APUMC About Us News A-Z Index

Stewardship of Possessions

We love our possessions and we love getting "things."  We love money the most and do nearly anything to gain more money.  Then we want to clutch it to ourselves, parting with as little as possible. Help others? Forget it. Let them get their own money. Why can't they help themselves? Does that sound like someone you know?

St. Paul collected donations from remote churches to help the poor Christian church at Jerusalem.  Today's United Methodism is also a "connectional" denomination, which uses part of our donations to help others -- for example fledgling churches, far-flung missionaries, and victims of disasters. 

Providing that support, evangelism, and spreading the Word requires donations.  Donations of goods and donations of funds as well as some donation of time.

"No 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 Money"   -- Matthew 6:24 [NIV]

In the spirit of good financial stewardship of your personal funds, check out charities to which you might donate money. Some administer the funds betterthan others. A couple of good sites are Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy.

Things

"Keeping up with the Jones". "The grass is always greener in the other fellow's yard". "Status".  All are terms for greed -- for wanting to have more than we need.  He who rode into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey would surely shudder at our greedy society.

So how do we be good stewards of things?  Perhaps by starting from the mindset that

Money at home

Being good stewards of finances starts at home.  Don't make yourself a slave to money.  Don't lust for it.  But do plan.  Don't spend more than you earn.  Balance is the key.  "Neither a miser nor a spendthrift be."  Avoid accumulating large credit card debt.  It can take years to pay off and the net cost of a purchase plus all the interest can then be staggering.  If you need help, seek out budget counselors.  Save money, even if you have to live more simply.  Give to God first, your savings plan second, then to your daily needs.

"The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application."
- Cervantes, Miguel De, Quotations Book.

Money at church

Being good stewards of the church's finances includes giving, but means more than that. Good stewards ensure that funds donated for us to do God's work on earth is wisely and appropriately spent.

Read the fine print

Carefully read the monthly church financial statements.  Look for changes that are out of the norm, not expected, or significantly different from the budget.  If you have any questions, ask! Don't let it slide.

A balanced budget

If you don't want to "go into the red" at home, why should that be acceptable for your church? Put some "faith" into income estimates, but also remember that God gave us a brain to use. So we shouldn't stray wildly away from reality.

Keepcool

Deal with negative financial information calmly and logically.  Work toward resolving financial challenges. But avoid becoming discouraged or getting into heated arguments. Pray for guidance, praise God, and then charge ahead into the future with practical optimism.

Giving at church

Give out a sense of love, joy, and thanksgiving for all that God has done and will do for you, not out of guilt or to garner public acclaim.  We praise God through our financial offerings as well as through giving of our time and talents.

Give from the "firstfruits"

Take God's portion "off the top", before you use income for your personal savings or daily needs. 

Give proportionately

The traditional Biblical standard of giving is 10 percent -- a tithe.  If you are not already tithing, start increasing the percentage you give each year. 

Remember, a tithe goal is a tithe of gross income (before taxes), not the lesser "net" amount.  If you are just starting down the road to tithing, you may want to set your first goal as tithing to include all donations to charities. Later up it to tithing strictly to your church.

Jesus encouraged giving in proportion to what we have received.  Remember the widow's mite (Luke 21:1-5)?  Teach tithing to your children and explain it to others.

Give systematically

When you cannot attend church one week, drop off or mail in your offering. It's a very good habit to give to the church a predetermined amount as you receive it.

"On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income..."
  -- 1 Corinthians 16:2 [NIV]

Give sacrificially

If our monetary gifts to God don't hurt a little, they are not truly a sacrifice, are they?

Focus on changed lives

A good mindset counts.  Give "through" the church, not "to" it.  The ultimate aim of the church is to change the lives of people here on earth.

More information