Budget busters are areas that can lead you into financial disaster. When you overspend in one or more areas of your budget, other areas must be reduced to compensate for the overspending. Otherwise, your budget won’t balance and you’ll start to incur debt. We’ll discuss the most common budget busters below.
The following percentages are for a 4-member family with an annual gross income of $130,000 or less. Net Spendable Income (NSI) is the amount that results after tithe and taxes have been subtracted from gross income.
* Don’t buy or rent a house you can’t afford – total housing includes mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, phone, and maintenance.
* Don’t finance closing costs or secure a second mortgage for a down payment.
* Plan and stick to written weekly menus.
* Don’t shop when hungry or hurried. Do shop specials, store labels, and use coupons.
* Buy quality used cars you can afford, and don’t trade in before car’s usefulness is over.
* Auto price, maintenance, gas, tags, taxes, and insurance are all part of cost.
* Consider dropping collision insurance on cars more than four years old.
* Establish a payment schedule to pay all creditors regularly, and get rid of credit cards that you can’t pay in full each month.
* Sacrifice wants and desires – buy with cash until debts are current.
* Find a well-informed, trusted insurance agent to get the best possible provision for the money.
* If you have no medical coverage through employment, consider major medical insurance – it can cover up to 80 percent of medical expenses due to catastrophic illness or injury.
* Recreation-oriented Americans, who are in debt, shouldn’t borrow to entertain themselves.
* Plan vacations during off seasons, select local vacation destinations, consider camping.
* Save money and buy without using credit.
* Purchase off season if possible, and select home washable fabrics and outfits that can be used in multiple combinations.
* Prevention is cheaper than treatment.
* Teach children to eat the right foods and clean their teeth properly. Good diet, rest, and exercise will most likely result in better health.
* Ask doctors and dentists in advance about costs, shop for prescriptions, and ask for generic drugs.
* Without savings, the use of credit and debt becomes a way of life.
* Use payroll deduction for savings. If it’s not available, your bank can automatically withdraw from checking account to savings.
Remember that budgets don’t operate on auto-pilot; they require effort and family understanding. If you’re determined to achieve and maintain a debt-free lifestyle, living on a budget is essential. Don’t bust your budget.
Originally posted 2/16/12.
Part of being a good steward (manager) of what God has provided is to give a portion back to Him. We pay the tithe, or 10 percent, of whatever we receive from Him. That tithe should be paid on our gross salary. It’s not that God needs our money; rather, giving serves as an external, material testimony that God owns both the material and spiritual things of our lives.
The tithe is an indicator of obedience to all of God’s laws. He is looking for the right attitude in our giving.
In the Old Testament book of Malachi we’re told that God wants us to direct our entire tithe into the storehouse. A storehouse in the Old Testament had four functions. It was used to feed
(1) the tribe of Levi and the priests of Aaron
(2) the prophets
(3) the Hebrew widows and orphans living within the city
(4) the widows and orphans of the Gentiles who were living in and around the Hebrew city
However, the equivalent of the Old Testament storehouse in the New Testament, as well as in our present day society, is the local church. God’s Word tells us to bring our tithes into the storehouse (Malachi 3:10). When we obey Him and pay our tithes to the church, God holds the leaders of the church responsible for the distribution of the tithes (Nehemiah 12:44-45, 13:5,13). If we associate the functions of the Old Testament storehouse with the New Testament and current local church, its fourfold function would be to provide for the needs of
(1) the pastor and staff
(2) missionaries and evangelists
(3) widows, orphans, single parents, and invalids in the local church
(4) the unsaved who surround the local church
The tithe belongs to God. It’s our material testimony that God owns everything in our lives. When we take a portion of our tithe and divert it to keep our children in Christian schools, it’s really a gift in self-interest. Educational costs are your normal responsibility. Therefore, if God wants your children to attend private school, He will provide the funds without your having to divert His tithe for that purpose.
