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This outline is based off of the manuscript of The Good Steward, a forthcoming book written by Tim and Roy Russell.

 

Worship: The Proper Use of Luxuries

We understand that having Luxuries is not necessarily wrong, but they carry with them special dangers. So what is the proper way to use or enjoy Luxuries? 

Luxuries are rightly to be enjoyed as a celebration of all that God has done for us. Not only has He saved us, redeemed us, and provided for our needs, He’s also given us many of our wants. 

More often than not, we see that God gives us more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine, and luxuries are a great blessing from Him. God delights in our enjoyment of Him and all that He has given and provided, so when we enjoy luxuries the right way, essentially, we are worshiping God. 

We are all worshipers. If we are not worshiping God, then we are worshiping something He has created. 

Luxuries can easily replace God as the central focus of our joy. However, when enjoyed with a heart toward God, Luxuries point us to the Giver of the good gifts who deserves all of our worship and praise.

 

What are we to Do with Surplus Income?

As your income increases and you earn more, you can give more, save more, and spend more. There’s nothing wrong with doing that, as long as you increase your giving and remain diligent with the other financial priorities. Remember, if God has blessed you with financial wealth, it’s not (JUST) for your own gain; it’s (ALSO for you to) so you can be a greater blessing to others.

We do not believe that all surplus income should necessarily be given away. Nor, however, do we think that just because you have a lot of excess income, and can afford a bunch of luxuries, that you should indulge in those luxuries! 

As we mentioned in a previous episode in this series, we reject the Prosperity Gospel and Christian Asceticism, but we think that there is a certain amount of prudence and wisdom that needs to come to bear to show to yourself, the world, and to God that He is the one that means more to you than ANY amount of money and possessions. 

A question that would, for most be a yearly one is this…
Q – “I got a raise! How can I use this new increase?”

A – It depends on your context! If you are steeped in debt, it would look different than if you had all debts paid and had your savings funded.

Wisdom is key!

If you need some counsel in this, feel free to reach out to us.  We would love to chat over the phone with you, or through a video call, and hear from you where you are at…and guide you into some good, solid Biblical wisdom for the increase that God is blessing you with.

 

Treasures in Heaven

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

—Matthew 6:19-21

We understand that taking steps toward becoming a good steward can be a battle. The world has conditioned us to think that luxuries come before necessities. We think that earthly treasures are most valuable, and it can be difficult to break free from that mindset. The previous verse from Matthew says we are not to invest our wealth and resources in earthly things, but we are to trust in the Lord and send it ahead. We can store our treasures in heaven, but this doesn’t mean a literal treasure waits for us there. It means that generosity in this life has eternal rewards, and we may experience greater joy, honor, and delight in heaven. 

There’s nothing wrong with having and enjoying luxuries, but we need to make sure we don’t worship them.

Luxuries come from God, and He is the One we should truly worship. We should rightly and properly enjoy luxuries because they are given by God, who is the Giver of all good things.

 

Using Luxuries for the good of the Kingdom

Just because we can make a purchase to use for Kingdom purposes (i.e. buying a large home with a very large room to be able to host a small group, etc…), doesn’t necessarily mean we should. 

Here are a few good questions to ask and HONESTLY answer:

  • Will you actually use it in the way that you are hoping to? 
  • Is the purchase affordable in the context of your own budget and lifestyle?
  • Is it going to cause more debt?
  • Is it going to create unneeded financial stress today or in the future because of paying for upkeep and/or maintenance? 

We need to be careful when trying to justify purchases and saying, “well, I’ll use it for ministry.” It still needs to make sense in the context of the Biblical priorities and wisdom. A good steward will not just on a whim make a medium or large purchase, or choose to get something of the same without having a good plan of usage. A good steward will look at the purchase in light of today, tomorrow, and even eternity!

  • Will this benefit my family…
  • Will it not bring stress, on any level, upon me, my family or my finances?
  • Can and would I use it to benefit my church family and/or community so people will come to know and grow in Christ?

The danger that we want to combat is, “don’t go into debt just because you can afford the monthly payment and can use it for ministry.” Choosing to go into debt for this luxury purchase will do this to you and your family. Debt WILL lower your family’s standard of living today and in the future.

Let’s explain this thought with a little more detail.  If you are borrowing money for a luxury item, you WILL BE borrowing money from tomorrow. Money that you have no guarantee to ever have!  And, because you are borrowing money from your family’s tomorrow, you WILL have a lower standard of living because that money you will be making then, is already committed to the luxury item that was purchased.

It is important to note that there is real risk to you and your family if you are financing a luxury, because it is something that is most-likely not necessary for life and living. And when those challenging times come, you have this luxury that you are still paying on, which then becomes a liability, not an asset on your personal financial bookkeeping.  Don’t make dumb decisions. Use wisdom. 

With all that said, there could be some very clear exceptions. 

Maybe its a vacation home that you can use to bless your Pastor, or a missionary. This is most likely an appreciating value asset.  Borrowing on an appreciating asset is almost always smart (depending on the terms of the loan).  If you have done this, or are thinking of doing this, you could set it up so that this vacation home could be used for your family to get away for much needed rest and relaxation. And, as mentioned moments ago, it could be used to bless a Pastor and his family or a missionary that need a place for furlough, and in that case, it could be not just a good purchase, but a blessing to those that serve the Lord and ultimately to the heart of the Lord.

But again we need to say, use wisdom! If you have questions, reach out to us for a Personal Stewardship Review, and we would be happy to walk you through that and ask you some solid questions to guide you in your decision making process.

 

Stewardship Application:

Biblical Priorities vs. Worldly Priorities

As Biblical stewards, we are called to give, save, spend, make offerings, and then spend on luxuries as found in our Biblical Financial Priority Framework . But the world says that you are the most important person, and you should take care of yourself first, because no one else will take care of you. The world almost always will spend on luxuries first, pays bills second, and if there’s money leftover at the end of the month, it will save. It’s rare for the world to give—and sadly, for many people today, giving tends to be an afterthought.

Worship: The Proper Use of Luxuries

Instead of falling under the influence of the world’s view of money, the Biblical steward should embrace the instruction given in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” As we allow the Word of God to shape our thoughts on how to prioritize our finances, we will find that our actions follow suit. The Good Steward should have a radically different ordering of his priorities than that of the rest of the world. 

Why…one may ask?

 

Next Steps

 

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