Balanced: SpendingSample

DOES GOD CARE ABOUT MY SPENDING?

As you have read and prayerfully considered passages about giving, hopefully you have allowed yourself to be challenged. Maybe you’ve determined to be more generous. Perhaps you’ve set goals to practice percentage giving, to give a tithe of 10 percent or even more. Wonderful! Take time to celebrate these amazing steps in spiritual growth!

Now the next topic, spending! One might say, “Now, hold on a second! I’ve decided to give God a percentage of my money, isn’t that enough? Don’t I get to spend the rest on me however I want?” There’s no doubt that God wants us to spend money to meet our needs as well as to enjoy life. After all, there are passages such as a portion of 1 Timothy 6:17 that say things like, “...God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy...” However, as we read other parts of that same chapter and many other Scriptures, we will see that God certainly cares about our spending more than just the basic idea that God wants us to spend money to meet our own needs and enjoy what we have.

As Randy Alcorn says,

“the philosophy today seems to be ‘as long as I have it, why not spend it?’ But is that right? How about another question: Does God care how we spend our money? Actually, let’s say that more correctly: Does God care where we spend His money, the money He has given us to manage? The answer to that, of course, is easy. Just imagine how you would feel if you gave money to someone to manage for you – wouldn’t you care where they spent it?”

As you read the Scriptures this week, read with an open heart and mind, asking our Lord to help you grow in your understanding of His vision for your spending.

Ask Yourself:

-Am I ready to hear what God might say about my spending?

Pause to Pray: Giver of all good gifts, help me to have open ears to whatever you want me to hear about the way I spend and how I need to change. Amen.

Take a Next Step: Make a rough list of things you will probably spend money on this week and ask God to show you how He views that list.