For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?” (Proverbs 27:23-24). “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. By placing our focus on and faith in God and His way of life, living obediently under His financial laws, we can have confidence our physical needs will be attended to. If we are living in obedience to God’s way, we can have faith that He will take care of our physical needs as Christ pointed out in Matthew 6:24-34. We might feel that we should have more, but that is not always in our best interest (James 4). Are you content with your possessions and standard of living? We should strive to improve ourselves-but not at the cost of lust and greed. While there is a time and place for the effective use of credit, we should make it a practice to live within our means.Ĭonsider a principle taught by the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews: “Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

Credit can play into a severe human weakness of acquiring things we can’t afford with the option to pay them off over time. It is easy to dream of a quality of life we would like to obtain, but how do we get there? Society promotes the concept of buying today, but paying tomorrow. It is a vicious cycle that tends to draw people, and nations, further and further into debt.Ī significant part of the problem lies in reckless accounting and improper use of the resources at our disposal. Many individuals, families and even national governments are simply living beyond their means. Perhaps one of the most glaring sins of our nations lies in our lust for a lifestyle we simply cannot afford. This means we should first consider the situation before us to ensure we are capable of adequately dealing with it. Christ asked the question, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” (verse 28).

Jesus taught His disciples a far-reaching parable that should guide a multitude of decisions in our lives.

Good steward