The Secrets to Financial Stability

Our nation is currently experiencing one of the most difficult financial downturns in our history. Many families have lost their jobs, their homes and their retirement funds. Some areas of the country have been hit harder than others and some families have experienced more loss than others. While there is no way to guarantee financial success, there are three simple secrets that churches need to teach to their congregations in order to give them financial stability. What are these three simple secrets? 1. Do not accumulate debt, 2. Save a little of your money each month, and 3. Always tithe to your church. Older generations knew these three secrets and most practiced them. Few young people in our postmodern era have grasped these concepts yet. If young people do not learn these secrets, their lives will be much more difficult than they need to be.

Debt has become a way of life for far too many Americans. Young people graduate from college with students loans and credits card bills and often a car payment. They are in significant debt before they get their first real paycheck. Their parents are seldom any better off. This cycle of debt limits young people’s futures and often destroys their hopes and dreams. We must teach young people not to spend what they don’t have. While from time to time a situation may arise that requires a person to accept some level of debt, that level should always be as low as possible and be paid off as quickly as possible.

Saving was a virtue of the older generation, but often unheard of in younger generations. There are many reasons to save. Perhaps it is to buy a large item like a car, or perhaps it is for a down payment on a home, or maybe a long awaited vacation or just to have a rainy day fund for emergencies. Whatever the purpose of saving, the same principle applies. A small amount saved consistently over a period of time begins to accumulate faster than what one may think. Paying cash for a big purchase, or having an emergency fund to draw from when the car breaks down, not only feels good, it just makes good economic sense.

Learning to tithe to one’s church is an important spiritual discipline. Some people think they cannot afford to tithe. But the reality is that a Christian cannot afford NOT to tithe. The prophet Malachi has strong words for those who fail to tithe; he says they are robbing God. God has promised to bless those who do tithe and keep the “destroyer” away. Christians who choose not to tithe are missing out on this blessing. Many Christians are constantly broke and seem to have one financial calamity after another. When we find ourselves in such a situation, we may need to examine our checkbook and make sure we have been tithing like God asked us to.

Though there is no guarantee in the bible to the Christian for financial success, knowing these three secrets and putting them into practice sure can give believers greater financial stability. In these difficult days, financial stability is a blessing of its own.




For a complete study on tithing read: "Malachi: Finding Hope in the Midst of Adversity."