The Four Biblical Principles of Money Management, Part 1
Part 1 of 4: God Owns It All (part 2, part 3, part 4)
Very few Christians would argue with the principle that God owns it all, and yet if we follow that principle to its natural conclusion, there are three revolutionary implications. The first implication is that God has the right to whatever He wants whenever He wants it. It is all His, because an owner has rights; I, as a steward, have only responsibilities. I may receive some benefits while maintaining my responsibilities, but the owner retains ownership.
When my oldest child reached driving age, she was very eager to use my car and, as her father, I entrusted my car to her. There was never any question that I could take back my car at any time for any reason. She had responsibilities. I maintained all the rights. But I, as the owner, gave her a great benefit by entrusting her with the car’s use, and she returned that benefit with responsible use and care of the car. In the same way, every single possession that I have comes from someone else—God. I literally possess much but own nothing. God benefits me by sharing His property with me. I have a responsibility to Him to use it in a way that blesses and glorifies Him.
If you own your home, take a walk around your property to get a feel for the reality of this principle. Reflect on how long that dirt has been there and how long it will continue to be there; then ask yourself if you really own it or whether you merely possess it. You may have the title to it, but that title reflects your right to possess it temporarily, not forever. Only God literally owns it forever.
He gives us resources to provide for us, benefit us, and reach the world for Christ.
If I really believe that God owns it all, then when I lose any possession for whatever reason, my emotions may cry out, but my mind and spirit have not the slightest question as to God’s right to take whatever He wants whenever He wants it. Really believing this also frees me to give generously of God’s resources to God’s purposes and His people. All that I have belongs to Him.
The second implication of God owning it all is that not only is my giving decision a spiritual decision, but every spending decision is a spiritual decision. There is nothing more spiritual about giving to your church than buying a car, taking a vacation, buying food, paying off debt, paying taxes, and so on. These are all responsible uses of His resources. He owns all that I have. He doesn’t say I must use it all in one way, say as an offering. He doesn’t say I must use it all the same way each time. He gives us resources to provide for us, benefit us, and reach the world for Christ. Many God-glorifying responsible uses fit into these broad categories. Think about the freedom of knowing that if God owns it all—and He does—He must have some thoughts about how He wants me to use His property. The Bible reveals many specific guidelines as to how the owner wants His property used. As a steward, I have a great deal of latitude, but I am still responsible to the owner. Someday I will give an accounting of how I used His property.
The third implication of the truth that God owns it all is that you can’t fake stewardship. Your checkbook reveals all that you really believe about stewardship. Your life story could be written from your checkbook. It reflects your goals, priorities, convictions, relationships, and even the use of your time. A person who has been a Christian for even a short while can fake prayer, Bible study, evangelism, and going to church, but he can’t fake what his checkbook reveals. Maybe that is why so many of us are so secretive about our personal finances. Even within accountability groups where people share many intimate struggles, it is rare that anyone shares about how much (or how little) they give.
Excerpted from Master Your Money: A Step-by-Step Plan for Experiencing Financial Contentment by Ron Blue
Faith & Finance Perspective:
Many of our well-established spending habits may have been set in motion long before we learned or understood that God owns it all and we are the stewards of what He has entrusted to us. As you re-examine your posture toward money and possessions in light of these truths, prayerfully seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance regarding which of your specific spending practices may need to be reconsidered—or even redeemed. In doing so, remember that God’s heart is not to reprimand or chastise us for past decisions but rather to gently guide us toward joy and freedom in Kingdom living.
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.