Spending and borrowing
Thursday 29th November 2018
'The borrower is the slave of the lender.' Proverbs 22:7 ESV
The Bible has a lot to say about how we should manage our money.
Here are a few tips to help us: (1) Think about your money as God's rather than yours. We're called to be good stewards of the resources he's given us. He's trusted each of us with a certain resources, and expects us to use whatever we have wisely. (Read the parable of the three servants in Matthew 25:14-30 for an example.) (2) Remember the warning in Proverbs 22:7: 'the borrower is the slave of the lender' (ESV). When we borrow something, we have an obligation to give it back, fulfilling any conditions that the lender imposes on us. We have a choice to say no and not borrow if we don't agree with the conditions. (3) If you borrow or buy something on a credit card, only do it if you honestly intend to pay it back (and are certain you're able to). It's tempting to think 'I can buy this $200 item now, and only have to pay $5 for it at the end of the month.' But thinking like this can get us dragged into even bigger debt, and isn't a good demonstration of our integrity. (4) Get God involved. If we make him the centre of our decisions about our money, we'll have the best guidance possible.
So what now? Have a think about how your spending has been recently. Are there any areas where you haven't been behaving with complete integrity in your spending? Invite God to help you improve in those areas.
Thursday 29th November 2018
'The borrower is the slave of the lender.' Proverbs 22:7 ESV
The Bible has a lot to say about how we should manage our money.
Here are a few tips to help us: (1) Think about your money as God's rather than yours. We're called to be good stewards of the resources he's given us. He's trusted each of us with a certain resources, and expects us to use whatever we have wisely. (Read the parable of the three servants in Matthew 25:14-30 for an example.) (2) Remember the warning in Proverbs 22:7: 'the borrower is the slave of the lender' (ESV). When we borrow something, we have an obligation to give it back, fulfilling any conditions that the lender imposes on us. We have a choice to say no and not borrow if we don't agree with the conditions. (3) If you borrow or buy something on a credit card, only do it if you honestly intend to pay it back (and are certain you're able to). It's tempting to think 'I can buy this $200 item now, and only have to pay $5 for it at the end of the month.' But thinking like this can get us dragged into even bigger debt, and isn't a good demonstration of our integrity. (4) Get God involved. If we make him the centre of our decisions about our money, we'll have the best guidance possible.
So what now? Have a think about how your spending has been recently. Are there any areas where you haven't been behaving with complete integrity in your spending? Invite God to help you improve in those areas.