Because our tithes are given as a testimony in His name, the ministries that serve in God’s name should be the recipients of our tithes. Therefore, the tithe should not be used to support secular organizations. However, that doesn’t mean that there are not worthy organizations to which you can give. It simply means that the tithe—the first 10 percent of your gross income—should not be used to support secular organizations.
Originally posted 2/15/12
Like all organizations, churches have certain bills and obligations that must be paid: utilities, mortgage or rent, missions commitments, vehicle expenses, staff payroll, insurance, and so on. As with all other areas of financial management, churches must be extra cautious when paying bills and obligations to ensure that integrity is maintained and that they remain above suspicion.
In order to maintain internal control of expenditures, churches should pay all bills and obligations by check. If the church maintains a petty cash fund for small purchases, it should be reimbursed at least monthly by issuing a check to cover the exact amount spent from petty cash. Receipts should be submitted to the treasurer at the time petty cash is reimbursed. Petty cash expenditures must be reconciled with receipts.
The primary purpose for petty cash is to pay for small and immediate expenditures. This allows the purchase of these inconsequential items without the time and expense of processing a check. However, there should be a maximum amount for which petty cash should be used. Many churches do not allow petty cash purchases to exceed $100.
Although it is recommended that all checks written over a certain amount (most churches allow $100 as the minimum) to have two signatures—the treasurer and one other cosigner (pastors should not sign checks under any circumstances). Amounts under the minimum usually need only one signature: the treasurer’s.
Although some churches demand two signatures for every check written to ensure accountability, it can be cumbersome to the treasurer and frustrating, if for some reason the cosigner is out of town or is unavailable.
Whether the church demands that every check have two signatures or two signatures beyond a minimum amount, under no circumstances should the treasurer or cosigner pre-sign blank checks or allow one signer to possess a rubber stamp signature of the other.
Every church, regardless of size, should have a bookkeeping and accounting system that identifies and charts different and various accounts. An accounts chart is a listing of all the different accounts used by the church. Usually, each account is assigned a number to help identify the account and to readily locate the account in the general account ledger.
Every account in the general account ledger should be listed in the accounts chart. Each account should include assets, liabilities, income, and expenses associated with that particular account.
Although every church needs a bookkeeping system that charts accounts, small churches that use a unified budget generally do not need as elaborate a breakdown as larger churches that have a number of different departments and use numerous separate accounts.
But, whether the church is large or small, all need to use account numbers to identify various accounts. Using an account number to identify an account will not only save time, but it will provide a neat and easy way to follow checks and to balance the accounting system.
The method of breaking down fund distributions can be done a number of ways. The most important thing is to use a method that provides the most information with the least amount of detail.
Nevertheless, the best system for churches is one that identifies each department by numbers and each account within a particular department with sub-numbers. There are many helpful resources available online to help churches with accounting and bookkeeping.
Originally posted 2/2/12.
Although it is each individual’s responsibility to learn God’s principles of finance as presented in the Word of God, most American Christians today don’t know where to begin, what to study, or how to implement what they have studied. Therefore, accepting the responsibility of teaching the biblical principles of finance should become a primary emphasis of all pastors.
God has given us more than 2,350 verses in the Bible to instruct us in how to be good stewards of what God has placed in our care, making it second to the subject of love as the most discussed subject in the Bible. In fact, two-thirds of the parables that Jesus taught are about money, possessions, and stewardship.
Scripture gives us very clear direction regarding earning, spending, saving, investing, giving, getting out of debt, and teaching children how to handle money. In short, the Bible addresses every aspect of every area of handling money. Yet, most Christians are unaware of the biblical principles because their ministers have not taught them the principles. In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus issued the Great Commission:
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The first step in fulfilling the Great Commission is to evangelize all nations. However, the second part of the command, “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you,” has been largely ignored with respect to one of the most addressed subjects in the ministry of Jesus: God’s financial principles. Ministers must obey Christ’s command to make disciples by teaching people all that He taught. Because God says so much about money, ministers disobey the Lord if they neglect to teach His financial principles.
