The Financial Principles series picks back up again with the next item in the sequence: Saving.

(Want to catch up on the rest of this series? Check out Steward Mindset, Earning, and Giving.)

This might be the one everyone feels the most familiar with and yet the familiarity might be exactly the reason it’s important to remind everyone was the bible says about saving.

I would equate this to the desensitizing of Christians around Jesus dying on the cross. You "know" the story so well and have heard it so many times that it’s lost the impact or magnitude of what it really means. I think if we all really grasped how big of a deal it is, our lives would look a lot different.

In the case of saving, I think there is a lot of Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it okay? You basically don’t spend it on anything fun and need to be “responsible”. Great.

So let’s take a step back before we even start and pretend that we don’t know anything about saving at all. Clean the slate, if you will.

Who is a wise saver?

According to the Good $ense Ministry, a wise saver is “one who builds, preserves, and invested with discernment”. I think this is definition is important because it does not boil it to the what, why, or how. It speaks to the prudence required to comprehend the goals of what you’re doing and creates a plan to meet that goal.

The concept of preservation is compelling for me because it reminds me of landmarks, ecosystems, and animals that are protected to retain their original state typically in the face of destruction, ruin, or extinction.

Imagine considering the repercussions of our financial decisions with that level of sincerity or concern. What a world we would live in...

Where were we? Oh right, saving!

It is wise to save.

“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but [the] foolish . . . devour all [they have]” - Proverbs 21:20

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers it food at harvest” - Proverbs 6:8

I’m not sure about you, but one of the first things I did when I became a Christian was read one chapter of Proverbs every day for a month. So it’s pretty easy for me to read these two verses and think well, duh I could have told you that’s what the bible says before this exercise.

In my experience, knowing isn’t the hard part, it’s the challenge of doing it and that makes all the difference.

Considering the heart

At one of end of the spectrum, there is choosing to spend rather than save. At the end is the person that saves above and beyond their needs. Both are destructive behaviors that reveal a lack of trust in God’s provision and plan. 

It is sinful to hoard.

“A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store everything. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:16-21 NLT).

Likewise, trying to figure out a way to circumvent the whole "work hard" process is also trying to go outside how God created the world to function.

Avoid get-rich-quick schemes. 

“The trustworthy will get a rich reward. But the person who wants to get rich quick will only get into trouble” - Proverbs 28:20 NLT

Moving towards action

An essential part of saving is the preparation you do before you act. One question you will need to address in order to make sure your heart is in the right place is “why?” because your motives will let you know whether your actions will lead you to the right destination or not.

Calculate the cost and prioritize.

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!’” - Luke 14:28-30 NLT

In the midst of that, you will likely think to ask certain people for advice. One recommendation is to not just look for someone who appears outwardly wealthy or successful. Rather, consider people that God places on your heart. Ones with good character who live within their means, are generous, and praise the Lord above all else.  

Seek wise counselors.

“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance” - Proverbs 1:5

The following tenant speaks to the investment discernment of being a wise saver. While it can be taken literally, it also is implying that deciding to root yourself somewhere for a long period of time (conventional wisdom says to anticipate living there for five years) with some sort of financial agreement (typically a mortgage contract locking in a interest rate above the borrowed amount) then you should probably make sure you have a stable income source with career longevity locked in.

The key takeaway here is get yourself in order first and then figure out where you're going from here and how to build your legacy.

Establish a job before buying a home.

“Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house” - Proverbs 24:27

On that note, make sure that your plan accounts for the fact that things might not go as planned. None of us know what will work and what won’t, except for God. By spreading your things across a few different options you are better positioning to weather any losses that might occur in one specific area.

Diversify your holdings.

“Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster will come upon the land” - Ecclesiastes 11:2

Discerning the big picture

Being wise is not about betting on the right horse. Life as a believer is not a gamble.

It’s about discerning how God is leading you. What does He want you to do with your life? How can you join Him in His plans?

If we are the arms and legs of the church, what kind of action do we need to take to support His vision for the kingdom?

I do not believe in the poverty mindset. God is calling us to be heirs to His Kingdom!

I’ll never forget a couple of years ago when I read about David collecting funds in preparation for Solomon building the temple. Yes, the sum is huge and they were cheerful givers, but what blew me away is that these people gave out of their extensive savings.

It doesn’t explicitly say so, but I figure that it’s pretty hard to give away something you don’t have in the first place.

“Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”

Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.” – 2 Chronicles 29:1-9 (emphasis added)

Before this moment you might have been tempted to make the argument that these Old Testament characters were huge hoarders and need a lesson around being wiser when it comes to their saving habits.

However, when the call came they gave as much was needed to the building of the temple and did so to honor God.

This is the power and wisdom of saving in action.