MoneyWalk 461: Budgeting by giving first, then saving and spending

This program will help you undo financial bondage.

Some people teach that you should not budget any other way than to set aside the level of savings each pay period that you can afford and then be free to spend all the rest of the money that is at your disposal. They say that you can start with 2 to 3% of your pay and later save more when you can afford to. They believe that other types of budgeting do not work and are unnecessary even if they did work.

The problem with this view is that it puts a person’s focus on the importance of making sure you always have enough money available to spend to get more things that you want. This is not the proper priority of heart and mind that you should have. You should think and act upon GIVING first, SAVING next, and then upon SPENDING to care for responsibilities. Fulfilling the bulk of your desires through spending should come well after you are adhering to the first two principles of giving and saving that God wants you to be focused on.

The improper spending-based view of managing money makes it easy to condone taking on debt to keep up the lifestyle you want instead of shedding debt in order to be in good financial condition. In the spending-based form of budgeting (which people try to identify as saving based budgeting) the debt monster will eat you up and bring turmoil into your life. Because the focus is much too much on the spending side of the equation, you will have set aside only a little savings and later on have to deplete those savings to pay on debts you should not have incurred in the first place. Finally, not knowing what to do, you will inevitably stop saving altogether and continue to take on more debt to do your own thing until you are stressed and pressed with monthly debt payments and high interest charges as your payment history and FICO scores get worse and worse.

Satan always attacks us with thoughts to fulfill the lust of the flesh and eyes and to operate in the pride of life. He wants us to have our priorities in the wrong order and to keep them there. He knows that when he can keep you focused upon your material desires your ability to serve and be an example of Christ-likeness will remain hidden from view and may be entirely non-existent.

How you manage money that comes into your life is a very telling barometer of your spiritual condition because if you love Jesus Christ you will keep His commandments and where your treasure is there will your heart be also. The Word has given us specific instructions as to how true faith motivates us to good works through the acquiring of income and the giving, saving, and spending of it. No one can serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Budgeting does not have to be complicated. If you will remember the priority that is in God’s heart and faithfully use it as you write down on paper / computer how you will manage the income God has blessed you with, then you will do well in the budgeting arena and thus bring blessing into your life.

GIVING to the work of Christ should be thought of first and accounted for first in your budget. Tithing and then a free-will offering of your choosing should be given to your local church and/or worthwhile gospel teaching / preaching / good works ministries.

Next, you should SAVE a reasonable portion of your income. Focus on an amount now that with compounding interest and future growth will be meaningful and worthwhile, such as 10%, because you will get older, have increased monetary needs in the future, and will want rainy day funds when the inevitable rainy days arise in your life.

Finally, you should focus on making sure that you SPEND without taking on debt. Spending should be primarily focused on taking care of the most important priorities such as reasonable housing, food, clothing, and transportation. Fulfilling desires can and will come in the future once you have put yourself on good financial footing and find that you have much greater disposable income.

You may simply be unable to afford some things you want or have right now and it would be wise to forego purchasing them or to sell them to ease the payment and maintenance costs you are incurring each month. Getting in God’s financial flow will please Him and allow you to afford some of these things in the future while you are also able to avoid irresponsible money management behavior that leads to foreclosure, bankruptcy, and the inability to properly care for your family and personal responsibilities.

Please email any questions and pray for this ministry. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!

Luke 6:38, 12:29-34, John 14:15, 1Timothy 6:5-19, 2Corinthians 9:6

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