Financial Wisdom Proverbs 11:24-28 · Join the Journey

It’s always interesting when you bring up money with people. People will share just about anything—even things they should be embarrassed about. But the moment you mention anything about money or finances they close up like a clam. I see this doing premarital counseling. We talk about all kinds of private things that couples need to discuss but when I bring up the topic of money they shut down.

I believe this is because our money — and how we look at it and handle it — has a direct connection to our hearts. It’s either deeply private, or there’s pain attached to it we don’t want to face. If you’ve ever had an infection — maybe a splinter or an ingrown toenail — it hurts to even look at it. But it will only heal up when you dig out and remove the object that is causing the infection. Today I hope we can dig into some of the splinters we have when it comes to money and start to find some healing, peace and wisdom when it comes to our finances.

But I think it’s important for you to know a little of our story with finances so you know that I’m no expert and have made a lot of dumb mistakes. My wife Suzanne and I have had to learn how to handle money because for a long time our money was handling us. I grew up not having a lot of money. Neither of my parents were good with money nor taught me how to handle money. But they did teach me the importance of working hard. So from a young age I worked and earned money in many different ways. I had a number of different jobs through high school and college. But because I didn’t have a good foundation for handling finances. I lived out this Dave Ramsey quote, “We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.” All because I didn’t have a plan. I found myself going where my money told me to. Now we have learned that when we don’t tell our money where to go, our money will tell us where to go.

Fast forward a number of years and we are married and we found ourselves doing the normal stuff with money. Buying anything and everything we wanted with payments. And even though we were making good money we were still living paycheck to paycheck and many times not even We had debt on—cars, student loans, credit cards, everything. Something had to change. We needed to stop letting our money manage us and for us to start managing this resource that God had entrusted us with, His way.

My brother had given us a Financial Peace University class right after we got married, but we didn’t do it. Still, it gave us the plan we needed to start managing God’s money His way. So Jan 2021, Suzanne had started a new job, I said, ‘Hey, remember that FPU stuff? Let’s start doing it.’ So we started living on a plan and with purpose. Last year, we finally paid off all our consumer debt. And now we are working together toward a goal of finding peace with money.

So as we dig into Proverbs know that there is no judgment coming from me. I’ve been there and done it.

Proverbs and all of scripture talk a lot about money. There are 46 verses in Proverbs and almost 2,300 verses in the whole bible on money. Why? I mean money isn’t good and money isn’t bad. It’s just a thing. It’s not evil. The bible doesn’t teach that. So why does God have so much to say about money? Well I believe because God knows our hearts so well and He knows that money is one of the major things that we will make into an idol and worship. So God gives us a lot of wisdom on money so that we can make sure that we put money in it’s rightful place in our hearts and lives. Proverbs teaches that how we handle money reveals who or what we truly trust.

Now, when it comes to money, much of what Proverbs says isn’t about sin. We can do dumb things with money and not be sinning. There is foolish things and there are wise things we can do with money. Besides making it an idol and doing evil with money. Most other things are just either foolish or wise not sin. So we will start with some attitudes and practices that we should avoid when it comes to money and then we will end with some attitudes and practices we should follow when it comes to money. So lets dig into God’s wisdom for finances.

If you have your bibles turn with me to Proverbs 11. We will be all over Proverbs but we will keep coming back to chapter 11. If you don’t have a bible we have some on the back table. If you’re looking for Proverbs, it’s about halfway through your Bible, it comes right after Psalms and right before Ecclesiastes.

Don’t’ Trust Riches

Proverbs 11:28

When we put our trust in anything besides God it will not end well. We have seen if we put our trust in ourselves we will let ourselves down. Time and time again. Paul tells Timothy that the love of money, is the root of all kinds of evil (1Timothy 6:10). And if its our money that we are trusting in watch out. A fall is coming. Murphy will move in — you know, Murphy’s Law: whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. The market will drop, there will be layoff’s, you job will be gone, the HVAC will die, your car will break, that medical bill will come up. And the money will be gone. But if your trust in your riches, when your riches are gone your identity will fail. Don’t trust in riches or wear yourself out to get them because they will be gone.

Proverbs 23:4-5

Proverbs 23:4–5

4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.

