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In today’s episode, we are going to begin to lay out for you what we believe the Bible tells us about the third sequential principle of money management…and that is SPEND. For over 30 years, we have passionately taught that first, we give to our local church to honor the Lord, then we build savings to protect our family. Next we are to spend wisely, and pay our bills on time. This has everything to do with our testimony and reputation. 

Let us look at our third principle of money management…SPEND

Your spending habits, whether you like it or not, very well can, and will, speak toward how others view you.

  • The Apostle Paul sheds some light on a few components of what our personal testimony should be in 2 Corinthians 1:12, “We have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.” 
  • And later on in 2 Corinthians 3:3a Paul states, “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God…”
  • How we live, not just in the home, but outside of it, speaks loudly to others who are looking our way. And our spending habits will “speak” of our personal “letter from Christ”.
  • In these verses, Paul speaks to a person’s conduct, integrity, and godly sincerity that shines light not only on themselves, but also on the grace and spirit of God that is their wisdom and reliance.

So our spending habits that others see, speak volumes to our testimony, our belief, and the working of God’s grace in our lives!

 

Let us look at a few verses that speak about our personal testimony and our spending.

    1. Pay to all you owe:
      •  Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed…” (Romans 13:7a).
      • By doing this, we are upholding our “obligation,” and our “pledge” to others. In the big picture of things, we speak well to our word and to our testimony!
    2. Walk in a worthy manner: 
      • “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1).
      • If you and I are reckless and/or unorganized with our personal finances, which very well could have a visible component to our lives, it will not speak well of us. Nor will it speak well of our Savior and His work in us!
      • As it is written in the book of James, we need to not just be hearers of the Word but also doers!
    3. Do all for the Glory of God
      • So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31).
      • Our personal finances absolutely fall into the category of “whatever”. In all that we do, even with our personal finances, and specifically here with our spending, we are to bring glory to God in it.

 

My personal spending impacts my testimony.  So, what would be some good points of application when it comes to this principle and priority of spending?

Personal Application:

    1. Necessity Spending
      • Any and all NEEDED expenses to live and to take good and proper, not excessive, care of you and your family today and for tomorrow! Included in necessity spending is also any debt repayment that you are obligated to pay.
    2. Needs vs. Wants
      • A need is something that a person must have in order to live. For example, we need to eat in order to live, so pack a lunch. 
      • A want is something that is ‘nice to have’. For example, we choose what we eat, but what we choose could be a want instead of a need. For example: choosing a steak instead of a hamburger. Does that make sense? Another good example of this is choosing to buy your lunch at work rather than packing one to take.
      • It is important to understand the difference between the two!  
    3. Budget Busters – areas of overspending
      • Shopping
      • Credit Card Debt – Does going into consumer debt glorify God?
    4. American Idols…
      • No, we are not talking about the talent show on television. We are talking about what many American Christians are challenged by, and that is the idolatry of money and possessions.
      • What we spend our money on reflects what we love and value most.
    5. Some Final Thoughts on “Spending”
      • Be timely and honorable with your creditors.
      • Use a budget to make sure your money is listening to YOU.
      • Use a Planned Expense or Annual Expense Fund.
      • Just the Bear Necessities.
      • Housing Expense shouldn’t exceed 25-30% of your take-home pay.
      • Do not overspend. Figure out your needs versus wants.
      • Our spending is an important part of our testimony.

 

Key Takeaway: Living on less than you earn is a sign of wisdom.

 

 

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