In his famous and wonderful devotional book My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers warns “Do Not Calculate Without God”. So often we make our plans and neglect to honestly factor God and His will first and foremost in them.
By contrast Chambers lists three points in his devotional for July 5th (I was flipping through and came across it). First, the obvious, “Don’t calculate without God.” Second, “Don’t calculate with evil in view”; we know there is evil in the world, but we ought to live and plan in ways that don’t exhibit a guardedness because the world is evil. Third, “Don’t calculate with the rainy day in view.” It is this last one that I want to quote verbatim so you see his words, not mine:
You cannot lay up for a rainy day if you are trusting Jesus Christ. Jesus said–”Let not your heart be troubled.” God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command–”Let not…” Haul yourself up a hundred and one times a day in order to do it, until you get into the habit of putting God first, and calculating with Him in view.
What do you make of that? Is he talking about long-term or short-term or well, every-term? Does it exhibit disobedience and/or distrust by saving for a rainy day?
Jesus used parables of wise and unwise investors. Charles Spurgeon, in the 1800s, took some flack after he concluded from the Scriptures that to buy into that new financial vehicle of the time, life insurance and especially life insurance over 80 for the elderly, was actually not a sin but an acceptable form of providing for one’s family. Randy Alcorn and other believers who write about financial stewardship (and the late Larry Burkett before them all) also speak of the importance of building up a little savings whenever possible.
If anyone has knowledge of Chambers–his life or other writings–and would like to leave a comment, I’d be very interested to hear a fuller treatment of his thoughts on this, although to write “You cannot lay up for a rainy day if you are trusting Jesus Christ” sure seems thought-provokingly plain.
At face value I take that comment as meaning that we shouldn’t plan with fear of a rainy day, or with a rainy day as our primary goal. I currently serve at a small church that has an “investment” balance that would turn large churches green with envy. In the 7 months that I have been here they speak of that money as their security net; would if the A/C units ALL go out at the same time, would if we get sued by one of the kids from the bus ministry, etc.
For many of them that money is their security and for this reason they can’t fathom touching it. I may be incorrect on my assumption of Mr Chambers’ meaning but that is what I understood when I read it.
If you don’t plan for the rainy day are you going to have to pay for it with a credit card?
Americans are ‘consumers’. We were brought up that way: advertising and ‘keeping up with the Jones’ and all that, you know.
But some of us, who are older, had parents who were not brought up that way. My father saved every nickel he could, had at one time three jobs (it nearly killed him), and my mom recorded in a notebook every penny spent and what it was for (she was an accountant by profession, so this was her ‘thing’). We lacked for nothing important, but that means we were well-fed, good medical and dental care, good shoes, good schools, and Pop occasionally purchased for us things like books, a telescope, a microscope, and other assorted educational benefits. No ‘indulgence’, though.
He, himself, had only one suit and one good pair of shoes.
My mom and dad knew from the depression not to ‘take things for granted’, and they ‘saved’. But then, when the time came for university for all of us, and medical school eventually for my brother, the money was in the bank, put there by the father with the one good suit, and the one good pair of shoes.
We Americans are ‘consumers’. But we have lost a lot of the understanding about what is REALLY important, I’m afraid.
Tough balance here. We are told not to worry about tomorrow but to deal with the evil we face today. On the other hand, Proverbs talks about saving and such things.
I am guessing that two people could do the very same thing for two different reasons (one to provide for the future and the other to try to avoid any pain and suffering) and have different results.
This is kind of a tough one for me.
Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise.
I think most of us can apply the test of reasonableness to such advice.
But there are not a few of the brethren, I’m referring to SBC clergy, who figure it will all work out…retirement, health insurance, stuff like that. In our society and probably in our social circles, church, that means that the irresponsibility of the one who spiritualizes planning and saving merely transfers at least some of that task to friends, family, church, and government.
They are unwise. We get penalized.
William is exactly right here. We do want to live by faith but that can quickly turn into presumption.
I’ve seen one particular ministry we’re involved in (not our church) take the attitude that “God will provide” and distort it to mean they didn’t need to be responsible with their finances. They’ve spend through thousands of dollars of savings in just a couple of years and are now struggling to pay bills, but they still expect churches and other donors to bail them out. It’s sad and frustrating to see Christians act so irresponsibly.
If I understand Chambers right, I disagree with him. As much as possible, we should contribute to retirement and save some money if possible.
Unless God very strongly and specifically leads you otherwise.
Also, as God leads, give generously. He does have a great way of providing.
David R. Brumbelow
PS – All you young preachers out there – start contributing NOW to your Guidestone Retirement. Have the church take it out of your salary (before they pay you) and send it in; that way you don’t miss it. And if the church wants to add some to it, that is all the better. Increase what you send to Guidestone Retirement every now and then.
Warning, old age and retirement are coming sooner than you think. And read a little Dave Ramsey every now and then.
Seems to me there are at least two Biblical goals in putting aside some money: to not be in need (I Thess. somewhere) and to give/share. But we are not to bury the talent.
Globally, most of us here are in the 1%. That probably means we rely on material security more, and share less, than we should.
Take into consideration a few things. Unfunded pension plans. Crashing stock market, bankrupt banks given money from government. Many states are on the verge of bankruptcy.
Sure we can plan and save but it still guarantees nothing. Every child born today is in debt to the government several hundred thousand dollars.
Proverbs 22:3 “A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished” (NKJV). A wise man takes precautionary measures to avoid the dangers he foresees can occur. Being a good provider means that the responsible person looks ahead and plans for contingencies. People who don’t do so are left to the elements, create dependency, and become victims of the normal challenges that life presents. In Luke 22:35-36, Jesus changed his instruction for the disciples. Before in Matt. 10, they were not to plan for contingencies. Now in Luke 22, Jesus says that to plan for contingencies is the new requirement for ministry in the world. What changed? In the first instruction, they were moving about amongst their own people who would be friendly and hospitable on most occasions. In the latter situation, they were sent out as “sheep among wolves,” and they were to exercise preemptory caution and look out for their own needs. In all times, wise people have looked ahead and planned for the care of their own. In fact, God says that a man who “cares not for his own household is worse than an infidel.”
I’m with Spurgeon. Proverb 6:6-11 reads: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.”