When you consider the fact that we living in a very affluent society, it’s amazing that we can always come up with excuses for not giving to the poor. Moses said that we would always have the poor with us and even with great economic breakthroughs and government programs those words have held true.

“For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” Deut. 15:11.

Throughout the Scriptures we find admonitions to remember the poor in the land and yet there are many today who choose to ignore these passages. People tend to come up with a multitude of excuses justify their inaction, but let’s take a look at how the Bible would answer some of those common excuses:

I don’t know where to give
“The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.” Proverbs 29:7.

This is not only a poor excuse, but is also a poor reflection of how unconcerned you have been with the welfare of others. Job said that he went and “searched out” the cause of the poor (Job 29:16). If you don’t know where to give, the best place to start might be by giving a special offering to your church directing the money to be given to those in need.

Charitable organizations do very little anyway
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” Proverbs 21:13.

This excuse is often a catch-22, because charitable organizations are almost always limited by the amount of resources they have available. Since these resources are derived primarily from contributions – poor levels of contribution tends to limit their effectiveness.

I don’t have enough money to give
“He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” Proverbs 28:27.

People use this excuse for not giving offerings or paying their tithes as well. They never have enough money to give to the church or to those less fortunate, but manage to indulge themselves with flat-screen TV’s and other non-essential items. The fact of the matter is (just like with tithes and offerings); you can’t afford not to give. God has already promised that He will provide for those who care for others. Shouldn’t you at least try Him and see if what He’s said is true?

My contributions won’t be enough to help
“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Proverbs 31:20.

While it’s true that no one individual can solve all the needs in this world, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference to someone. If I see 100 children drowning in a lake, I might not be able to save all of them (that doesn’t mean I won’t try), but if I’m able to save even a single life then I’ve made a difference. Instead of worrying that we can’t move mountains, let’s start by focusing on the obstacles we can move.

If the Lord would ever bless me, then I could give
“Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.” Psalms 41:1.

It’s amazing to think of how many of God’s blessings we miss out on, because we attach our pre-qualifying conditions on whether or not we will obey His Word. As if we expect our Creator to negotiate with us on the terms by which we will serve Him. The fact of the matter is that if we would just believe His Word and do what it says, He has already promised to bless us.

I already tithe on 10% of my income
“At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shall lay it up within thy gates: and the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.” Deut. 14:28-29.

Moses’ law identified 3 tithes, one of which was a poor tithe. The children of Israel were required to bring up 10% of their income every 3 years to provide for the poor in the land. Many people forget this tithe and only focus on the Levitical tithe, but the oft-quoted prophet Malachi did say to, “bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse”. (Mal. 3:10).

I pray for the poor
“If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” James 2:15-16.

As Jesus said, “these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Luke 11:42). Our responsibility as Christians doesn’t stop at praying for those in need. There are some situations in life where all you can do is pray, but there are others that require you to be actively involved.

Isn’t the government suppose to take care of the poor
“He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.” Psalms 112:9.

Every one of the scriptures referenced in this article (along with many others) all point to the fact that giving to the poor is an individual responsibility. The upside is that you stand in line to receive individual blessings for following God’s Word.

Am I really sinning by not giving to the poor
“He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.” Proverbs 14:21.

While many of the “sins” of the Bible are the result of doing things that you shouldn’t, there are also sins of omission. Much of Amos’ prophecy was rebuking Israel for neglecting the poor in the land. In God’s eyes, failing to help those that are less fortunate than you can be just as sinful as committing murder or adultery.

In conclusion, I hope that many of you have already established a pattern of giving in your life and hopefully this article will spark you to do even more. For those that haven’t “considered the cause of the poor”, make the commitment to do so today. As Christians we should be striving to live every aspect of God’s Word. And I’m confident that the returns on lending to the Lord will yield more than we could possibly hope for.

