Have you ever seen a child after being told to clean his room, drag his feet, fold his arms, and lug himself ever so slowly towards that dreaded room? You know he is walking in the right direction, but it will take him three hours to get there, and once he gets there he sits down to read a book or play instead of getting down to business. In a stirring sermon I listened to recently, the speaker asked if that just might be a description of us as Christians. I am a child of God—that’s what I became when I was submerged under that water and had hands laid on me.

Just what does the Bible have to say about money? Are we as Christians held to some higher standard when it comes to money? Are there practical tips in Scripture we can use today with regard to our own budgets? I believe the answer to those questions is a resounding yes! Rather than go through the specifics of how to create a budget, plan, save, and so forth, I want to examine the fundamentals of monetary stewardship and how it begins in the heart (There are other excellent resources for those other things, such as UCG’s booklet Managing Your Finances).

A friend of mine recently moved away to attend college. As the move date approached, she started questioning her decision and asking herself if she was doing the right thing. This questioning is normal and it took me back to that time in my life.