Money, Money, Money

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 6.24

“Misfortune pursues the sinner,
but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.”

Proverbs 13:21

Sometimes we can get in a bit of a muddle when it comes to the Christian position on finances. Is it wrong to have money? Is it wrong to want it? If I do have it, am I allowed to spend it on myself? What does it actually mean to ‘serve money’?

Like with many things, it’s impossible to try and impose an ehaustive list of ‘dos and don’ts’. The best thing to do is get a clear understanding of the principals behind approaching and using money in a Godly way and then applying them as you go. In short:

1. Money is a gift from God – it’s His, he just lets us use it! (Psalm 24:1)
2. As with all gifts, we are called to use money in a way that pleases God. (Matthew 25:14-30)
3. It’s not a sin to be prosperous, so it’s ok to spend money on yourself. Don’t automatically feel guilty!! (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
4. God isn’t ok with us having money as our goal. He wants us to be content with Him as our treasure, regardless of our circumstances. Money is a means to an end, not the end itself. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
5. Generosity is key. It shows you love God/someone/something else more than money. Jesus loves it, so will those around you. (2 Cor. 9:6-15)

Student Finance

It’s common knowledge that students, as a rule, tend to be short of a few quid – especially these days with sky-rocketing course fees and accomodation costs. The problem is you can get yourself stuck in a mindest of poverty in which you focus on what you don’t have rather than what you do have. This can lead to an “it’s mine” attitude where you hoard everything you have in fear that you will run out. The fact is Jesus tells us specifically in Matthew 6 not to worry about money because God will provide for us, all we need is a little faith. So don’t worry!

Now we’re not advocating frivoulously chucking your money away because the next Jesus-cheque is only a prayer away. No, what we’re saying is don’t let worries about money cause you to miss the chance to bless someone and see the Kingdom advance.

Practical Tips

Ok, so that’s some theory but what about some practical advice. You will be living on a budget and will need to be careful with what you have. We’re no financial experts but here are a few things you might find helpful:

1. Budget. Work out how much you have available to spend and try and stick to it. It’s really helpful to keep a record of everything you spend money on – it’ll help you to cut down unnecessary purchases.
2. Give. The bible says “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor 9:6). Sounds like good, practical advice to us.
3. Avoid credit cards if you can – your interest-free overdraft should see you right.
4. Look out for student deals and discounts – www.moneysavingexpert.com is a good place to try.
5. Don’t spend all your money on sweets.

In sounds stupid, but just remember that God is God. He’s Lord over everything, including your wallet. All you need to do is look at things with His eyes – every situation is either a blessing to be thankful for or a blessing to look forward to. Have faith and trust that he’s got you covered.

Under the Radar

“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds… The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”

Daniel 1:17,19-20

Daniel and his buddies achieved amazing things for God. During their time as exiles in Babylon they were selected to enter the service of the king and, because of the intellectual (and physical) gifts that God had given them, they were fast-tracked right to the top of the tree. In fact, so impressed was Nebuchadnezzar by Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah that he ended up renouncing the religion of his country and putting his trust in the God of Israel – even before the whole incident with the lion’s den!

The story gives us a fascinating insight into how God can use us to infiltrate even the most out-of-reach areas of society. Because of the natural talent and training that Daniel and Co. received they were invited into places that, say, an ordinary Israelite, even a priest, never would. Then from this position of influence they were able to live completely uncompromising lives for God that were so magnetic and impressive that God brought to repentence those whom they encountered.

You all have skills and talents, not just in the spiritual sense, but in the ‘traditional’ sense as well. In fact, that’s why most of you have come to university – to hone those skills. Now don’t hear what we’re not saying, there is definitely more to life than your degree, but it is also worth bearing in mind that the outcome of it will go a significant way to dictating where you go afterwards. And one thing’s for sure – we definitely need a lot more Daniels in the world. People who will use their God-given abilties to get to the highest points of influence in all areas of society, and then, having slipped in under the radar, influence them for the advancement of the Kingdom.

So next time you’re thinking about sleeping through your lectures or sacking off revision it might be worth thinking bigger than just scraping through your course by the skin of your teeth.