Wise Financial Management
Biblical principles for being good stewards of God's resources.
Shelley Cochrane
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."—Mark 12:41-44
Thinking about the poor widow in this passage from Mark, we marvel at her generous heart toward her heavenly Father. Jesus points out that she put in everything she had. My question is, was that wise financial management? Would God be pleased if I mailed a check today for the total sum of money I have in my possession and then prayed for him to provide? If I liquidated my retirement, savings, and checking accounts today, I would become insolvent. Would that be wise?
We accept that we must be good stewards, but how much of what God owns does he want us to keep? Wise financial management presupposes that we retain a portion of what God owns. But we can't assume that he has released it to our ownership. Scripture teaches that God has given us the responsibility to distribute his resources as he wills. God-honoring ministries should be expected to do the same.
I asked four Christian leaders to comment on how they apply biblical principles to their ministry's financial management: Ron Sheveland, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Yucaipa, California; Charles Davis, international director of The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM); Mike McCorkle, CEO of Camp Sambica near Bellevue, Washington; and Ralph Enlow, president of the Association for Biblical Higher Education. Their responses fell into categories of income and expenses. A theme emerged: They said that God-dependence, not self-reliance, must dictate their thought processes. Here is a summary. Some of these are general overview statements, and others are direct quotes.
How does an attitude of God-dependence shape your view of ministry income?
• Be a channel, not a storehouse. God expects us to live as a channel, not a storehouse. God's promise to Abraham was that he would bless Abraham and his descendants, and that they would be a blessing to others (Gen. 12:2-3). God intends for his provision to flow through us for the benefit of others.
• Vision first, finances second. We must value vision first, finances second. All true vision comes from God, the quintessential visionary. God will provide resources for the vision that align with his purposes.
• Trust God daily for provision. Jesus prayed, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11). God provided for the children of Israel traveling through the wilderness by sending fresh manna every morning. One leader said he has a negative visceral reaction when asked, "How much money do we need? How much do we have?" He believes those are inappropriate questions.
• Champion abundance, not scarcity. "We must be convinced of God's abundance and reject assuming scarcity. Kingdom resource development is not a zero-sum game. There is no scarcity of resources, only a paucity of vision, faith, and revival," said Ralph Enlow.
Scripture teaches that God has delegated to us the responsibility to distribute his resources as he wills.
How does self-reliance manifest itself regarding ministry income?
• A need to control. Leaders become dependent on income projections and won't move forward without being able to predict future revenue. They unwittingly rely more on external economic indicators, which are tangible, than on the leading of the Holy Spirit, which is intangible.
• Pragmatism in fundraising. Leaders shift appeals from examples of what God is doing to emotional pleas for urgent funding before the fiscal year end. Their focus becomes doing what works in order to avert a financial crisis.
• Anxiety. Self-reliance manifests itself in a loss of joy and constant worry about the budget.
• Competition. This results in envying others' ministries that are getting dollars and volunteers, and a desire to compete.
How does depending on God affect your approach to managing ministry expenses?
• Generous giving. God wants us to give even if we don't have enough. TEAM gave a gift to an outside ministry during a year when it had no guarantee of sufficient income. "Giving even when you aren't sure you will have enough drives a knife into the heart of the Enemy, who wants to control you," said Charles Davis.
• Plans saturated in prayer. Ron Sheveland is inspired by Nehemiah. "Nehemiah prayed and then acted. He was so confident in talking to God that he concluded his prayer by starting to plan, convinced that God would come through," he said.
• Walking in step with the Spirit. Mike McCorkle said, "You must be willing to let go of your personal agenda to change in the direction of the Holy Spirit's leading. Hold your own desires and goals with an open hand."
• Valuing people over finances. The process of financial resource acquisition involves cultivating human resources—relationally engaging people who will be co-investors in realizing the vision. Human resources are more precious and more difficult to acquire than financial resources and should be sought before and above financial resources.
How does self-reliance manifest itself in managing ministry expenses?
• Being risk averse. "Risk aversion does not characterize godly, biblical stewardship any more than does extravagance or carelessness," stated Enlow.
• Shortsighted spending. Sheveland said, "I hear people say 'conserve, conserve, conserve.' Our problem is not that we have invested too much but that we have invested in the wrong things. Rather than slowing down, we need to be focused on the heart of God and what he is doing, as well as invest in the right things and move our feet in action."
• Fractured unity. The focus becomes survival and longevity.
Applying the truths of an infinite God in a finite, fallen world has always required humans to commune moment by moment with their Creator. God desires communion with his children and their daily dependence on him, not self-reliant followers who manage his resources based on their understanding of him.
Economic pressures may ultimately be a blessing if they lead to wise financial management—namely, the distribution of God's resources to accomplish his purposes. But more importantly, difficult times may prompt reflection that leads us to more than a wise use of finances. A thorough self-examination may also ignite a revival that grows into a deeper communion with God, our redeemer, sustainer, and the lover of our souls.
The God-Dependence vs. Self-Reliance Grid
God-Dependence
Income
Be a channel, not a storehouse
Embrace vision first, finances second
Trust God daily for his provision
Champion abundance, not scarcity
Expenses
Give generously
Saturate your planning in prayer
Walk in step with the Spirit
Value people above finances
Self-Reliance
Income
Need to control
Pragmatism
Anxiety
Competition
Expenses
Risk aversion
Exaggerated priority of finances
Short-sighted spending
Fractured unity
Shelley Cochrane served on the senior leadership team of The Evangelical Alliance Mission during a time of strategic restructuring. She gave direction to fund development, mobilization, church relations, and communications. Shelley is currently a principal with OneAccord Not-for-Profit (OneAccordPartners.com/NFP).
Copyright © 2009 Christian Leadership Alliance.
