George Gallop took a poll and found the #1 reason for arguments in the home is finances/money -
65% of marriages argue about finances - in fact it’s the leading cause of divorce in America today -
54% of all divorces are are related to money issues - maybe we should change the vows to ‘til debt do us part’ -
Would you agree if you don’t manage your money, your money’s gonna manage you?
Today we’re gonna take a look a one of the wisest and wealthiest men to ever live - Solomon
He gave us 2 books, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes - and w/in these 2 books there is a wealth knowledge for us to take in.
So ofcourse he speaks of money and finances - did you know the Bible speaks more about money, and finances, and giving and treasures than any other subject? I think it’s b/c God knew we were going to need some help
I. How we get into trouble
Human desires are like the world of the dead—there is always room for more. Proverbs 27:20
Someone once asked Howard Hughes,
(wealthy man - ‘Aviator’), “How much does it take to make a man happy? He said, ‘Just a little bit more’
Why is it we feel like more will make us happier?
What we hope having more will bring:
- More Satisfaction
We think more will bring satisfaction - all advertisement tells us that, “If you get more you’ll be happier” Americans are known for Life, Liberty, and the PURCHASE of happiness.
The problem is our Yearning will always exceed our Earnings
“If you love money, you will never be satisfied; if you long to be rich, you will never get all you want. It is useless.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Why? b/c the desire to acquire is always growing.
- More Significance
Somehow we’ve bought into the lie that more stuff equates with importance and prestige and significance, but the Bible tells us otherwise.
“...your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be." Luke 12:15
Your net worth is not the same as your self worth.
We must never confuse our valuables with our Value.
? - Is there a problem with acquiring wealth? in having alot of things? - I believe the answer lies in our motivation
Where’s your heart? To show off, or no - there’s absolutely nothing wrong with possessions as long as they don’t
possess us. I would have to ask myself, “Is my desire to get more stuff more important than my relationship w/ Cathleen, with my girls, or my walk w/ God” - that’s what we have to ask ourselves, is it the focus of our lives, are the truly
important people and matters suffering in my pursuit of CASH?
More stuff does not equate w/ significance.
- More Security
How big of a pile do we need to feel secure?
We can never really have enough, b/c we can lose it all overnight in a million different ways. (MSN Money:
"Winning the lottery isn't always what it's cracked up to be," says Evelyn Adams, who won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice (1985, 1986), to the tune of $5.4 million. Today the money is all gone and Adams lives in a trailer.
William "Bud" Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but now lives on his Social Security.) AND
the same goes for huge corp. Enron/ Kmart
“Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle.” Proverbs 23:5
Right here in God’s Word - our money can be gone in a flash!
What Having More Really Brings Us:
- More Expenses
The more we make, the more we spend - the more our income increases, the more our expenses increase.
It always cost more to have more - we look over at the ‘Jones’ and think the grass is greener over there, yeah and the water bill is higher too!
“The more money you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income.” Ecclesiastes 5:11
We can relate to that.
- More Worries
“A working man... can get a good night's sleep. The rich, however, have so much that they stay awake worrying.
Ecclesiastes 5:12
We worry how are we going to save it, how are we going to protect, can I get a good return on it, how to insure it, how to avoid paying taxes on it - worry, worry, worry
- More Pain if Lost
“...risky investments that turn sour, everything is lost...
and everything will be swept away....Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry.”
Ecclesiastes 5:14-17
Notice it says, if I have a whole lot and lose it, 4 pains are comin’ my way - 1st off I’m gonna be gloomy, “living under a cloud”, feeling distressed b/c I lost what i had - then frustrated, how many would agree that our finances can become quite frustrating? About the time you catch up with the Jones’, they re-finance - then discourages, huge
disappointment - finally comes anger, which is what? bitterness -
(Chiro. put wallet in front pocket - the bigger the wallet, the more pressure it puts on you - how true)
Always wanting more is the cause of many problems, we just looked at 4, not only that it can be immense pressure on our marriages - Money is not a bad thing, it's heart issue, is God in control?
II. Financial Freedom
1. Keep Good Records - principal of accounting
You know where your money is going, you keep track of it.
“Riches can disappear fast... so watch your business interests closely. Know the state of your flocks.” Prov. 27:23-24
Have you ever used the phrase, “I just don’t know where my money is going” or something like that?
That’s a troubled statement by the way, The Bible says, “watch you business interests closely”,
in other words, keep good records.
Many of the financial problems we have is due to the fact that one of the partners in marriage does not know what’s going on financially, they’re in the dark, they need to know. When you don’t know where your money is going, you’re headed for trouble.
In keeping track of our finances, here’s 4 things we need to know:
What I own
What I owe
What we earn
Where it goes
2. Plan Your Spending - principal of budgeting
Set some financial goals and stick with them.
We can’t do money by the seat of our pants, it only leads to misery - we need to budget.
“Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.” Proverbs 21:5
Solomon says, Financial freedom is not based on how much you earn, it’s how spend what you earn.
Studies show that the average american spends 6 hours a week in spending related activities -
some of us may be way above average.
“act too quickly” - impulse buying/shopping - unplanned expenditures, “i have to have that, right now!”
All advertising is geared to get us to buy impulsively - the pizza hot out of the oven, the chocolate dripping down the side of the ice cream, the Aber/Fitch model that makes you think, “I can look like that too with those clothes” -
commercials are all based to stir us emotionally, if they can stir us emotionally, they’ll get us financially.
