With Easter approaching I wanted to do another post about financial planning with teachings from the Bible. I have written on this before, but there is always something new to learn. There are over 2000 mentions about money in the Bible, so I think we should definitely pay attention.
However, we should be careful to avoid using our religion as an excuse for undisciplined financial management. For example, have you ever heard someone say something like, “It’s fine to spend all of our money because the Lord will provide?”
Yes, I believe wholeheartedly that the Lord provides for us, but comments like that can be shortsighted. God is not a genie granting us three wishes. That reminds me of when people say it’s fine to break the law because Jesus gave us a clean slate. By the way, when you truly become a Christian, you have no desire to break the law.
Yes, there have been occasions where someone is blessed by finding a bag of money on their porch, but it is rare and we shouldn’t count on events like this in our financial plan. I believe God is more subtle when blessing us. For example, when we need more money, we may get an unexpected promotion or a new job offer.
As I have mentioned before, money is a tool we use daily, nothing more.
Like many tools, if used improperly, money can be dangerous. Have you ever noticed that hammers have a warning label? At some point in our history a knucklehead hit someone with a hammer instead of a nail. Now we have to be reminded that 
hammers can hurt people. That’s pretty sad, right?
No, hitting someone with a dollar won’t result in a serious injury. The dangers of money are more internal. Greed is a serious issue, and the Bible warns us about it. There are many verses, but most people refer to 1 Timothy 6:10:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Honestly, I hear this one a lot when people don’t want to work with me. I just smile because this rejection is the one I am most prepared to handle. Often, we forget that key word LOVE.
Again, money is only a tool. Tools themselves cannot be evil. When we turn tools into idols, then we have issues. Jesus doesn’t say we cannot use money, or any other tool, in our daily lives. He does say that we cannot love Him and money.
That is the key. Jesus has to be our main focus. When we are distracted by things, such as money, cars, or other desires, then we are unable to focus on Jesus.
By working with me, or another CFP® Professional, you should be able to eliminate at least one of those distractions. Yes, I do
believe part of my purpose in this job is to provide some peace of mind, so that you have some time to grow in your relationship with Jesus. Then, perhaps one day, you can spend free time introducing others to Jesus.
That, my friends, is why saving some money is so important. Stay with me for a minute and I’ll explain my point.
As Christians we are supposed to teach others about Jesus. I think that’s difficult if we don’t have enough time to learn about Him ourselves. That’s one of benefits of retirement planning that is often forgotten.
First, let’s look at Jeremiah 29:11:
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Next, lets look at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Considering these scriptures, let’s remember that financial plans are built through the different phases of life. After our childhood and education phase we move into the accumulation phase. This is when we have a career and receive a salary.
After we have accumulated enough, we enter our final phase of life where, hopefully, we experience some level of financial independence. Most people call that retirement, but I’ve never been fond of that word. Too often people associate retirement with death instead of the celebration it is.
Retirement does not mean your life is over. It should be considered as a new beginning.
This phase of life is also important for future generations. I’m sure that at some point in your life an older person helped you. Perhaps they gave you some advice or helped take your parents somewhere while you had to work.
Have you ever thought about how they were able to do that? I’m pretty sure it’s because they saved some money during their accumulation phase. We should learn from them because, one day, we will be that older generation. We need to be able to pay it forward by advising the next generation.
If we believe that God has a plan for our life, then that belief should include all phases of our life. Proof of this can be seen in Jeremiah 1:5:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Wouldn’t it make sense that God means for us to save some of the resources we received in the accumulation phase, so that we can devote more time to spreading the Gospel? It does to me. I may be wrong, but we are supposed to be stewards of God’s resources and money should be included on that list.
Work is important. We are supposed to work, earn, and spend in order for our society to function. As we remember Jesus on the cross this weekend, I encourage you to take some perspective about our lives.
Jesus had to die on the cross in order to save us. Sometimes we can forget how much His sacrifice meant. We read about Jesus praying to let there be another way, but He knew what He had to do.
Even when He knew what He would have to endure, He didn’t stop it. And yes, Jesus could have absolutely stopped the cross. Knowing that He did all of this for me makes my daily challenges much easier.
As Jesus reminds us in John 16:33:
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
Have a great Easter and email me!
