Sense and Sensibility: Finances

We are borrowing Jane Austen's pictures of Sense and Sensibility, personified in the two Dashwood sisters, to look at the first phrase of Titus 2:5, and how we can be sensible, discreet, or self-controlled in various areas of life. Today's topic is finances.

The Bible has much to say about money and possessions. Christ Himself had more to say about money and possessions than about heaven and hell combined. 1 out of every 10 verses in the gospels is about money and possessions.

God says so much about money and possessions because He knows this is an important area of our lives. It is something we need to deal with just about every day. It is definitely a spiritual issue, and an area where we must be sensible.

We need to realize that everything we have really belongs to God.
Psalm 24:1: The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.
Haggai 2:8: The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the Lord of hosts.

So if everything we have belongs to God, we are merely stewards, or money managers.
1 Corinthians 4:2: In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy
While the context of this verse refers to spiritual resources, God requires this of our physcial resources as well. The woman of ‘sense’ takes this stewardship seriously. She wants to please the Lord with her finances.

Therefore, she has a plan for her finances, a budget. Her purchases are made according to this plan. She gives regularly to the church. Because she plans ahead, she can help those in need.

She isn’t stingy or miserly, but she is frugal. She’s a wise shopper. She has a plan for her meals, and shops from a list. She knows where to get the best deals. She saves up for larger purchases, and sets aside money for those unexpected events—car repairs, medical emergencies, etc. She balances her checkbook and pays off her credit card bill each month. She is content with what God has given her.

Miss Sensibility, on the other hand, thinks budget is a dirty word. She doesn’t think about being God’s steward, she thinks about pleasing herself. She shops according to her desires, not any kind of plan. It doesn’t matter if she can’t afford it. I’ll just charge it, she thinks. She may even hide her purchases from her husband, or lie to him about what she has spent. She shops where it’s most convenient, or at the most popular place, regardless of cost.

She is a sucker for any kind of advertising gimmick. She’ll buy things she doesn’t need because she has a coupon or it’s on sale, and thinks she’s being a smart shopper. No interest until 2010 will sound too convincing to pass up. Her giving at church is pretty much hit and miss, perhaps more miss than hit. She either foregoes giving to missionaries or those in need, or gives to them extravagantly. She is most always discontent, but perhaps a trip to the mall will take care of that!

The reality is we are God’s stewards. The only question is whether or not we are faithful.

What have you found that helps you be a faithful steward of the financial resources the Lord has placed in your care? What money-saving tips do you practice? Please leave a comment with your suggestions.