I was listening to a Tim Keller’s sermon: Treasure vs. Money yesterday and he raised some great points about money and how Christians should view money. I was totally convicted by God’s Word and feel that God is calling me to a higher level of generosity that involves true sacrifice.

One insightful point Keller makes is the fact that the sin of greed is much more indefinite than other sins. For example, in the sin of adultery, it is obvious whether or not you are sleeping with a person that is not your wife or husband. No one ever says, “Wait a minute… you’re not my wife.” But with sin of greed, we can be easily fooled that it is an issue that only other people struggle with. “Everybody is absolutely sure that it is not true of them.” Keller reasons that this is exactly why Jesus tells us to watch out and be on guard because greed can slowly sneak up on us. Greed and materialism can be hiding in our hearts, affecting our thoughts and actions, and we might be totally unaware. Accountability with like-minded believers can be a huge help here.

Keller also mentions how we cling to money because it offers us a sense of significance or a sense of security. Some find significance or status in the things that they own, or the purchasing power that they may have. Still others find a false sense of comfort and security in the money that they have saved up. Yet, as the Bible teaches, none of us know what tomorrow will bring, and no amount of money can guarantee refuge from a disaster.

“How do we get to the place where we are not worrying about money, or not being consumed by thoughts of money?” Matthew 6:21 clues us into the answer, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” For the follower of Christ, it is clear that the only thing that can be our master, which will not enslave us, is to have Christ as our master. Only as we place supreme value in Jesus does the worry and concern over money die out.

What is the test that proves that we have placed value on spiritual wealth over worldly wealth? Keller explains that the way you view rich people can be an indicator. “Do we resent them for what they own and feel superior to them? If you dislike rich people and feel superior, it shows that money still has power over you and that you lack spiritual wealth. And it also shows a lack of humility. And if you envy rich people, it also shows that money still has power over you.” Keller teaches that the best way that we can know that money has no power is when we can love rich people for who they are. In the same way this principle applies to how we view poor people. If we respect them instead of looking down at them we can know that money has no hold on us.

“The third test that money really has no power over us is this: you get really generous.” Jesus commands us to take up our cross and follow Him. The element of sacrifice should come into play in all aspects of our lives. Keller makes the point that if we desire to respond to Jesus to this degree of obedience, we should be giving away enough money that it sacrifices our current lifestyle.

God’s Word is convicting and demands obedience. These convictions lead to application and principles with which we live out our lives. As I pray for discernment, I’m looking for ways that I can grow in my generosity. For me the conviction I learned yesterday from this sermon was that obedience to Christ involves sacrifice in all areas of our lives. This includes the area of tithing and generosity. I give 10% (pre-tax) and I also support a some missionaries and organizations. But frankly, I’m at an income level where I could probably be giving away much more of my money. Sure, I have a wedding to pay for and student loans to pay off, but even with those things, if I am to take Jesus at His word I ought to push myself until I feel the strain. How can I call it sacrifice it I don’t feel the heat? Jesus never taught us that this life of obedience was going to be easy. In fact he likens it to taking up the cross each and every day. I know that a lot of people debate whether the tithe is required or not, but honestly, most Americans make so much money that the point is moot.

As Keller exhorts, “the ten percent tithe really shouldn’t be our goal, but it should be the cross that serves as our standard.” I agree. What would my giving have to look like for it to feel like true sacrifice? At least for me this would probably begin with raising my level of giving from where it currently stands.

For Christians, these are tempting times we live in. Fortunately, God’s Word steers us and guides our path in each of our decisions.

I’ve had the privilege of traveling through China the past five summers and through each experience, I’ve gained valuable insights and life-lessons. Particularly, I’ve gained unique insights about economics, finance, and wealth that I could have only gained overseas, outside of the U.S.

In this three part post I hope to share the lessons I’ve learned and how it has changed my perspective and mindset.

Mark Twain once said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Story 1: Fast-food

For most Americans, fast-food is something that is quick, easy and most importantly, inexpensive. In our busy life we rely on it to be there for us when we’re grabbing lunch on-the-run or “taking care” of dinner on the way home from work.