Most Christians believe that the Lord plays no part in their finances, but the Scripture reveals that He plays the central role as owner of all things (see Psalm 24:1).
If Christians have been taught any of God’s financial principles, usually it is confined to handling the tithe, 10 percent of their incomes. And although this is crucial, they don’t understand the Lord’s perspective for handling the other 90 percent. For those Christians who do tithe, most feel that once they have given their tithe and occasionally special offerings, the remaining 90 percent of their income is theirs to do with as they please. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Because all—including income, assets, and possessions—belongs to God; we own nothing. We are merely stewards or managers of what actually belongs to Him. Hence, we do not have the liberty to spend as we see fit. We are obliged to manage in a way that we know would be pleasing to Him and in a way that we feel He would want it to be managed.
If ministers are to be effective in presenting the message of the Great Commission, they cannot fail to address the subject of financial stewardship. By neglecting to teach the biblical principles of finance, a major segment of Jesus’ command, exemplified by His message, will be silenced.
Originally Posted January 25, 2012
U.S. savings bonds—often given as graduation, baptism, birthday, and wedding gifts—are popular because they are, for all practical purposes, 100 percent risk free, and they can be easily purchased at most banks, at government financial institutions, at work, or through the U.S. Treasury either by mail or online. However, until the introduction of the I type savings bond, bonds—typically EE savings bonds—offered little growth potential.
I bonds are U.S. government savings bonds issued at face value. This means that to purchase a $100 type I bond, it would cost $100. In contrast, traditional EE savings bonds are discounted bonds. They are usually issued at one-half the face value. This means that to purchase a $100 type EE bond, it would cost $50.
Unlike EE bonds, I bonds pay two types of interest—a fixed rate, plus an inflation interest adjustment every six months, based on the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The interest on EE bonds is 90 percent of the six-month averages of five-year Treasury Bills. Also, unlike EE bonds, if the country’s economy runs into a period of deflation, the value of I bonds does not decrease. I bonds continue to earn interest until they are redeemed or reach final maturity, 30 years from the date of issuance. However, they can’t be redeemed for the first six months after purchase, and any redemption during the first five years will result in a three-month interest penalty.
Like EE bonds, I bonds offer tax incentives to the investor.
(1) Interest is exempt from state and local income tax.
(2) Federal tax on interest (both fixed interest and the semiannual adjustment) can be deferred until bonds are redeemed or reach final maturity.
(3) Interest used to pay for college education costs could be partially or fully excludable (for details concerning this exclusion contact your local Internal Revenue Service representative or inquire online at www.irs.gov). Please note that deductible interest can only be used to pay for higher education costs. It cannot be used to pay for private preschool, kindergarten, elementary, or high school education.
Although I bonds can’t produce the type of growth and income that we have seen over the most recent years in America’s stock market, there are some advantages to investing in I bonds.
* They are safe. Like most security instruments issued by the U.S. government via the U.S. Treasury, I bonds are backed by the full faith of the U.S. government.
* They are easy to purchase. I bonds can be purchased through most larger workplaces, banks, credit unions, government banking institutions (Federal Reserve Banks or Congressional banks), or online at www.savingsbonds.gov. Online I bond purchases are limited to $500 in a single transaction and $30,000 per year. However, they can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you purchase I bonds online, you will need to purchase by credit card, so make sure you can pay off the entire purchase price charged on the credit card within the next billing period. If you can’t, don’t purchase online.
* They don’t require monitoring. Unlike most other investment tools, I bonds can be bought regularly and then forgotten. You do not have to monitor their daily activities to decide whether it is best to sell or not to sell. They continue to build in value until final maturity. There is no annual reporting required and no annual tax implications.
* They are excellent investment tools for children under 14. Children in this group with income otherwise subject to the kiddie tax can benefit by investing in I bonds. Since interest on the bonds does not need to be reported annually, they are usually not subject to additional kiddie tax.
