God’s attitude
Photo: Tearfund.
'Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.’ Matthew 6:19-21.
Big picture
We live in a culture which has a strong belief in living for the moment and which encourages us to live spontaneously. We’re expected to have a carefree attitude to money and as a result saving and investing sound like alien ideas from another time altogether. Saving is seen to be something you do when you earn more or when you are older. But most people never feel like they earn enough and as a result less than half of the UK population are saving each month (Credit Action Survey 2004 www.creditaction.org.uk).
The consequence of not getting into the habit of saving now when we’re young will have a tremendous impact on our life when we’re old. At the moment more than 60% of 16-34’s say they are saving nothing for their retirement. Most of you presume that you will retire at 65, but according to a report in The Guardian, on Tuesday June 14 2005, analysts predict that young people will have to keep working into their 70s because they are not investing in a pension now. What do you presume?
Passionate spirituality
You could be forgiven if you feel slightly confused about God’s attitude to whether you should save or not, because at first glance there are scriptures which would seem to tell us not to save.
Jesus warns us not to put our security in what we can build up for ourselves on earth but to trust in Him alone to provide for us day after day. It’s right that we shouldn’t hoard money and possessions, but that is different to saving. If you listen carefully to what Jesus is saying you realise He is challenging us not to be greedy during our lifetime. Jesus continually tests our heart attitude when it comes to money. Saving is part of being a good caretaker of what God gives us. If we budget, give to God and then we’re careless with the rest it doesn’t add up to a good attitude.
Proverbs 21:20: ‘In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.’
Photo: Geoff Crawford.
There will be times when you’ll be receiving more money than you need. God’s giving you money to be generous with now, to help others out of poverty and to save so that in the future you won’t live in poverty.
So what does God say about saving and investing?
Some of the harshest words Jesus spoke were about the ‘wicked’ servant who wasn’t responsible with the money God gave him. He didn’t even put it in the bank so it would earn interest (Mt 25:27). But the two servants that took responsibility for the money they had been given doubled it through wise investment. God was so pleased with them and He gave them more!
What does it mean for me as a disciple?
Fill in the Budget Buddy and take a look at your monthly income and your expenses. After you give, is the remainder more than you require for your needs? How much could you be saving each month to put towards something important like going to uni or investing in a project like Manos Amigas (pictured above) helping others escape poverty by providing business training and markets for local artisans?
What’s my response?
Where you invest your money is so important. Take time to find out how banks will use it. Will they invest it in businesses and governments that have environmental, social and ethical policies?
Step one: talk to the banks and ask them questions about who they lend your money to and what they invest it in. Click here for some questions and your bank's contact details.
Step two: talk to the professionals to find out what ethical current accounts, savings accounts, insurance, mortgages and pensions are out there by clicking here.
Step three: talk to God and ask Him to show you what banks and building societies to invest your money in. Ask Him to show you what projects, people or issues He wants you to invest in. Write them down and pray about how to invest in them. Click here for more.
Time to discover how your spending can be a blessing to the poor >>