As we often say, there are only four things you can do with money: Live, Give, Owe, Grow. Dessert lovers can picture this as a pie.
Do you remember when you were a kid and your sibling took a bigger piece of a pie? The same thing happens with money. When one area of money allocation takes a bigger slice, another area must shrink.
Now, most often the world makes money decisions or “cuts up their pie” in this order: Live, owe, grow, give.
God’s order is different. Have you noticed that His ways tend to be the opposite of the world’s ways in every area of our lives? His Word even tells us this. Isaiah 55:8 reads, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
God’s order for money decisions is: give, grow, owe, live.
HOW IS GIVING DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER THREE MONEY DECISIONS?
Even though when we talk about finances, giving is expressed as an amount, giving is actually an indicator of the heart. Giving breaks the power of money in our lives. But it can become legalistic if the focus is on the amount and not on the attitude.
So let’s talk about the heart.
The purpose of wealth is giving. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us that God is able to bless you abundantly SO THAT you can be generous and share with others. The whole purpose of our wealth is to be generous and share.
Next, we need to understand the purpose of the tithe. There are four things that the tithe does.
Deuteronomy 14:23 tells us, Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.
Tithing also helps us to discipline ourselves to put God first and give Him our best.
Thirdly, tithing can be a meaningful guideline to help us as we make decisions on our giving.
And then finally, tithing gives a roadmap or a pathway on how to give so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.
HOW DOES GIVING RELATE TO OTHER USES OF MONEY?
Let’s talk about those four things you can do with money. We’ll start with “Live.”
LIVE: First of all, lifestyle decisions can actually hinder your giving when you have a lack of margin, time, and money. Those are your two greatest barriers to giving.
And here’s a practical tip: Take the big three assessment at FaithFi.com/live to determine whether your living expenses might be limiting your giving opportunities.
OWE: We know that the Bible tells us the borrower is slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 tells us that when you’re over-committed to debt, your hands are tied in giving decisions. So your money has to go to the lender instead of the option of giving to others.
GROW: You might wonder how your saving can hinder your giving. Well, first of all, saving is important. It's Biblical, but … are you relying on your savings more than God? Are there times when He might call you to actually give from your savings?
So the bottom line is, the order matters.
Give first, whatever is left until the last is going to receive the leftovers. And if you leave giving to last, it gets leftovers and we certainly don't want to do that.
On today’s program, Rob also answers listener questions:
- How should you balance investing with paying down your mortgage?
- What is the best way to save and invest for a child’s future?
- When does it make sense to take a pension in a lump sum?
- How can you choose the right financial advisor for you?
- When does it make sense to cash out a life insurance policy to cover expenses?
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network as well as American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.comwhere you can join the FaithFi Community, and give as we expand our outreach.
