Dear Friends,

I am excited about this new series on “common consumer questions,” because I hope it will help you flesh out the practicalities of the concepts that we just concluded in the “Five Decisions” series.  That series provided a framework – a viewpoint – into which you can fit your unique financial decisions.  Hopefully, you now see yourself as a called child of God, under His Lordship, who is in a position of stewardship before Him, and who is sending treasure on to eternity.  If you view yourself that way, you have a strong paradigm for making wise financial decisions.

The first question we are tackling is, “Is there an appropriate Christian lifestyle?”  Or, in other words, “How much is enough?”  While the Bible does not clearly define an appropriate Christian lifestyle, the book of I Timothy does give some guidelines for believers to follow within their lifestyle choices.  I want to share three of those guidelines with you:

Provision: I Timothy 5:8 (NIV) says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  Clearly, God desires that we provide for our families.  While provision may look very different for different families, God instructs a Christian to pursue a lifestyle that will take care of the basic needs of his or her family.

Contentment: I Timothy 6:6-8 (NIV) says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”  In addition to providing for our families, God calls us to be content with what we have.  Understanding that God owns it all, and that any treasure we store on earth will ultimately pass away, helps us to maintain an attitude of contentment in the midst of making lifestyle choices for our families and ourselves.

Enjoyment: I Timothy 6:17 (NIV) says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”  Paul’s exhortation to enjoyment reminds us that God richly blesses us so that we can enjoy those blessings.  Often, it is easy to become so wrapped up in the burden of provision or the discipline of contentment that we forget to enjoy the riches of God’s blessings – even the material blessings He gives.  As Psalm 34:8 reminds us, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”

May God’s peace encourage you as you pursue financial wisdom and depend on His Truth.

Blessings,
Ron


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