We have all been in a financial crisis from time to time and many of us have hit ìthe wallî more than a few times. Now a financial crisis does not mean that we have bills because everyone has bills. A financial crisis means that our bills swamp us and we are not able to meet our obligations. Of course it would be great if every time we received a paycheck God would instruct us to tithe, pay the mortgage, pay the utilities, and not buy that stereo we were thinking of purchasing. However, would we follow those instructions? After all, we want to make our own choices -- and that is what gets us in trouble!

Well, the good news is that the Bible gives us usable and wise instruction on finances. In fact, in the New Testament, Jesus speaks more about finances than He does about Heaven. ìKnow well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generationsî (Prov. 27:23-24). This scripture therefore, gives us three principles to follow when faced with financial crisis. The first is toÖ

1.  GET AN ACCURATE LAY OF THE LAND.

In the Old Testament, flocks and herds were the measure of wealth. During Old Testament times, a man would carefully tend to his flocks and herds in order to maintain and grow his wealth.   How then do we apply this teaching to our lives today? Know well! Pay attention!  In other words, take the time to maintain our personal lives. Too often, we do not pay enough attention to our personal lives, so we fall off balance. Our houses, finances, and even our relationships run down. The things that should be maintained are not. So the question is: Do we need to better tend our ìflocks and herdsî to maintain our personal lives?

Well we must first realize that having a limited income does not always equate to financial crisis. There are seasons in our lives when our income is very limited. This is to be expected and does not mean that weíre not successful. During these seasons, our priorities are rightly directed elsewhere. For example, when we are students, our finances are directed toward tuition, books, food, and so on. Weíre not unsuccessful. On the contrary, we have direction and we are working toward a greater goal.

Another reason our income may be limited is because of the vocations we have chosen -- the ministry, teaching, or non-profit work. These vocations are rewarding unto themselves. They are what God has called us to do. ìFoxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.î (Matthew 8:20) Jesus had nothing yet, He who had nothing paid for every one of our debts. He was rich, indeed! He knew and fulfilled the assignment that God placed on His life.

So what then is a financial crisis? A financial crisis may signal for one thing, an unacceptable performance or attitude at work. When a financial crisis hits, we need first to ask ourselves: are we performing well at the workplace? Do we have a vision, a commitment, and a caring attitude or do we only want the money the job provides so contribute very little back to the job?

Each of us who names the name of God should be excellent at work. We should be the best at what we do. We should have the most energetic hearts, working and wanting the best for our company. The Bible says, ìWhatever you do, do it with all your heart as unto the Lord; for it is the Lord God who you serve.î (Col. 3:23) Remember that God is our employer. We are working for Him.

Another telltale sign that we are in a financial crisis or headed for one is when we are living beyond our true needs. Have we developed an inflated capacity to need?  Have we made commitments that now drive our needs: a better car, a bigger house, and a higher social status to which we aspire? Have we gotten more selfish? Do we need more to sustain us? The real question we need to ask is: ìWhat is our true needs?î Then God will bring us back by correction real quick, because what we call a ìfinancial crisisî, God calls ìa correction.î

Be aware too that God watches to see how we handle finances. Money is a lesser gift and God wants to entrust to us something greater ñ an eternal gift. Consequently, the character and skills necessary to steward the eternal gift are developed and displayed in how we steward the lesser gift -- money. ìSo if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?  (Luke 16:11)

God has so much more to give to us than just money. He wants us to develop character and stewardship skills in dealing with money so He can entrust us with something greater. And thatís why the Lord gives us three guidelines to help us do that well. The first is for us toÖ

A.     LEARN INTEGRITY.

A financial crisis can lead to a loss of integrity. We make commitments and promises to pay for the things we buy. However, if we fall delinquent in those payments, we have broken our commitment and promise. In other words, we have lost our integrity. God asks us to learn integrity by choosing to live within our means, even if choosing to do so means giving up something we want.

ì...He swears to his own hurt and does not changeî (Ps. 15:4) This simply means that we must learn to say, ìnoî so that we do not live beyond our capacity to meet our commitments and honor our promises. Then God sees our willingness to put aside our personal wants in order to keep our integrity. 

In this way, God sees that we are trustworthy and stewarding well the lesser gift. The next point God wants us to focus on is for us toÖ

B.     Develop contentment.

ìBeware!  Donít always be wishing for what you donít have.  For real life and real living are not related to how rich we areî (Luke 12:15 LB) (Phil. 4:12)  Donít always wish for things you donít have. Be content. Contentment lets us know that we are okay as we are. It is knowing that we donít have to have the next best thing to be happy. It is controlling, even killing, the desire for more and more. 

Besides learning integrity and developing contentment, what else can we do when faced with financial crisis? Well, God teaches us this third step. And that is toÖ

C.     PRACTICE GIVING.

 ìNo one can serve two masters. 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 both God and moneyî (Matt. 6:24) Giving corrects our lives back to our eternal assignment. It causes us to invest in others rather than ourselves. Tithing is giving something to others for the sake of the Gospel and expecting no repayment. That way, it keeps us free from the god of money that so easily enslaves us.  However, there is a thin line separating the people who know what to do from those who actually practice giving. When we give, God sees the impact we make in the lives of others and it is another dimension of stewardship.