They can be used for education. Parents may want to invest in I bonds so that they can be redeemed to pay for college expenses. If parents’ income is below a threshold amount in the year the bonds are redeemed, the interest could be fully excludable. If I bonds are in the parents’ names they don’t count against a student qualifying for student aid.
* They are logical alternatives to CDs. People who routinely buy bank CDs and regularly roll them over may want to consider I bonds. I bonds are safer than CDs, they usually pay a higher interest rate, and they are exempt from state and local tax. However, they are not as liquid as CDs.
Type EE U.S. savings bonds are the type of bond that most average Americans think about when considering investing in savings bonds. However, if you are interested in safe, worry free, long-term investing with deferred tax implications you might want to investigate type I U.S. savings bonds. Although they have more restrictions than EE regarding immediate redemption, if you are able to keep them to maturity, the benefits far outweigh the restrictions.
Originally posted 1/19/2012.
Eternally attractive to mankind, precious metals have found their principal use as a store of value. Because of their rarity and durability, for thousands of years precious metals have been accepted almost universally as money.
Because the value of gold (the most recognized of all precious metals)—what it can buy in real goods and services—has remained remarkably stable for the past 500 years, it is widely sought after throughout the world for both its investment qualities and its industrial properties.
The ownership of precious metals, particularly gold, has become controversial over the past 75 years. What has probably created the controversy in precious metals is the belief that the economy is moving toward collapse and gold, specifically, and other precious metals, to an extent, will be the salvation of all wealth.
There could be some truth in that belief if the economy does collapse under the weight of its excessive debt burden, because it is possible that precious metals could appreciate greatly in value during that time. The fallacy of that theory is to believe that gold or any other precious metal will become the principal means of transacting business.
With the highly volatile situation in today’s stock market, many investors are fleeing paper assets, moving out of the high tech stocks, and protecting their savings by adding precious metals, especially gold, to their portfolios.
Although market cycles are permanent facts of life, gold has maintained its long-term value. As an investment, gold typically is viewed as a financial asset that will maintain its value during times of political, social, or economic distress. This is why gold is often purchased as a hedge against inflation and currency fluctuations.
As such, gold is commonly viewed as providing individual and institutional investors alike with a portfolio safety net against sharp downward spikes in complementary assets, such as stocks and bonds.
In the past, fixed assets, such as precious metals, have held their value relative to other assets. Typically, because precious metals represent the more stable asset in times of economic difficulty, precious metals will usually do well in a volatile economy, particularly in a hyperinflationary period, simply because they are still recognized as standards of value by most investors worldwide.
Solomon, in his wisdom, offers an excellent investment strategy in Ecclesiastes 11:2: “Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.” Solomon found the only path to peace of mind in investment planning was to diversify and surrender the outcome to God. Based on this, it would be wise for investors to make informed choices that are spread out to cover the various categories of the investment spectrum.
Many investors today are hoarding precious metals, especially gold, as economic crisis insurance. Caution and preparation are wise, but no one can prepare for every possible calamity. Because the buying and selling of precious metals is oriented more toward a long-term investment strategy, any long-term financial planning could conceivably include the purchase of some precious metals.
Generally though, the only people who are able to make money with precious metals are the brokers who live off of gullible amateur speculators. Nevertheless, if an investor is interested in investing in precious metals, he or she should limit his or her investment to no more than 5 to 15 percent of the total investment portfolio.
Precious metals are long-term stores of value, highly-liquid, and internationally recognized assets of last resort. They can diversify and stabilize a person’s portfolio, they can protect it against market fluctuations, and they are easy to buy and sell, any time, anywhere in the world.
However, precious metals are very volatile, speculative, and high-risk investments. This investment area is for the investor with a strong heart and cash only. Unless an investor can afford to lose what he or she has invested, this is probably not an area in which a person would want to risk a lot of money, especially savings or retirement funds.
Although a portion of an investor’s investment portfolio could include precious metals, these will probably not protect an investor from financial misfortune in case of an economic crisis.
