I want to share a story told by Loren Cunningham in his book, Daring to Live on the Edge. It is about a conversation that took place between the pilot and “Cleveland Center, this is 346 Alpha Charley. I’m at 10,500 feet. I’m in the clouds…not instrument rated. Would like radar vectors. Out.”
—“Six Alpha Charley, Cleveland. Roger. Understand you are not instrument rated. Set transponder code 4582 for radar identification. What is your heading now, sir?”
“Six Alpha Charley is heading 250 degrees. Say again code. It’s rough. I’m getting disoriented….I can’t see the ground!”
—“Six Alpha Charley, Cleveland, Set code 4582. Concentrate on you attitude indicator, sir. Keep you wings level and reduce power to start a slow descent. We have you on radar contact.”
“I’m losing control…losing it…turning…I’m going to spin! I’m spinning! Which way! Help! Help!”
—“Six Alpha Charley, release your controls, Sir! Look at your attitude indicator. Opposite rudder, opposite rudder…”
“Help! Help! I can’t stop.…”
—“Six Alpha Charley, Six Alpha Charley, do you read?”
(Silence)
—“Radar contact is lost.” Eventually the small plane crashed, killing the Pilot
The investigation of this crash revealed that nothing was wrong with the flight instruments in N346 Alpha Charley. The pilot, untrained to fly without outside visual references, became disoriented and lost control of his aircraft. His instrument panel contained all the information he needed to complete his flight safely.
What was lacking? The training and discipline to ignore what his instincts were telling him and to fly only by reference to an outside source of information: his instruments. Which way was up? The reality he perceived as true was false. His senses had betrayed him, and it cost him his life.
The Pilots are trained not to trust in their instincts rather to depend on the outside source of information in order to avoid a possible mid air collision and an eventual crash. Living by faith in the area of finances is like flying the airplane on instruments. In our journey the view ahead may be murky and bleak, but we can stay right side up and on the course with the correct information. That source of outside information is the word of God. The written word of God gives us several principles to guide our finances. Whether you work 60 hrs a week, run your own business or you are starting a career as a missionary you can keep yourself from crashing.
PRINCIPLE #1 “DON’T WORRY ABOUT MONEY:”
Among many commandments that Jesus gave to his disciples, not to worry is one of them. In the sermon on the Mount he dedicated a big portion of his time on dealing with worry. After exhorting them not to store up treasures on the earth but instead store up treasures in heaven, he directly issued a command not to worry about money. Perhaps you are currently facing a financial crisis. Listen to the assuring words of Jesus. Matt 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air….Your heavenly father feeds them… Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? If God could provide for birds in the air he can certainly provide for you.
In the parable of the sower, and the seed, Jesus pointed that what happens to the seed that fell among the thorns, he compared it to men who heard the “truth of God’s word but as they go on their way they are choked with worries, and riches and pleasures of this life.” As a result they never bear fruit for God. (Luke 8:14)
It is true worrying for money and love of money can choke our faith, and can rob the joy of trusting God. When we worry, in one way we are saying, God you are a liar you can’t be trusted with my needs. Someone said, worry is faith in the Devil. Why are we commanded not to worry? As Chuck Swindoll says, “Worry pulls tomorrow's cloud over today's sunshine.” Not only that according to Psalm 37:8, worry leads to evil. David encourages us to trust God, instead of worrying. He gives us a piece of advice based on his experience, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”(Psalm 37:25). This has been one of my life verses and it has worked for me so far.
Whether your financial worries are the result of some out of control circumstances such as the current economic meltdown and layoffs or the result of poor choices and mismanagement of finances the command not to worry about money still stands the same. When you ask God he will show you what steps to take to get out of your financial mess. You may also need to consult a financial counselor and take the steps of repentance if you have handled finances poorly. Do not be anxious.
According to Ian Maclaren, “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it does empty today of its strength. It does not make you escape the evil; it makes you unfit to cope with it when it comes. God gives us the power to bear all the sorrow of His making, but He does not guarantee to give us strength to bear the burdens of our own making such as worry induces.” Choosing not to worry requires will power and it doesn’t come easily.
Hudson Taylor the missionary to China in the 19th century learned to trust God to take care of his needs. He once said, “Let us give up our work, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into [God's] hand; and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about." I know letting go of everything into the hands of God is the scariest thing to do, but I believe it the safest thing to do because you will only be safe when you live in the center of God’s will.
PRINCIPLE # II BE DILIGENT & RESPONSIBLE
Jesus exhorted his disciples not to worry about life and run after the things like the unbelievers do instead we are to seek his Kingdom and righteousness first. Seeking God’s Kingdom doesn’t mean being lazy and financially irresponsible. God is honored when we are diligent in our work and responsible with our finances. Several scriptures talk about diligence in our work:
Prov 10:4-5 “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.”