For anyone who’s visited the big cities in China, you might assume that eating fast-food is common for a typical China man as well. Yet if we look at the economics we can quickly see that this is simply not the case. Let’s take McDonald’s as an example. A typical value meal will cost about ¥24-32 RMB, which translates to $3-4 U.S. Dollars. To the Westerner it’s comparable to prices back in the states, yet for the national, it is very expensive.

When I’m in China, I feel like a king. Wow Niu Rou Mian (Beef Noodle) for only 50 U.S. cents! What a deal! I love to eat good food and I love a great bargain. I’m so pleased to find this to be true all over China.

But economics can be deceiving until you put them into perspective. As I travel through China, I often equate the value of $1 U.S. dollar to be about the same as the value a national places on ¥1 RMB. So in reality, this would mean to the national, the McDonald’s value meal is equivalent to us paying $24-32 U.S. dollars. When’s the last time your fast food meal has cost you that much? It’s no wonder that for most nationals consider eating at McDonald’s or other fast-food restaurants to be an expensive luxury.

This point was made clear to me the first time I was in China. I was teaching English in Gansu province (one of the poorest provinces in the West) when I realized how “rich” I was compared to my students. I went to lunch with some of them and ended up at an “American” fried chicken restaurant (similar to KFC). My students and I each purchased a combo meal for probably around ¥18 RMB. But one of my students left our group, telling me that he wanted to get his lunch from somewhere else.

He came back with 2 pieces of mantou (steamed bread) which probably cost him ¥0.50 RMB. The other students laughed and commented that this particular student always ate mantou for lunch. He replied by saying that he loved to eat mantou, but I quickly realized that in reality, mantou was all he could afford. Even in the U.S., most junior high students don’t typically spend $18 for lunch.

How did this experience change my perspective? I had taken my fried chicken lunch for granted and the reality that it was inexpensive to me. I wasn’t necessarily apologetic about the fact that I could easily pay for it, but I was sorry for being insensitive and unaware. From that point on I wanted to eat what the locals ate whenever I traveled. I wanted to eat what my students usually ate. Frankly, I don’t even know why I was eating fried chicken in China.

I vowed to become more like one of the locals. I realized that eating what they ate, shopping where they shopped, and spending the way they spent gave me a better understanding of who they were and what it meant to be a local there. The deep glimpses into the life of another culture has been great reminders for myself to count my blessings I have received from the Lord.

I echo the sentiments of the Apostle Paul when he said in Philippians 4:12 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

This is part 2 of my book review of God And Your Stuff by Wesley Willmer. Yesterday I covered the first five chapters and today I’ll be covering the last five chapters. Willmer has done a great job of offering a picture of what a Biblical steward might look like in light of the commands we find in Scripture.

Chapter 6 - How Did We Get Here?
The author gives a survey of the American culture and observes a shift in our views on giving.

1740 – 1840 (Stewardship) Christianity played a major role in the early generations of America’s beginning. Consequently, Biblical stewardship was a responsibility that was upheld just as any other moral standard. It was understood by all that God provided everything and each was held accountable to the ways these resources were managed. Giving and charity was motivated out of conviction.

1850 – 1950 (Philanthropy) A gradual shift occurred as some American began to accumulate great wealth. Foundations were set up and the idea of helping those in need was replaced by the idea to promote the “common good.” Willmer says, “the motive of philanthropy was not a response to human suffering, but calculated cost benefit for continuous economic growth with the redistribution of wealth to sustain free enterprise.”

1950 – Present (Development/Self-Centered) Another shift occurred where fund-raising became a big business and charity became its own industry. “In this self-centered Development period, we volunteer time and give money as a convenient choice that preserves our freedom, meets our needs, and protects our schedule.”

Chapter 7 - When Everyone Has Their Hands Out.
Chapter seven offers very practical steps to take to choose how to go about giving.

Why? – Determine your motives. As covered in earlier chapter, giving should come from a heart that desires to serve God and benefit others.

What method? – Establish your methodology.

To what? – Clarify areas of interest. Limit yourself to your strongest preferences.

To whom? – List recipients that meet your objectives. Check to make sure each recipient is financially responsible.

How much? – Estimate an amount. The key here is to set aside your first-fruits.