Originally posted 1/10/12.
Even though there are more churches than ever before in the history of America facing financial problems, there is no simple, quick-fix formula that has proved always to work to reverse financial difficulties. The most obvious thing that pastors, staff, leaders, and congregations should do first is to pray for God’s wisdom and direction. Along with prayer, there are a few principles that, when followed resolutely, have proved to be effective in turning around financially troubled churches and ministries. Some of these principles may seem drastic in today’s credit society, but if they are followed without compromise, financial turn-around has proved to be the ultimate result.
Integrity is key to maintaining credibility—with donors, suppliers, the community, and with employees and staff. If the church makes promises, it must deliver on the promises. Otherwise, credibility will very rapidly decline, and it will take years of faithfulness and financial discipline to reestablish the credibility that was lost.
For churches and/or ministries to survive, they must have positive cash flow! In order to do this, the financial resources that are readily available should be distributed to those whom the church owes.
The first priority should be payroll, followed by utilities, and rent or mortgage. After these obligations have been satisfied, partial payments can be made to vendors that fit into the following categories:
-Vendors who provide vital goods and services
-Vendors who are aggressively threatening to pursue collection procedures
-Vendors whose survival is being threatened because of payments owed them by the church
A difficult but sometimes necessary decision that must be made if cash flow continues to be lacking is to eliminate or restrict money from being allocated to church ministries or departments that consume a lot of cash but produce very little.
Another necessary step is to add no new staff and not to replace those who leave. That could mean that some employees might end up with dual positions and multiple responsibilities.
Evaluate each department and ministry. Determine whether the ministry or department is an integral part needed to fulfill the ministry goals of the church or a marginal necessity. Look at the spending practices of the ministry or department. Does it have the overall good of the church as a primary concern, or is it self-consumed? Are the ministry or department directors and leaders praying about the financial turn-around of the church? Evaluate each aspect of the ministry or department, which includes the attitude and dedication of the leadership.
Whenever the church or ministry is facing a financial crisis, the leaders, staff, and department heads need to be informed of the situation and should be updated regularly. Tell them the state of the finances first. Then suggest ways in which the situation can be improved and the positive consequences if the situation does improve. Finally, allow them to voice their opinions and give suggestions on how to better the situation.
After all suggestions have been received, evaluated, prayed about, and discussed, a plan of action should be developed, implemented, rigidly followed, and strictly monitored.
This may be the most difficult thing to do. Generating new cash may include selling assets such as vehicles, equipment, computers, buildings, and so on. It also could include reducing inventories like paper goods, supplies, and children’s church materials. Eliminate all trips, retreats, outings, cookouts, or any other activity in which the church has or would have a financial obligation.
The senior pastor of a church that is having financial difficulties must regularly keep the financial situation before the congregational body. This allows them to know if there has been any progress in correcting the problem and gives them a tangible need about which they can earnestly pray.
In addition to the suggested principles above, churches or ministries suffering from financial difficulties also need to seek outside help. There are numerous Christian organizations and individuals throughout America that might be willing to help churches and ministries pull out of a financial pit. Contact them, explain the financial situation to them, and ask if they can be helpful. Be sure to ask their price before committing to their service.
Originally Posted December 6, 2011
By Chuck Bentley—The Washington Times—November 18, 2011
With the Tea Party, the issues were clear. Government was too big, taxed too much and needed to rein in its out-of-control spending. Its message was a clarion call for limited government coupled with fiscal responsibility.
At rallies that had the flavor of church picnics, people gathered to address their concerns, bagged their trash and returned to their jobs and homes to continue to lobby their government through constitutional channels.
No such clarity can be found in the encampments that mark the Occupy Wall Street rallies, which occupy little of Wall Street but litter cities across America, creating dangerous environments and showcases of human degradation.