Prov 12:24 “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor”
Prov 6:10 “ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”
I know this is a hard working congregation and I don’t think laziness is a problem here. This seemed to be a big problem in the Church in Thessalonica. Paul sternly warned those who were idle and chased fantasies and somehow expected the church to bail them out. I Thess 4:11-12, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” Paul went one step further and gave a rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
Being responsible may mean to take a hard look at our spending patterns. One of the positive outcomes I have noticed during this financial crisis is that many have altered their lavish life styles to a more simplified life. They have realized that they can do more with less. People are rediscovering the sense in saving. They have discovered simple joys of being out in the nature, spending quality time with friends and family. Being responsible also means taking a stock of our income and monitoring our expenses. It also means budgeting, and having a payment plan to pay off our debts and loans. When we are diligent in work and responsible with our money we can avoid a financial crash.
PRINCIPLE # III. INVEST MONEY AND SEE IT GROW
Jesus gave us the parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:. Some people interpret talents in the parable to gifts and skills, but it is actually talking about money. In ancient times one talent would be worth of $1000 in today’s currency. The master in the parable gave to one five thousand and to the other two and to another one. He had expected that all three of them to invest and make profit but in the end only two of them invested wisely and earned more with their money and one person buried the money in the ground. When the master returned, he rewarded the two wise servants and reprimanded the third saying, “You wicked and lazy servant.”
This parable makes it clear that we have the obligation to do the best we can to make wise investments. Our money is to be used and grow to bring blessing to many. When we invest our money in the Kingdom of God we will see blessings. Blessings don’t always mean monetary blessings; it could be health, good relationships but above all souls getting saved and His Kingdom advancing in this world as a result of our investment.
PRINCIPLE # IV BE GENEROUS
Every Christian is to be generous because the God we serve is a generous God. The way God the father demonstrated His love for humanity was by giving his one and only son as ransom for many, Christ by giving his life on the cross, and the Holy Spirit by filling our hearts with his presence and giving us his fruit, which is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self control.(Gal 5:22) If that is how God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit demonstrated their love to us how are we to practically show how much we love God.? It is often by being generous in our giving. We give generously to show that we are grateful to him and we love him.
Does God need your money? Absolutely not, because it belongs to him any way like every thing else in the world. Haggai 2:8 “The silver is mine and the gold is mine declares the Lord.” Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in I, the world and all who live in it;” According to these two scriptures whatever wealth you think you have doesn’t belong to you in the first place not even yourself. Everything belongs to Him. Therefore it is appropriate for us to honor him with everything we have including our finances. You might be wondering were do I start when it comes to giving? The Bible gives us a starting place that is called tithing.
In the Old Testament God gave a command to the Israelite s that they were to bring ten percent of all their produce, cattle and all of their income into the store house of God, why? From the treasury in the Lord’s temple, the Levities (the priests) the poor and the needy, the orphans, the widows and the aliens (non Israelites) were to be taken care. The expenses for the maintenance of the temple would also come from the same account.
Malachi the last book of the OT deals with the blessings of tithing as well as the curses of not tithing. In fact God equals not tithing as robbing from God. He challenged the Israelites to bring their entire tithe into His house and then he will open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings upon them. God will pour his blessings beyond our imagination. The work of our hand (our Job/business) will be blessed. Some of us justify not tithing saying that it came after the Law and Christ has come to fulfill the Law therefore we are exempt from tithing. No! Tithing was mentioned in Genesis and continued throughout the Bible. Jesus made it clear that tithing was to continue without neglect (Matt 23:23). It was practiced in the New Testament Church.
Generosity doesn’t even enter into the picture until we go past the OT minimum requirement of the tithe. If we give only ten percent, that makes us one percent better than a thief. Sadly, many Christians haven’t yet stopped stealing the ten percent that rightfully belongs to God. In fact most Church goers do not tithe. When we give to God and the needs of God’s people we will not become poor. He will give us back hundred fold in return. Remember, how God provided for the needs, of the widow, her son and the prophet Elijah during the famine for three years? Because the widow, put the needs of God’s servant above her own needs.
Are you experiencing a financial crash? May be you don’t see how you can survive and pay all of your existing debts and put food on the table if you don’t have 100 percent of what little income you have. Don’t worry. I have good news for you. Trust God with your finances. I encourage you to start tithing from today if you haven’t been tithing and you will see the difference. God is challenging you to test him in this, so that he can pour down his blessings beyond your expectation.
“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. (Luke 6:38)Amen