Spending more money than you earn is certainly becoming less accepted behavior in today’s society. New credit card offers no longer arrive in your mail on a daily basis. The lack of easy credit is forcing both corporate America and individual consumers to relearn the proper habits of financial responsibility. However, the Bible has always set forth the principles of budgeting. “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?” Proverbs 27:23-24. 

So just how does an individual go about setting up a budget? 

The very first thing you should do is sit down and list out all of your monthly expenses. Next, you need to compare these expenses against your income. Then you can begin to layout a monthly budget by expense category to help you better manage your finances. 

Tithes & Offerings

At the very top of any budget you prepare should be a category for tithes and offerings. All that we have came from the Lord and so He deserves to be paid first and not just with anything that happens to be left over. “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits” Exodus 22:29. 

At a minimum, you should be giving 10% of your income to the Lord, but this truly is a minimum. As your income increases so should your level of giving. I’m not just talking about the total amount increasing, but it should increase as a percentage of your income as well. You may be giving 10% when you’re making $30,000, but you should be giving much more than 10% when you’re making $100,000. 

Savings & Retirement

It’s important to get into the habit of setting aside a portion of your income for savings. In this recessionary environment, many individuals are bemoaning the fact that they have so little set aside in savings. 

While you should certainly strive to save as much as you can, a good rule of thumb is to try and save 10% of your income. These savings goals should strive to provide 1) at least six months income in case of a job loss or other economic catastrophe, 2) an emergency fund for those unplanned expenses, and 3) money for vacations or other fun items. 

In addition to a regular savings pattern, you should also be contributing towards a retirement fund. Many employers offer 401k plans that provide company matching of your contributions. You should always try to contribute the maximum amount to the plan that your company will match. After all this is basically free money and it would be foolish to not take advantage of it. 

Housing

Undoubtedly the biggest single expense in your budget will be for your home. It is also a fixed monthly amount with little you can do to change that (outside of buying a cheaper house or possibly refinancing to a lower interest rate). So it’s very important that you when you initially buy a home, you buy one that you know you can afford. Your monthly house payments (including property taxes and insurance) should not exceed 30% of your income and a good target is 25% of your gross income. 

Transportation

The other major expense item in your budget is your car payment. Outside of a house, a car is the only other item you should ever have to go in debt to purchase. While some say you could spend up to 20% of you net income on a car, I would strongly recommend keeping this number below 10%. 

Utilities

Energy bills, water bills, phone bills, etc. they all add up. While many of these costs are beyond your control, there are steps you can take to reduce these expenses. A programmable thermostat can provide significant savings (especially if you are gone during the day). Do you really need both a home phone and a cell phone? Just switching to a cheaper plan can provide some savings each month…and every little bit helps. 

Food

Grocery costs can vary greatly from one family to another. However, it’s generally the one area of your budget that you have the most control over. Many people are surprised to find out how much they spend each month just by going out to eat or ordering pizza every week. Creating a good budget doesn’t mean you have start eating hot dogs every night either. However, maybe instead of going out to eat a steak dinner and spending $50 or more, buy some nice steaks for $10 and eat at home. You still get to treat yourself to something a little special without completely blowing through your grocery budget. 

Also, don’t forget coupons as a great way to save a few extra dollars each month. Spending a few minutes perusing the Sunday paper or visiting online can end up saving you several dollars. If you’re making a purchase online a great website to check is www.RetailMeNot.com. They often provide coupon codes that can save you 10-20% off your purchase price. 

Other Expenses

Clothes, magazine subscriptions, Netflix, cable tv, Starbucks, etc. these miscellaneous expenses can really add up. It’s not necessarily wrong to spend money on these items, but you have to make sure you only spend what you can afford. Carefully review how much you spend on these items each month – a good rule of thumb is that these expenses shouldn’t be more than 5-7% of your total income. 

Of course these are not hard and fast rules by any means, but simply guides you can use to help you in constructing your budget. No two budgets will be identical. As your income increases you should be able to spend less as a percentage of your income on your monthly expenses and contribute a greater percentage towards your charitable giving and savings.

