Saving
Many people do not save because the amount they can save seems so small that it is not worthwhile. Others believe that God is not pleased with saving.
1. Scripture encourages saving. We are encouraged to save to prepare for future needs. Saving means not spending today so you will have something to spend in the future. Joseph is an example of a person who saved. In Genesis 4l , Joseph saved during the seven years of plenty so that there would be enough to live on during the seven years of famine. Proverbs 21:20 (TLB) reads, "The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets. "
Save only if also giving. The only time we should be saving is when we are giving so that our hearts will remain focused on the Lord.
Jesus told this parable. "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, `What shall I do? 1 have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, `This is what I'll ~do. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. "' But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you...This is how it will be for anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21).
Jesus called the rich man a fool because he saved all of his goods and was not giving generously.
Save regularly. The fundamental principle you need to practice to become a successful saver is to spend less than you earn. Then save and invest the difference over a long period of time. "Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty" (Proverbs 21:5 TLS).
You do not have to earn a lot of money; rather, save consistently. "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and he wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest" (Proverbs 6:6-8). Ants are small creatures incapable of saving a great quantity, yet they are called wise because they save for future needs.
How much should we save? There is only one example of saving a particular amount in the Bible. Joseph saved 20 percent per year during seven years of plenty so that the nation would have enough food for the following seven years of famine. "Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance" (Genesis 41:34). In our opinion, it is wise to attempt to save ten percent of our income.
2. Investments People place some of their savings in investments with the expectation of receiving an income or growth in value. Investments vary in different cultures and economies. Farms, animals, food, real estate, precious metals, stocks and bonds are all examples of investments.
Scripture also encourages us to avoid risky investments. "There is another serious problem 1 have seen everywhere-savings are put into risky investments that turn sour, and soon there is nothing left to pass on to one's son. The man who speculates is soon back to where he began-with nothing. This, as I said, is a very serious problem, for all his hard work has been for nothing; he has been working for the wind. It is all swept away " (Ecclesiastes 5:13 TLB).
3. GamblingThe Bible does not specifically prohibit gambling; however, many who gamble do so to get rich quickly. This is a violation of Scripture. "A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished" (Proverbs 28:20).
Make a commitment never to gamble, even for entertainment. We should not expose ourselves to the risk of becoming compulsive gamblers, nor should we support an industry that enslaves so many.
[The text is from "Principles of Financial Success", a seminar presented by Crown Financial Ministries.]
