Coffee With The Lord

I’m married to a wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, Christian lady… and a scrupulous manager of money! Her husband? Not so much. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m careful… I’m conservative… I don’t throw money around indiscriminately… And I’ve never, as a leader of any organization or entity that I’ve been responsible for, “busted” (or violated) a budget. But Sharon, my wife? There’s only a couple of words to describe her… scrupulous and conservative! It’s because of her carefulness and wisdom with finances that, despite very modest incomes, we’re in a relatively solid financial position as we have entered retirement.

Is it appropriate for a Christian to be “scrupulous” with finances? (Notice that I didn’t say “stingy” – (Christians should NOT be stingy – they should be generous – but they SHOULD be “scrupulous” and wise with possessions and finances.) We are called to be “stewards” (i.e. we are to be wise managers of what belongs to Another – to God!) Authentic believers – Christians, if you please – do not see themselves as “owners” – they “possess” what God has entrusted to them, and are called upon to “steward” it wisely. Here is what the Bible declares… “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” (Psalm 24:1 New Living Translation)

So is “Scrupulous stewardship” an appropriate way to think about how Christians should manage their finances and possessions? This is what I read in the Bible this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”… (See what you think).

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.” (Luke 16:10–13 ESV)

So today, I honor Sharon, my wife, and her approach to money… And I want to be more like her! “Scrupulous stewardship?” I believe it’s the way to go – I’m not the owner of anything, God is – of everything! I’m to be a careful steward of all He has entrusted to me! I’m to manage what has been entrusted to me in a way that honors Him… God honoring, generous, but scrupulous.