The Bible talks of money as a “defense”. It has many obvious benefits and when used properly can help further the work of God. So it is very important that God’s people know how to make use of money for His glory. Even if no one else on the planet does, surely the children of God should understand the proper use of money. According to John Wesley, the proper use of money involves gaining all you can, then saving all you can, so you can give all you can.

Gain All You Can

It’s true that a Christian’s goal in life should never be to try and attain great riches. There are certainly too many people that focus their entire lives on gaining wealth and despite whatever material gains they may achieve they often end up losing their souls. However, there are also individuals who never seem to grasp that we also have a responsibility to provide for ourselves, our families and for the work of God. Paul said if a man provides not for his own household he is “worse than an infidel”. 1 Timothy 5:8. 

One of the criticisms of the generation that is entering the workforce today is the lack of work ethic that was prevalent in earlier generations. Even in today’s bad economy, it’s surprising how frequently individuals will give up good paying jobs because the work is too “hard” or just to be able to do something that is more “fun”. However, in order to gain all we can, we must exhibit a work ethic and industriousness that far exceeds that of our worldly peers. 

We have a responsibility to make the most of our earnings potential. For some that may require getting further education or certifications, things that may require significant effort, but can pay off by providing higher income potential. However, a Christian should never pursue employment that would put their health, mind, or soul at risk. There are some careers that a Christian should never pursue, regardless of how lucrative it may be. 

“Gain all you can by honest industry. Use all possible diligence in your calling. Let nothing be done by halves, or in a slight and careless manner. Let nothing in your business be left undone if it can be done by labour or patience.” 

Save All You Can

While many people are happy to try and gain all they can, Americans as a whole have really struggled with the principle of saving anything at all (much less all they can). In large part, even our current economic recession was necessitated by individuals spending more than they earned with no regard to actually living within their incomes.

Of course the Bible has always taught the principle of savings. “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” Proverbs 21:20.   

In the mid-1700’s, John Wesley proclaimed that the people of his generation were simply wasting money by spending it “merely in gratifying the desires of the flesh.” 

“Do not waste any part of so precious a talent merely in gratifying the desire of the eye by superfluous or expensive apparel, or by needless ornaments. Waste no part of it in curiously adorning your houses; in superfluous or expensive furniture; in costly pictures, painting, gilding, books; in elegant rather than useful gardens.” 

Unfortunately, excessive spending in order to maintain a luxurious lifestyle is even more prevalent today than Wesley could ever have imagined. That only makes his words of wisdom even more relevant for today. Let the world frivolously spend their money with no regard for tomorrow. However, let us as Christians be a light to world even in how we use our money. 

Give All You Can

While there are plenty that are willing to try and gain all they can and some that are willing to save all they can, there are few that are willing to give all they can. However, you can travel across this nation and see beautiful church buildings, hospitals, and universities all that were built because there were individuals that took John Wesley’s message to heart. Major universities like Vanderbilt and Duke where started because of large Methodist endowments that were made possible by men that “gained, saved and gave” all they could. 

This principle of giving is clearly highlighted throughout the Bible. “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” Proverbs 11:24. Some people love money so much that they are willing to work multiple jobs and save money meticulously, just to watch it accumulate in their bank account. However, if you don’t use money properly, you might as well not have any in the first place. 

John Wesley advocated that after providing for your own needs and the needs of your family, then you should be able to use some of the money that you have saved to “do good to them that are of the household of faith” and “as you have opportunity, do good unto all men.” This goes beyond your tithes and offerings. All that we have belongs to God and we will be required to give a full account of our stewardship before Him.

“I entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, act up to the dignity of your calling! No more sloth! Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might! No more waste! Cut off every expense which fashion, caprice, or flesh and blood demand! No more covetousness! But employ whatever God has entrusted you with, in doing good, all possible good, in every possible kind and degree to the household of faith, to all men!”