Chapter 8 - What You Should Expect From Your Church.
Stewardship often takes a backseat in sermon topics, Sunday School material, and in the local church. If spiritual growth is desired among its members, Biblical stewardship ought to be taught and discussed more frequently. Willmer suggests a number of expectations you ought to have of your local church. Pastors and other church leaders can be open about their personal dealings with stewardship and finances. “Nothing is more relevant to a person struggling with stewardship questions than to hear how a fellow traveler has wrestled with the same issues and then made strong commitments to God as a result.”

Chapter 9 - What Families and Educators Should Be Doing.
In addition to the church, Willmer also gives a challenge to families to practice Biblical stewardship. Parents should teach and model stewardship values to their children. A lifestyle of living below your means, tithing, and giving should be practiced. Giving should become a habit. “What better place to teach our children the habit of giving than in the home? To encourage them to save, to live as inexpensively as possible, and to include the in the giving decisions is a tremendous opportunity to train up mature stewards.”

Chapter 10 - Keeping Your Soul Alive.
What would be the potential if individual Christians were to embrace Biblical stewardship and begin to lives these principles? The author quotes from a book by Russell Chandler which says, “If church members were to boost their giving to an average of 10 percent of their income (the tithe), the additional funds could eliminate the worst of world poverty…plus another $17 billion for domestic needs – all while maintaining church activities at current levels.”

How can we get there? What can we do to encourage one another towards this? Willmer gives a number of concluding challenges. We must recognize and acknowledge the fact that we are stewards for God. Prayer will be the way in which we fight consumerism and the desire to raise our standard of living. Biblical stewardship should be lived out and taught to generations to come.

Willmer offers a great overall picture of what God desires for His children in regards to financial affairs. A picture is painted for us of what a true Biblical steward might look like. This book gives great insight into how the Bible should influence our choices and decisions in financial matters and ultimately how God should serve as our master and not our stuff.

In addition to reviewing popular books such as The Millionaire Next Door, I hope to review books from Christian viewpoints as well on this blog. Particularly I’m interested in what they have to say about Biblical finance and stewardship. I recently picked up this book God And Your Stuff by Wesley Willmer and definitely thought it had some good insights. I’m breaking my review into two parts; the first five chapters I’ll cover today and the last five chapters I’ll cover tomorrow.

Chapter 1 - God’s Map For Your Stuff And Your Soul.Willmer begins with the contention that money and stewardship are topics that are too often overlooked within our churches. Consequently, the majority of American Christians seldom see any link with finances and our spiritual lives. Yet Willmer argues that Jesus devoted much of his teachings on the connection between faith and finances. Living in a consumer-oriented culture, His teachings become all the more important to study and live by. Willmer lays out three key principles:

– Our possessions are to be used as a tool to further God’s kingdom here on earth.

Willmer writes, “you have limited time on this earth and limited opportunity with your possessions – use them wisely…How are we leveraging our possessions – our car, our home, our clothes, our stocks, our time, our talents, our collections – to glorify God?” This is a great question and a great challenge. As God’s entrusts us with many things, we should continue to assess and evaluate how we steward these things.

– They are given to us as a test to see how much responsibility we will be given in heaven.

Luke 16:10-12 “10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” Willmer comments, “Our possessions are something that God gives us; then He steps back and allow us to work. As a result of the decisions we make on earth, God will assign us proportional responsibilities in heaven.”

– They serve as a trademark to those around us that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many churches have invested in training up Christians and committing to their maturity. Yet, have many overlooked this one crucial area. The author concludes, “God is not indifferent to our daily financial choices, but is interested in transforming all of our lives.”

Chapter 2 -Spiritual Growth And Your Stuff.
God gives us a lot of leeway in our choices of what car to drive, what house to live in, the clothes that we wear, but we should always ask ourselves, “is my life things-centered or God centered? If we desire our lives to be God-centered, then we need to be aware of the strong influence of culture around us.” The goal is to live in such a way to “store up treasures in heaven.” The author gives a three step formula in accomplishing this:

- “Make all you can.”

- “Live as inexpensively as possible.”

- “Provide maximum resources to God’s kingdom work.”

This sounds a lot like what John Wesley taught. Good advice.

