Times are tough. Money is tight. Unemployment is high. Consumer debt is high. It’s hard to save and harder to give. Offer our readers some faith-based financial counsel.

What do you tell people about spending and debt and consumerism? What do you tell them about saving and giving? What are some faith-based principles for dealing with money?

A few years ago I came across the term “synthetic authenticity,” tied to behavioral economics. As I understood it, synthetic authenticity is an experience whereby I seek through purchase to accessorize my sense of self. For instance: Jane desperately wants a full kitchen upgrade but cannot afford it. Her outdated cabinets, counter tops, sink and stove embarrass her and make her feel self-conscious when friends are over. However, Jane can afford a new refrigerator and decides she must buy one. Now there is something new in her kitchen for her friends to notice, and Jane feels better about her old kitchen and thereby better about herself. Synthetic authenticity. Seeking one’s self-worth in depreciating assets. This is the disorientation of the self in consumer culture.

I don’t give a lot of financial counsel because we have such competent financial counselors in our church. I refer people to their expertise as well as seek it myself. As I teach through the Bible there are numerous passages on money; suffice to say the Bible orients us to seek our self-worth not in our net worth but in our worth to God. I’ve only dedicated one sermon series to money and giving, centered in 2 Corinthians 8-9, which I called “The Sermons on the Amount.” In that series I tried to show our church that there is no fixed amount to give. The apostles weren’t told by God what the churches were to give so I wouldn’t tell our church any amounts either. In New Testament giving contexts we’re told instead what God has given to us in Jesus and invited to respond to Him with our whole selves which includes our monies.

When people realize how loved and graced by God they are in Jesus Christ generosity follows (and synthetic authenticity is displaced). I feel badly for Christians who believe giving is a duty or performance they must render. That’s paying a bill. Giving is an act of grace in response to grace. I’m grateful to pastor a church that understands this. It’s why our people keep giving as generously as they do despite economic downturns. They know they don’t have to; they get to and they want to as an act of grace in response to grace given. This makes all the difference.

Anyone can give from the fat of their finances. It takes someone being absolutely convinced of the goodness of God to him/her to give from the muscle. That’s a “cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7); one who willingly and trustfully responds to grace with generosity. I think if Christians get this straight the rest of what one does with money—spending, saving, investing—kind of takes care of itself.

Times are tough. Money is tight. Unemployment is high. Consumer debt is high. It’s hard to save and harder to give. Offer our readers some faith-based financial counsel.

What do you tell people about spending and debt and consumerism? What do you tell them about saving and giving? What are some faith-based principles for dealing with money?

“And all that You give me, I will surely tithe it to You.” Those are the famous words of Jacob to G-d after seeing the ladder to heaven. In fact, Jews did and do tithe their fields to G-d as outlined in Deuteronomy. Tithing of money has always been a looser affair, but is highly recommended. But there is a catch. If you don’t have enough for your needs, then you should not tithe. You should give a minimum pledge of let’s say 25-50 dollars a year. You come first. Do not tithe and then turn around and ask your dad or your neighbor or your Rabbi or Priest for a handout. But most of us are somewhere in between. We have enough to pay the bills, but we don’t think we have enough to tithe. The question is, when is enough, enough? Perhaps I don’t have enough to tithe because I am leasing a fancy car, bought a fancy dress, or remodeled my ten year old kitchen. Does that constitute an excuse not to tithe? If your money is going to support your children, your mom or dad, or the children’s education, that is part of your tithe. They come first. Don’t start giving to Africa or Asia when your own loved ones are lacking. But finally, what about savings? Let’s say you have enough money to live on and to tithe, but not enough to do all that and to save reasonably for the future. What to do? A reasonable savings plan for old age is important for our own survival. Can we really depend on a social security check to meet all our needs after 65? We must try to save if we can. We don’t want to have to turn to charity when we are older. So in the end, we need to set aside funds for ourselves to live, for our children to grow and learn, for our parents, and a reasonable sum for retirement so we will never need charity ourselves. After that, if we can still afford to tithe, we should. In all cases, we must make at least some gift to charity. And if we can afford even more, our rabbis say you could even give two tithes to charity!

Times are tough. Money is tight. Unemployment is high. Consumer debt is high. It’s hard to save and harder to give. Offer our readers some faith-based financial counsel.

What do you tell people about spending and debt and consumerism? What do you tell them about saving and giving? What are some faith-based principles for dealing with money?

The way a person handles finances is a clear indicator of one’s faith. Being responsible in paying debts is extremely important as a testament to one’s character. Of course, it is best to avoid debt as much as is feasibly possible. In fact, when debt is at a minimum, one’s income does not need to be that exorbitant in order to have a comfortable life. Equally, important in sound financial management is the regular practicing of saving and investing. This habit will allow one to prepare for the senior years. It does not have to be that much, but regular saving over a long period of time can produce substantial sums. Wise is the person who appreciates that the borrower is servant to the lender. My final piece of advice on fiscal responsiblity is first in terms of priority. Give God at least the least, a tithe, and the windows of Heaven will open and blessings will pour out so abundanately that there will not be room enough to receive it.

Times are tough. Money is tight. Unemployment is high. Consumer debt is high. It’s hard to save and harder to give. Offer our readers some faith-based financial counsel.

What do you tell people about spending and debt and consumerism? What do you tell them about saving and giving? What are some faith-based principles for dealing with money?

We try to approach things in the Wesleyan spirit. In one of his most powerful sayings, John Wesley proclaimed, “Gain all you can, without hurting either yourself or your neighbor…save all you can, by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire…waste nothing…—and then give all you can, or, in other words, give all you have to God.”

During Lent but also throughout the year, I keep discovering that austerity, especially on eating habits, is one of my greatest challenges. I need to lose at least 15 pounds, and how about our region’s ranking in overall stats on obesity? We have a long way to go!

Times are tough. Money is tight. Unemployment is high. Consumer debt is high. It’s hard to save and harder to give. Offer our readers some faith-based financial counsel.

What do you tell people about spending and debt and consumerism? What do you tell them about saving and giving? What are some faith-based principles for dealing with money?

The Bible is full of examples of people dealing with debt and lack of supply, with the constant assurance that the Lord is good and daily supplies our needs. In the Old Testament, a central event in the history of the Israelites was God’s daily provision to those in the wilderness after being liberated from slavery in Egypt. Reminding his followers of this and other examples, Jesus fed the multitude starting with a few loaves of bread and fishes and sent Peter to find tax money in a fish’s mouth. The stories encourage each of us to be grateful for every evidence of supply and to magnify the good we see. Many facing financial problems have found wonderful solutions by doing so, and by both praying and listening to those intuitions from God that lead us to take the proper steps to solve our challenges.