“If you could somehow, someway get all Christians to have the same financial new year’s resolution…what would it be?”

“Give at least 10% of their income to organizations that help the poor, hurting, and disadvantaged.” – FreeMoneyFinance.com

“I think it would be to honor the Lord first in our finances through regular Christian giving.  My wife and I decided several years ago to give out of faith and trust in the Lord.  We’re thankful we made the sacrifice to give first and feel very blessed that God continues to provide for our needs.  Sometimes the numbers don’t make sense on paper.  You can always say you need to save more or get out of all your debt before giving, but if that’s the case, you’ll never make giving a priority.  Giving is an act of faith and trust in the Lord.  It’s a personal decision between you and God.  My hope is that every Christian will pray about giving as the number one priority in their monthly budget.” - OneMoneyDesign.com

“If I could get all Christians to have the same financial new year’s resolution it would be to focus every aspect of their life around the Kingdom of God and to begin learning ways to make that a reality for each day.  Everything else that is needed would follow!” – ProvidentPlan.com

“I would have all Christians set out to narrow the gap between their faith and their finances.  For a variety of reasons, our financial life is an area we tend to be a lot more comfortable keeping Christ out of.  In light of this, I believe all sorts of deep and profound, spiritual and practical changes could occur in 2012 if Christians made a concious effort to marry their money to their maturity in the faith.” – DollarsandDoctrine.com

“To decide how much is enough.  I believe that we naturally consume in excess.  Without boundaries in place, we’ll find a way to spend what we make.  However, if we intentionally determine how much is enough, we’ll open the door for generous giving.” – MoneyHelpForChristians.com

“Haha, I would have to say to get out of debt and never take on debt again.  Living debt free really opens up Christian familys for greater impact in their communities and making a case for Christ.  If Christian are living in debt, how is that living like Christ?  We should be model Christians and live debt free.  If the entire Christian community achieved this, you’d see amazing things happens with money and other resources.  Here’s to debt free during 2012!” – FreeMoneyWisdom.com

“Work to get out of debt, so they all have more money to fund the Kingdom.” – ChristianPF.com 

“A self-rewarding and God honouring financial resolution for this new year could be to save up $500 and give it away as an offering outside of your regular Sunday morning habits. If you earmark the funds for this very specific purpose and diligently seek the Lord’s guidance, the Holy Spirit will direct you to the intended recipient(s). Why is this act of service self-rewarding? “It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35.” – StewardshipWeekly.com

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“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” (Prov. 24:27, NIV)

In order to fully understand this proverb, I must take a moment to mention its historical context. During the time these words were spoken, Israel was predominately an agriarian society. Most people were farmers. The reap of the harvest was life or death to the average Israelite of Solomon’s day. Secondly, it was not uncommon in biblical times for people to live in tents. Certainly upon entering and conquering the Promised Land life became more stablized and houses began to appear, but it would not be unheard of or unthinkable to live in biblical times without a permenant dwelling.

Therefore, a house symbolized a luxury–a level of financial security and success not necessary for existence. In this simple example, Solomon illustrates a timeless principle: Do what is essential first. Then, “build your house”. Cover your necessities, prepare for your needs, after that, build your house. This proverb is anything but outdated. Financially speaking, we must plan, prepare, and provide for our future needs long before working towards our future wants (all the while recognizing that ultimately it is God who provides).

So when do we build our house? After all of our needs have prepared and provided for–after we have the essentials covered. Now, we could argue all day long about just what exactly a household “needs” as wise provision, but I will leave that up to your prayerful consideration of God’s word and leading of His Spirit (but I will caution you that Solomon’s list was pretty short!). It is biblical to “take care of our household” first (1 Tim. 5:4,8). Solomon’s proverb furthers this idea and helps to point our ship in the right direction: keep first things first.

This sounds simple and obvious, but if we look at our lives honestly, we should be reluctant to cast any stones. In countless ways, I will admit to letting secondary things slip into the drivers seat. It is not all that uncommon for a person to build their house before getting their fields ready. How so? First off, we could take this proverb literally and look only at home ownership. Many Americans jump into home ownership. We graduate college, and shocked by the difference between our first paycheck and that coffee shop we worked at part time in college, we jump into a big fat mortgage. Only after we have lived in the “real world” for a while, we start to discover that we should have paid off those pesky student loans, car notes, and credit cards before signing up for a mortgage (not to mention preparing an emergency fund, organizing a budget…) “Get your fields ready, after that, build your house.”

For some of us advising caution on a home purchase may be a little too late, but I think the principle extends far beyond home ownership. We must be careful to keep first things first before burying ourselves in unnecessary purchases. (The Bible instructs our giving to be first as well, but that is a discussion for another day.) Prepare for retirement, then buy a flatscreen. Pay your bills, then go to the movies. Get out of debt, then go on a vacation. You get the point. “Get your fields ready, after that, build your house.”

“Contemporary culture lacks both the inward reality and the outward life-style of simplicity…we are trapped in a maze of competing attachments…we have no unity or focus around which our lives are oriented.” – Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline)

This quote challenges me in a few different ways.  It causes me to reflect over what ambitions, dreams, goals, and passions are competing for my time, energy, and money.  Our resources are finite.  I think Foster makes a good point to challenge us to analyze whether or not our lives focus on God’s kingdom, or if our lives are scattered in multiple directions.

I challenge you:

1.  Take 30 minutes and make a list of what ambitions are pulling from your life’s resources (time, energy, money, talents, etc.)

2.  Honestly reflect over whether or not one or more of them prevent you from seeking God first and foremost. 

3.  Pray over whether or not the Lord wants you to cross any goals off of your list (often the spiritual emphasis is always about adding things onto our list).

Right now, some of us are facing very difficult times economically.  Perhaps a job loss has pushed an already struggling financial life over the edge, but how many of us are living and making the same money we were a year ago?  Maybe a smaller portfolio or decreased home value, but nothing really threatens our financial world (except for a possible sense of anxiety lurking in the background.)  If you are still in a stable economic position, remember those who are not.  In “thin” economic times it is common to be more conservative, more of a saver, and more tight with the budget.  This type of mentality and persuasion is good; however, do not become so conservative you begin to neglect giving to those who are less fortunate.  The poor still need help, and many have lessened or discontinued their giving for fear of the future.  I pray the people of God would begin to reflect Paul’s attitude towards the poor-

“They only asked us to remember the poor- the very thing I also was eager to do.” (Gal. 2:10) 

Action step:  Do not let your fear of the economic situation facing our nation prevent you from helping those in need.  In fact, allow it to heighten your senses towards those around you- there is more need out there.  Let Christ lead you to meet it for His glory.