3. Marks Of A Mature Steward.
In this chapter Willmer offers six stages to gauge one’s spiritual maturity. Personally I think this is an over-simplification, but I do agree with the fact that we need to truthfully assess ourselves from time to time.

Stage 1 – Imitator: One who gives only because other Christians encourages them to. Doesn’t really understand the purpose behind giving.

Stage 2 – Modeler: One who gives occasionally because other priorities get in the way.

Stage 3 – Conformer: One who gives more regularly but may be motivated by guilt or pressure from others.

Stage 4 – Individual: One who gives and begins to experience the joy that comes from giving. They have also learned to give the first fruits to God.

Stage 5 – Generous Giver: Has experienced growth and challenges because of their giving and even desires to teach others of its significance. Their giving is not limited to the tithe.

Stage 6 – Mature Steward: Truly understanding that God owns everything. They can agree with Apostle Paul in saying, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

4. How Then Shall You Become A Faithful Steward?
The author lists a number of principles on how to become a faithful steward. Here are a couple I found to be significant. “Count your blessings.” God has blessed us with so many things: good health, steady income, food, clothing etc. Our giving should be a joyful response. “Give to God first.” Regardless of what our financial situation, set aside the first fruits to God and not the leftovers. “Give to God generously and quietly.” Ultimately our tithing and giving is between us and God. We don’t give to be seen by others or out of a sense of duty. We give out of our gratitude to God.

The author also gives his personal remarks about the topic of tithing and proves to be very constructive. The concept of the tithe, literally meaning a tenth, is given in the Old Testament as a command to the Israelites. All of the first fruits of the harvest were to be given to the Lord. Yet when we come to the New Testament the tithe is not specifically instructed by Jesus or the other Apostles. Christians and churches argue about the validity of the tithe and whether this Old Testament command ought to be adhered to. Here’s what the author thinks, “the stakes are higher in the New Testament. It is a complete commitment, offering ourselves as living sacrifices. The tithe has been rescinded because it no longer summarizes what God expects of those who follow Him. And if Christians think that all God wants is 10 percent, and that the rest is their own to do with as they please, they are sorely mistaken.” I could not agree more with the author on this point.

5. Lessons From Earlier Christians.
We are fortunate to have many great role-models that have gone before us and have set the example. One such believer that the author mentions was John Wesley who truly knew that giving was not a penalty of God but a privilege. Many before us have surrendered not only their check-books but their whole lives to the call of Christ. Matthew 19:21 “Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Many of these admonitions given by Willmer fly at the face of our consumer-oriented society. Can we truly hand over the reins of our possessions and money to God? How do I live and work in such a way that my actions show a Godly attitude? As we try to answer these questions, we must discern whether these are merely suggestions or in fact commands given by God Himself through his Word. I’ll go deeper as I review the second half of this book tomorrow…

Back in the beginning of 2003, I heard a two-part message that dramatically changed my convictions of how I ought to view money in light of the Bible and what Jesus teaches us. John Piper is one of my favorite preachers and he offers a two-part sermon entitled “Don’t Be Anxious, Lay Up Treasure in Heaven”. Go here to Desiring God Ministries and check out the sermon: Part 1 and Part 2. I will review some of the principles that he gives and discuss my thoughts about them. I appreciate the no-nonsense exhortation and how John Piper does not sugar-coat Biblical truth for us.

Matthew 6:19-34
“19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

John Piper gives three reasons why he is so joyful in giving this message:

1. It puts him in good company.
15% of everything Jesus spoke relates to money and possession - more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined. (Some examples include: Mark 10:21, Luke 6:20, Luke 14:33, Luke 18:25, Luke 12:15, Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:33, Luke 19:8-9, Matthew 13:44, Luke 21:1, Luke 12:20-21, Luke 9:58). Jesus refers to tithing one time in Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Piper affirms Jesus and says, “of course you tithe, now get busy with the big things. In the Old Testament it was a bare minimum to give 10 percent, and then there were all these free will offerings on top of it. Tithing is not a goal, tithing is a starting place in the Old Testament, how much more shall it be be for us in the New Testament.” Piper rebukes the listener by asking “how can you give just the tithe when you are making 40K a year and then as you move to 80K or 180K and you are still giving only 10 percent? What does that say about your lifestyle?” “Tithing is a middle class way of robbing God for Christians.” This was one of the most convicting points of the message for me. Why does our standard of living have to move up with our raises? Fortunately I listened to this message before I started my career. I determined to make 10 percent my starting point and since 2003 I have given out of my financial abundance.