5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

How many of have seen your money sprout wings and fly off? Cast but a glance at it and it’s gone. And maybe you don’t even know where it went. Friends, money is flitting, here today and gone tomorrow. Don’t trust in it, and don’t be greedy for it.

Proverbs 15:27

The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.

Greed leads to ruin—not just for you, but for your whole household. It will lead you to cut corners, cheat others, lie, steal and mistreat others just to get a little more. And in the end dishonest money wont last.

Proverbs 13:11

Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Proverbs 20:17

Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.

Don’t trust in riches, don’t be greedy for money even if it tastes sweet at first, it will become a mouth full of gravel. Over and over in Proverbs you will see phrase like, the Lord detests dishonest scales. For much of the world history when people bought or sold anything they would weigh it out. The idea here is being honest with your money transactions, whether that is in business, personal, taxes, buying or selling. Be honest, be fair, be trustworthy.

Socrates said, “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

Don’t trust riches, don’t be greedy for money it will lead to ruin. Be trustworthy with you money and money dealings. And be content. I wonder how much of our debt comes from not being content with what we have? I know that was true for us. “We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.”

The wisdom that proverbs gives us is to avoid debt. Now again this isn’t sin. If you borrow money or lend money, if you have debt or use debt you are not sinning. But here is the wisdom that really impacted Suzanne and I. Debt makes us slaves to the those whom we have borrowed money from.

Proverbs 22:7

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

Proverbs says if you borrow money from a bank, friend, family member or anyone it changes your relationship with them. You make yourselves a slave to them. And if you lend money to other you become a master to them. Again this isn’t sin but debt changes your relationships. You become a slave to the bank, credit card company, or your parents.

Thanksgiving dinner feels different when you owe your parents—or your kids owe you.

Do you know what the most marketed product in our culture is? It’s not cars, food, clothes, or electronics. It’s debt. I was watching game 2 of the world series and I lost count of the credit card, mortgage commercials they played. Then even during a break in the game there it was again, Master Card had A-rod and Jeter accepting a $5million check to cancer research. Every store, gas station, even Amazon—what do they ask? Would like you like to apply for a store credit card.

It's no mistake that it’s called Master Card. Owe them money and they will be your master. How much are they paying Samuel L Jackson to say, “what’s in your wallet”. Or Will Ferrel to sing “I want to pay with you everywhere.”

The avg American carries a balance of $6,730 on their Credit Card. 45-60% of credit card users say they carry a balance month to month. The Avg Car payment is $734 a month. And look I’m not judging that was us. At one point we had $1,300 a month in car payments, and larger then avg balances on our cards. Been there and done that.

But now for the Hamilton’s we decided we didn’t want to be slaves to Discover, Nelnet, Wells Fargo and Capital One anymore. Because the borrower is slave to the lender.

In the Hamilton house we also don’t lend money to others. Because we don’t want to be anyone’s master. If we have it and someone needs it, we give it—we don’t lend it. Now that’s our house. You get to decide what your house is going to do. It’s your house and you’re a grown up and stuff. But for the Hamilton’s we don’t borrow or lend money. Again this isn’t sin, but you have to be honest with yourself and know that debt changes your relationships whether with the bank, friend or family.

The Hamilton’s also don’t co-sign for other people. Here’s why.

Proverbs 22:26-27

Proverbs 22:26–27

Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts;

27 if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

If a bank who will lend money to just about anyone says we wont lend this person money, that they are asking you to co-sign or put up security for their debt, what makes us think we should. Who’s on the hook when they don’t pay? You if you co-sign. And you will because they wont. My dad co-signed for a car a was trying to get a loan for. Do you know who ended up making the payment. Him. Proverbs 17:18 says the one who has no sense is a co-signer for a neighbor. My dad had no sense and I didn’t either.

Proverbs 17:18

Again this isn’t sin. But in the Hamilton’s we don’t co-sign for others. We don’t lend to others.

So there is a lot of wisdom about what we shouldn’t do with money but what should we do with it?

First we need to have a change of heart when it comes to money. God is the owner of everything we are and have. We are His mangers.

Psalm 24:1

Psalms 24:1

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

Everything belongs to God—including you and me. Everything we have, including our money, is His. And God has entrusted us with what we have to use it His way and for His glory.