Subsequently, our stewardship of the lesser gift will lead us to receive the greater gift of eternal salvation. So when you hit a financial crisis, make sure to get an accurate lay of the land. It merely means to take time to maintain your personal life. After that, follow the next instruction, which is toÖ

2.  TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION IMMEDIATELY.

The second principle we learn is to take corrective action immediately when we find ourselves in a financial crisis. Donít ignore it. Donít blame. Donít wait for it to change. ìA prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for itî (Prov. 22:3).

A financial crisis is like having a wound and not caring for it. The wound has grown into a raging infection and now itís a crisis. So what is our first step in taking corrective action?  

?        REPENT BEFORE GOD.

If weíre in a financial crisis, we have lived outside our financial capacity. We have used our money to give us more choices. Yet, God tells us to steward our choices well. He gives us our stage in life and that stage allows for only a certain number of choices. Itís like going to a buffet table with money for only three choices, but coming away from the table with eight choices. We have exceeded the capacity for the choices God gave us. God said that if we are faithful with little, we will be faithful with much. If we are unfaithful with little, we will be unfaithful with much. Sometimes we donít hear Him. So we have to ask Him to bring us back to what we should be and ask for His forgiveness.

Thus by taking corrective action promptly, we repent before God and then we are to follow this next step andÖ

?        DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION.

The plan however should not include worry; rather we should act instead. Hereís what a plan of action may include:

1)      If the credit card cannot be paid off at the end of each month, get rid of the credit card.

2)      Prioritize the budget to pay the most important items first.

3)      Contact vendors and work out an arrangement to pay something every month. 

4)      If there is no improvement within four months, make drastic cuts ñ move, sell the house, sell the car. 

The cuts may be drastic, even painful, but remember the greater gift. Stewardship of the lesser gift is training for receiving the greater gift. God will be our provider. As a result, faithful tending of the lesser gift will open the windows of heaven to pour out unbelievable blessings to us.

So keep in mind that when a financial crisis hits, make sure to maintain your personal life and take corrective steps quickly. This includes repenting before God and devising a plan of action. Then the final principle to remember is toÖ

3.  REPRIORITIZE YOUR LIFE VALUES.

ìProvide purses for yourselves that will not wear out...î (Luke 12:33)

Many times the reason we get into a financial crisis is because our life values are off.

If our life values are on things, our image, gadgets, a house, a car, then we are focusing on the lesser gift rather than the greater gift. So God is telling us that there is something greater to work for. So He gives us two directives to help us get our life values on the right track. The first isÖ

?        CONNECT TO YOUR ETERNAL ASSIGNMENT.

ìFor what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  (Mark 8:36). As a Christian, we take this to mean if we gain all the stuff this world has to offer, but we miss our assignment wouldnít that make this whole life moot? What is your eternal assignment? Make major corrections necessary to stay true to that which God has called you to do. Keep your heart faithful to God because He can see a trustworthy heart. We can accumulate much, but miss life altogether. Too often, we love money and use people. Life is much more than simply getting rich in money; itís getting rich in life. Remember that Jesus had very little, yet He paid for all of our debts.

In 1923, seven of the greatest financial moguls of the time gathered in Chicago for a meeting. In the eyes of others, these were the most successful, financially independent men in America.  However, twenty-five years later, one of the seven died bankrupt living the last five years of his life on borrowed money. Another one died a fugitive from justice in a foreign land. Still another was released from Sing-Sing Prison. One man was pardoned from prison and died at home. And finally, three died by suicide. These men knew well the art of making money, but none of them knew how to live. 

The god of money can deceive us into thinking that money is our greatest gain and goal in life.  However, God reminds us that money is a lesser gift. Instead, if we are faithful to our commitments and work to build integrity, God will give us the greater gift ñ and it will influence the world.

So when a financial crisis hits, donít give up, Instead, recognize there is a major correction that must be made and ask God what to do. Then the final point in reprioritizing your life values is toÖ

?        RESTORE THE PRIMACY OF RELATIONSHIPS.

In reprioritizing our life values, we must restore the importance of relationships in our lives. Too often we throw away people to keep things. Money and money problems war against relationships. Hence, we must commit to do everything we can to keep our marriages and our children even if it means selling everything we own. Make sure your relationships are doing well because it is a richness that can carry us through any financial crisis.

In conclusion, remember that when you hit a financial crisis, take time to maintain your personal lives so relationships and finances donít get off balance. In doing so, learn integrity, develop contentment, and practice giving. These three guidelines will help you immensely in dealing with any financial crisis. The next principle to remember is to make corrections quickly by repenting before God and developing a plan of action. Then finally, reprioritize your life values so as not to miss your eternal assignment or lose relationships. ìKnow well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generationsî (Prov. 27:23-24).

Discussion Questions:

1.      What is a financial crisis?  How do people get into financial crises?

2.      Why do you think Jesus talks more about finances than heaven in the New Testament?  

3.      How is integrity developed?  Can you list some steps?

4.      How would you define contentment?  Can contentment ever be achieved? How?

5.       In Matthew 6:23, Jesus tells us that we cannot serve both God and money. How do we often try to do this?  In light of this verse, is it possible to justify financial wealth, new homes, nice cars, and private schools for our children, etc?

6.      What is one principle from today's sermon you would like to apply to
your life?  How will you do that this week?