2. It might release an avalanche of mercy and missions and financial means.
Piper quotes George Barna and gives some statistics. “The average church donor in America contributed a mean of $649 to the church in 2000. If this were assumed to be a tithe that would mean the average church-goer made $6,490 a year. 23% of Christians gave no money to a church in 2000.” “We have scarcely scratched the surface,” says Piper. What would be the potential if the Church of America began to give generously to God and His Kingdom? Piper is excited to consider the full potential if believers are challenged to take God at His Word. I’m glad that God has used this message to challenge my personal convictions on money and finances.

3. It will make you happier than all the wealth and luxury in this world.
There is a strong connection between giving and joy. Proverbs 14:21 “He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.” Proverbs 22:9 “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Acts 20:35 “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” On the flip-side, we know from many statistics that there is no correlation between having many things and being very happy. In fact, the people that report themselves as being most depressed are rich people instead of poor people.
The great potential from these three reasons give John Piper great joy in preaching this message. I would agree with Piper and I too would love to see a more Biblical view of money and finances from fellow believers of Christ. We urgently need strong teaching on money and possessions such as this.

Piper continues in his sermon with three commands that are found in the Matthew 6:19-34 text. I’ll cover just the first imperative as the other two don’t address finance as much as the first. Listen to part two of the message if you are interested:

1. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
2. “Don’t be anxious.”
3. “Seek first the kingdom of God.”

Laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven
Piper teaches that “laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven” is a specific example of how to live out “seeking first God’s kingdom.” It involves “not so much trying to be rich on earth but trying to be rich in heaven, that is, rich in God.” We can see from the command that Jesus gives, there are evidently two ways of living. Either living in such a way to store up things on earth or living in such a way to store up things in heaven. And in fact, Jesus teaches us that you can’t do both: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” This is why Jesus also said it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. But then what does it actually look like to store up treasures in heaven? Piper answers by saying that in addition to not storing up things on earth, it also means “giving things away in ways that magnify the worth of Jesus.” Consider the words of Christ in Luke 12:32-33 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.“

Piper concludes that “our possessions on earth aren’t meant for accumulating, but instead for distributing in ways that Christ is honored and our joy in heaven is increased.” I whole-heartedly agree that what Piper summarizes here is exactly what Jesus had in mind when he gave these teachings. The teaching is straight-forward and easy to understand. What I’ve found to be most difficult is actually living this out in every-day life. Can I freely and generously give and still trust that Jesus will take care of all my needs? Am I truly living below my means and giving as much as I can? Am I continuing to look for ways that my money and possessions can serve and benefit others? These questions strike at the core of who I am in Christ. As I wrestle with these thoughts and as I continue to blog I would love to receive input from others.

David Topazian, a Christian dentist, covers five key elements to help you be successful in managing your finances. Read the full article here.

1. Realize that God owns everything
This truth over-arches all other truths. If we see all our money and possessions as belonging to God, it helps curb our wants and desires. Our homes, cars, jobs, clothes, possessions, all belong to God and he has entrusted them to us. Letting this perspective truly sink in helps us not to take anything for granted.
2. See money as a tool, not a goal
Just as John Wesley taught that there is nothing wrong with making lots of money and saving lots of money, he also taught that its motivated by selfless reasons to use this money to benefit others.
3. Give with integrity
I think this goes hand-in-hand with believing that God owns everything. Whether tithing to the church or supporting various organizations, when giving is a regular part of our financial choices it shows God where we place our priorities.
4. Adopt a stewardship lifestyle
To me this means not only using my money and resources wisely, but also to conserve and not be wasteful. Too often we buy or take more than we can consume.
5. Spend less than you earn
Such a simple truth, yet so many people struggle with this. Keeping track of your finances and budgeting is a great way to plan for spending less that you earn. Once you get a handle on this, its also important to plan where this extra money will go.