1 Peter 4:10

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

The word ste-ward isn’t a word we use a lot today, but it means, what we might think of as a manger. God is the owner and He has entrusted us to manage it. He has gifted us our time, our talents, and our money to use for His purposes and for His glory in service to others. So we need to be faithful managers.

As Journey Church Every day we joyfully give God the best of everything we are and everything we have. We trust that Jesus is all we need, being transformed by who He is and what He has done.

If we are going to be faithful mangers with God’s resources that He has entrusted to our care. We must have a plan.

Proverbs 21:5

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Make a plan for your money before the money come into your account. That’s called a budget. If you are married make this plan together. It’s always interesting to me when married couples wont combine their finances. I mean you share a house, bed, have kids, but when it comes to money, I have many she has hers. Jesus didn’t say the two will become a joint venture. No He said the two will become one. Sit down with your spouse if your married if your single sit down and make a budget for the next month before your paycheck even hits your account. Remember it will spout wings if you don’t tell it where to go.

Live on less then you make. Remember what Proverbs 13:11 said Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Proverbs 13:11

Gather little by little. Give every dollar a job. Tell it what it’s going to do, so it doesn’t tell you what do.

In the Hamilton House we do a monthly budget. Income-expenses= $0. Now that doesn’t mean that we spend every dollar but we have given every dollar a job.

At the top we have the paycheck income.

Our first line item in our house is God. and that is the giving we do to God’s Kingdom work here a Journey Church.

Then food, transportation gas for the cars, housing, light bill, waters, gas for the house. Then we list out our other expenses.

We also plan for our future. We’ve built up an emergency fund of 3-6months of expenses. And this is for emergencies only. Unexpected immediate needs. We had to replace our fridge a couple months back. A couple weeks ago had have some work done to my car. So we had to rebuild our emergency fund.

But also we put money into our retirement fund and Camden’s education fund. And other goals like house remodels, and trips. And because we have gotten out of debt we have more margin to do those things. We also have margin to give more to other organization or other people who are in need.

If you want to be a faithful manger of God’s resources make a plan and stick to it. If you cant make it work on paper it wont work in reality. If you have never done a budget give yourself 90days. You will make mistakes. Groceries will be more then you thought. That kids sporting event or field trip will pop up. But make a plan and stick to it. Live on less then you make.

Be generous.

Proverbs 3:9

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops

Proverbs 11:24-26

Proverbs 11:24–26

We see this all through Proverbs and scripture this idea of generosity. Because generosity helps us to keep money in its rightful place in our hearts and lives. Generosity loosens money’s grip on our hearts and reminds us who it really belongs to. It reminds us that all that we are and have is God’s and is to be used to serve others.

Give to the work of God’s kingdom. Whether that is here at Journey Church or some other place. Make sure where you are giving is also being a good managers of God’s resources. That’s why we are very transparent about the finances here at Journey because we want you to know how we are using the resources God is entrusting to us. In a couple weeks we will give another financial update but anytime you can ask any of us elders or Ed and we will love to talk with you and share the financials. If you are a part of Journey Church and want to give we have a couple way you can do that: online jointhejourney.church under giving or in the box on the back table. Give to the work of God’s kingdom.

Give to help others in need. We are called to help those who are truly in need. And we should give not only with our money but with our talents and with our time to care for their needs. Be generous with what God has entrusted to you to serve others.

Proverbs 19:17

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.

Jesus said where our treasure is there our hearts will be. What does your bank account say about what’s important to you? Where is your heart at?

Don’t put your trust in riches. Don’t love it. Don’t be greedy or dishonest with it. Realize that all you are and have is God’s. He is the owner and you and I are the mangers. Manage it well. Make a plan, stick to it. Be generous.

God doesn’t just teach us about generosity—He shows it. The greatest act of generosity wasn’t financial; it was spiritual. God gave His Son so we could have eternal life.

John 3:16-17

John 3:16–17

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

God has been so generous to us. He gave Jesus his one and only son for you to not parish but to be saved. Today, maybe you need to respond to God’s generosity. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish Come and put your faith in Jesus—repenting of your sins, making Him your Savior and Lord, meeting Him in baptism. Wont you come and respond to God’s generosity today.