment for needs. Period.

Conclusion
Practically speaking as Christian Personal Finance bloggers I would love to see a greater call for serving one another and helping others in the body get out of debt in creative ways. There is far too much ‘me’ and ‘I’ going on in the form of ‘get yourself out of your own debt.’ This isn’t to say that this is all bad, we need to own our mistakes, but it is to say that we should look for ways to help folks get out of debt and instead teach them to grow into financial dependence on God with personal responsibility for our stewardship as believers. What things can we add to this concept to help teach a greater attitude of servitude? Serving one another presents opportunities for saving, learning, growing, love and a whole slew of unity and goodness.