This article by first appeared in the Spring 2001 issue of Today’s Christian Doctor.

John Wesley is known by many as the great 18th century preacher who was used by God to start a great revival in England. But according to this article he was also one of the wealthiest men in England and was very generous with his wealth.

“But few of us realize that Wesley made enormous sums from preaching–the sale of his writings made him one of England’s wealthiest men. In an age when a single man could live comfortably on 30 pounds a year, his annual income reached 1,400. With such an income he had the opportunities to put his ideas on money into practice. What did he say about money? And what did he do with his own?”

Wesley felt the call to teaching and became an elected fellow at Oxford University in 1725 . At first he enjoyed his prosperity of 30 pound annual income, but one day an incident changed his perspective of money and stewardship forever.

“While at Oxford, an incident changed his perspective on money. He had just finished paying for some pictures for his room when one of the chambermaids came to his door. It was a cold winter day, and he noticed that she had nothing to protect her except a thin linen gown. He reached into his pocket to give her some money to buy a coat but found he had too little left. Immediately the thought struck him that the Lord was not pleased with the way he had spent his money. He asked himself, Will thy Master say, “Well done, good and faithful steward”? Thou hast adorned thy walls with the money which might have screened this poor creature from the cold! O justice! O mercy!–Are not these pictures the blood of this poor maid?”

Wesley was deeply convicted to take only what he needed and give the rest away. He committed to living on 30 pounds an year and even as his income rose to 1,400 pounds, he continued to keep only 30 pounds for himself. This is a great example of not letting your standard of living rise as your income rises. Wesley truly embraced the idea of storing up treasures in heaven and not on earth. He gave away so much that in 1776 he was actually audited by the government.

John Wesley preached and lived out three rules that ought to govern a Christian’s use of money:
1. Gain All You Can - “His first rule about money was Gain all you can. Despite its potential for misuse, money in itself is something good. There is no end to the good it can do: ‘In the hands of (God’s) children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked. It gives to the traveler and the stranger where to lay his head. By it we may supply the place of a husband to the widow, and of a father to the fatherless. We may be a defense for the oppressed, a means of health to the sick, of ease to them that are in pain. It may be as eyes to the blind, as feet to the lame: yea, a lifter up from the gates of death!’ ”
2. Save All You Can - “Wesley’s second rule for the right use of money was Save all you can. He urged his hearers not to spend money merely to gratify the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eye, or the pride of life. He cried out against expensive food, fancy clothes, and elegant furniture: ‘Despise delicacy and variety and be content with what plain nature requires.’ ”
3. Give All You Can - “All of the Christian’s money belongs to God, not just the first tenth. Believers must use 100 percent of their income as God directs.”

The exhortation to gain all you can and save all you can would only make sense with this conclusion to give all you can and ensure that it serves the needs of others.

Wesley offered four questions to the believer to help them in making financial decisions:
1. In spending this money, am I acting like I own it, or am I acting like the Lord’s trustee?
2. What Scripture requires me to spend this money this way?
3. Can I offer up this purchase as a sacrifice to the Lord?
4. Will God reward me for this expenditure at the resurrection of the just?

A month has passed since I began my blog (www.savvysamurai.com) back in Oct 2006. I’ve written about various topics and up till now I feel like much of my content has been very random. There’s no common theme and nothing that really ties it all together. I just came back from a week long trip and I had a lot of time to think about what my blog should really center around. There are so many finance blogs out there so what makes mine different from the others? Many people avoid bringing up the topic of faith and religion because its can be divisive or even offensive (I commend those that do bring it up in their blogs). For my life, Jesus and the Bible will inherently play a major role in my dealings with money and finance. Jesus knew that are souls are linked very closely with how we view and handle money and possessions and therefore spoke quite often about it throughout the Gospels.

Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

How does my relationship with Christ affect my daily financial choices? God has entrusted me with money and possessions in this lifetime.

Luke 16:10-12 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

Am I being a good steward of what He has given to me? How is a follower of Christ supposed to break free from a consumer-oriented culture and make the right decisions? I trust that there are many others that wrestle with similar questions. If these types of discussions spark an interest in you, then stay tuned for more…