(videos - McDLT w/ Jason Alexander - VaPooRize w/ Jack Black from "ENVY")
Ofcourse there is one word ad agencies and retailers use more than anything else to entice us to buy impulsively,
what is it? SALE.
We become like magnets, “but honey we saved so much money by spending right now, this deal is not available next month - we’d be foolish not to get it” REALLY?
The Bible says we need to plan our spending,
“Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it” Proverbs 13:11 (JB)
This is God’s IQ Test - God says, “You’re not very bright if you spend your money as fast as you get it”
(Weekend rich)
I’ve been known to do that a few times in my life too, I guess that’s one of the reasons people call me a Big Dummy!
Spending impulsively can become very addictive - just as addictive as drugs or alcohol or eating disorders and the like.
Then with the invention of plastic money, instant credit, it becomes a whole lot easier to buy impulsively.
The average consumer carries 7 credit cards into the mall and the average balance of each card is $2347 -
in 1980 the ave. bal. of c.c was $533, in 1990, $1833
I like the thoughts of Dave Ramsey, money and business guru, “Kill the Cards” - pay cash!
How do you spell relief? B-U-D-G-E-T
A Budget is telling your money where to go, rather than wondering where it’s went -
if you want to control spending, you gotta nip it in the BUDGET.
Each family should develop a budget, see how much is
coming in, figure out how much is going out, stay within those parameters. ‘Financial Peace Univ.’
3. Save for the Future - principal of saving
“The wise man saves for the future, but fools spend whatever they get.” Proverbs 21:20
The average Japanese family saves 25% of their income, the average eroupean family saves 18% of their income,
The average american family saves less than 5% - why? b/c we gotta have right now!
MTV generation
We have to put away for the future, and not be consumed in keeping up with the ‘Jones’
If we base our lives on what everybody else has, we will never save a dime.
“...whoever gathers little by little will increase it” Proverbs 13:11
What does this say, put away a little each week, or month,
put a little away in savings.
4. Tithe Back to God - principal of tithing
It’s giving the 1st 10% of everything I make back to God.
Why do you think God asked for 10%? Does God need our money? No, God is Almighty, all powerful, He has everything - if He didn’t have it, He’d create it. So why does God ask for 10% - He wants what it represents - it represents your heart,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21
3 reasons why to Tithe
1. Gratitude/worship - it’s saying God I know You’re the One who gives me all things. You’ve given me my hands, my mind, my abilities, my opportunity to work, God, I’m giving back to You b/c You’ve been so good to me and I’m grateful.
2. Priority/worship - God I’m putting You 1st in my life, and I’m gonna put my money where my mouth is -
For us to say we’ve put God 1st in our lives and not Tithe, we’re kidding ourselves.
In essence, We’re saying we don’t trust God, if we don’t Tithe. It’s an issue of trust, saying God I believe
You will take of me and my family on the 90%
3. Faith/worship - It’s an act of Faith, believing God will take of us.
We talked about faith last week, we said faith is obedience.
Doing what God has said - how do we know what He said?
In His Word.
Tithing is an act of Worship, we display that we love God
“The entire tithe... a tenth... belongs to the Lord” Leviticus 27:32
Honor the LORD by giving Him the first part of all your income. Then he will fill your barns... to overflow.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Here’s the thing, we can’t out give God - There are more promises from God about our giving than anything else.
God says, “Test me in this” - I won’t let you down, I will take of you, and give you more than you could ever imagine.
“To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of”
Ephesians 3:20
This principal goes far beyond money, it applies to every part of our lives. If you want God to bless your life, give Him the 1st part of it, If you want God to bless your family, give God your family, if you want God to bless your career, give God your career. If you want God to bless you finances, give God the 1st part of your finances, that’s the tithe in every area of life.
Some say that this is an Old Testament principal and that it’s not for today, however there’s few flaws in that thinking and one of those is that Jesus taught this principal:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Put God 1st in every area of your life, every area, family, career, finances, put God 1st and everything else will fall into place.
(Rockafeller way to wealth - 10:10:80)
If we have found ourselves in a desperate situation in our finances, God says, Tithe your way out.
5. Enjoy What You have - princ. of contentment
“It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.” Ecclesiastes 6:9
Isn’t it true we can get so pre-occupied in pursuing more that we don’t enjoy what we already have.
There’s this syndrome we can get caught up in that goes in 4 phases: 1st phase - Yearning exceeds Earning
2nd phase - Over-extended Financially, we buy, buy, buy and become indebted over our heads, now we’re in trouble.
phase 3 - Hustle constantly - rush through life, working 3 jobs to make ends meet
phase 4 - Family life begins to deteriorate
All of a sudden everybody’s angry, everybody’s irritable, b/c we’re working so hard just to make it - pretty soon you have absentee parents who are trying to buy their children stuff and things and toys, instead of spending time with them.
Parents listen, your kids don’t need more toys, they may be beggin, but what they truly desire is more of you. If given the choice at 1st they may say, I’d love all the toys and little
parents, but it wouldn’t take long before they’d give everything up to be with you.
“If God gives us wealth and property..., we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19
This is God’s message: Learn to be content. Enjoy what you have, we already have more than 90% of the rest of the world, so we need to enjoy and be grateful for what we have.
We live in a desperate world where desperate people do desperate things - for many it’s a prison of desperate
finances - God has given us the foundational truths in His Word for financial freedom.
"Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?... it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.”
Job 31:24,28
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