7.1 Key themes⤒🔗

• A Christian leader should not love money.
   
• To be free from the love of money, we need two things:
  1. godliness and
  2. contentment.
   
• A Christian leader should be a good and honest steward of:
  1. his personal finances and
  2. the church finances.

7. 2 – 1 Timothy 6:6-11←⤒🔗

^6:6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.

^6:7 For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either.

^6:8 But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that.

^6:9 Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

^6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.

^6:11 But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness.

© NET Bible

7.3 The love of money←⤒🔗

1 Timothy is a letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor. Paul warns this young pastor: “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). This shows us that a Christian leader can easily begin to love money.  This is a great spiritual danger.

Paul does not say that money is evil. He says that the love of money is evil. A person can be rich and still glorify God. Or a person can be poor but still have a love of money, which leads to evil.

The Bible gives us many examples of how the love of money has led people into evil. Think of Gehazi, Elisha’s servant (2 Kings 5). Think of Judas, who was a thief and betrayed Jesus for money (John 12:6; Matthew 26:14-16). Think of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). The love of money causes God’s people to sin.

Therefore, we must look carefully at our own hearts. Ask yourself: Do I wish I could have what other people have? Do I cheat with my tax payments? Am I in debt, because I buy things that I cannot afford? Am I gambling? Am I keeping a part of the Lord’s tithe for myself? Am I always thinking of money and possessions?

7.4 How to stop loving money←⤒🔗

How can we stop loving money? 1 Timothy 6:6 gives an important answer. It tells us that “godliness with contentment is great gain”. “Godliness” means fearing God. “Contentment” means to be satisfied with what God gives you. If you have godliness and contentment, you are truly rich! These two things will keep you free from the love of money.

In Timothy’s time, there were many church leaders who were not content with the money that they had. They wanted to become rich by preaching. They would also say to people, “If you serve God, he will make you rich!” (see 1 Timothy 6:5). Paul says that this is not true. “For we brought nothing into the world, and we take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:7-8).

If we fear God, we will realise that our money does not really belong to us. It belongs to God. God has made us stewards of his money. A steward is a person who takes care of something. We must take care of God’s money, by using it in a way that glorifies God.

A Christian leader “is entrusted with God’s work” (Titus 1:7). Because of this, he must be extra careful with his own money (personal finances). He must also be careful with the money of the church (church finances). In everything he must be a good and honest steward.

7.5 Personal finances←⤒🔗

Here are ten ways in which you can be a good and honest steward in your personal finances:

Learn more about finances (see Proverbs 24:3-4). You should have a basic knowledge of money and banking. 

Make a budget (Proverbs 24:3-4). A budget is a written plan for how you will spend the money that you get. For example, you might be paid at the beginning of every month. Then you can make time at the beginning of every month to write a budget for that month. You can also take more time at the beginning of every new year, to plan ahead for that year.

Save money (Proverbs 21:17; Proverbs 22:3). It can be very difficult to save money, especially when you don’t have a lot of money. But it is important to put some money away every month. Then you will have money to pay for emergencies, such as a sudden illness. Then you will also have money for the day when you cannot work anymore (pension money).

Give to others (Proverbs 3:9-10, Proverbs 11:24). A pastor must also give his tithe!

Try to get insurance (Proverbs 22:3). Otherwise, on the day when disaster comes, you will have to depend on other people to help you.

Stay away from unnecessary debt (Proverbs 22:7). Rather be patient, and wait until you have the money that you need to buy something.

If you have debt or loans, repay them as quickly as possible (Proverbs 22:7).

Be humble in your lifestyle. Some people want to look rich. This can bring them into a lot of financial trouble (Proverbs 12:9; Proverbs 16:8).

Make decisions about money together with your wife. God has given you your wife, to be your helper (Genesis 2:18).

It is a good idea if a pastor can keep records of his ministry expenses. For example, if you have to drive far for your ministry, then keep a notebook in your car and write down if you had to drive somewhere for ministry. If you have to buy things for the ministry (such as Bibles, airtime, or food for people in the church), write it down. In this way you can show to your church what you are doing with the money that God gives you.

7.6 Church finances←⤒🔗

The apostle Paul always worked carefully with the money of the church (for example, see 2 Corinthians 9:5; 2 Corinthians 12:17). Church leaders today should do the same. Here is some important advice:

It is best if the pastor is not involved with the money of the church. If there are deacons who can work with the finances, let them do it. (Of course, sometimes a pastor has no choice and has to help with the finances.)

A preacher should not speak about money all the time. Ask an elder or deacon to speak to the church about church finances.

If someone gives money to the church, the pastor should rather not keep the money with him. There should be someone in the church who keeps and manages the money (a treasurer).

The pastor should not put his own name on the church’s loans or title deeds.

The church’s bank account should be used only for church finances, not for the pastor’s personal finances.

The pastor should be careful when he accepts a gift from someone. The person who has given the gift should still be treated the same as all the other church members (see Deuteronomy 16:19).

The preacher should be honest with his elders and deacons about his financial needs. But he should trust them to take care of him as well as they can. Above all, he should trust God to take care of him. He should not fight to get more money.