The protesters rail against the structures of government and business while demanding that those same institutions guarantee cradle-to-grave services, funded by people other than themselves. The same flavor of these demands can be found in Greece and Italy, where people rally for the continuation of benefits that no one can afford, to be paid for by others. It is the same demand for financial “fairness” that was propagated by Karl Marx.
Interestingly, the only clearly heard catchphrase from Occupy Wall Street is the call of the “99 percent” (mainstream society) against the privileged and aristocratic “1 percent.” But the definition of the 1 percent depends on who is doing the calculating and from where they hail. The likes of Michael Moore, Jay Z and Warren Buffet strangely have been given a pass.
Few protesters seem to be aware that as citizens of the United States, they’ve already experienced an unfair financial advantage. According to World Bank figures, the poorest 10 percent of Americans have more income than nearly 4 billion other inhabitants of the planet. Put another way, Americans are relatively rich compared to most of their global counterparts.
Even for those in need in this culture, numerous social institutions rally to aid their fellow citizens. Soup kitchens, private charities, churches and shelters for the homeless work through faith-based and community groups to care for the needy. And then there is government.
In August, the number of people in the United States relying on food stamps hit 45.8 million—nearly 15 percent of the population. Food-stamp rolls have risen 8.1 percent in the past year, the Department of Agriculture reports, though the pace of growth has slowed from the depths of the recession.
In 2010, the American labor force was made up of approximately 154 million people. That means that for nearly every three workers, one person was on food stamps—a shocking statistic.
It is interesting to note that according to the Bible, one of the criteria for receiving aid was a willingness to work. Entitlement was not an option. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”
Paul is not being cruel or heartless in this passage. He is expressing a truth that those who are able but unwilling to work should be disqualified from receiving charitable help, thereby allowing their natural need for food to drive their effort to work. This is a profound and often overlooked financial principle.
However, it was a criterion clearly understood by this nation’s founders. The American experience allowed people a level playing field for “the pursuit of happiness.” It created “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.” The uniquely American ideal allows for all people, regardless of race, creed, color or family of origin, to excel. Then and now, it makes no guarantees. Yet this system has produced some of history’s greatest advancements for humanity because of this equal footing known as a meritocracy.
Care for those who did not achieve their dreams fell to their families and fellows in the community— the people who knew them best and understood them most.
Attitudes toward poverty, debt and entitlement make reaching common ground with those in the Occupy Wall Street movement difficult. Compared to many around the world, they live in relative comfort, with access to food, shelter and liberty. But rather than embracing equal opportunity, they seem to clamor for equal outcomes.
This puts them not only in opposition to the Tea Party but in marked contrast to most Americans, who do not support the European versions of socialism that are self-destructing.
Perhaps it is time for the Occupy Wall Street movement to reflect on the words of Paul: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”
Chuck Bentley is CEO of Crown, a nonprofit business and personal-finance policy and education organization, and author of “The Root of Riches: What If Everything You Think About Money Is Wrong?” (Crown Financial Ministries, 2011).
Every church should establish and operate on a budget. Not only is it a useful management tool, but a budget can help pastors teach stewardship to their congregations. By preparing and presenting a budget to the congregation, pastors help their congregations realize that they are responsible for giving to God. They also learn what the money given to the church accomplishes.
Some months before the beginning of a church’s next fiscal year, department heads should submit their projected budget needs for the coming year. These written proposals should be submitted to a budget committee or a committee appointed by the pastor no later than three months, but preferably six months, before the end of the current fiscal year and the beginning of the next fiscal year.
The committee should meet with each department or ministry head and question any part of the budget project that seems to be excessive or unexplainable. If there is an area of disagreement regarding what was proposed and what the committee recommends that cannot be resolved between the department or ministry head and the committee, it should be noted for consideration by the church board.
After going over all departmental and ministry proposed budgets and interviewing the various leaders, the committee should draft an overall proposed church budget for the upcoming year and present it to the board for its approval, making special reference to disputed budgetary items.
The board should then study the committee’s recommendation carefully and analyze any disputed budget items. After much prayer and discussion, the board will draw up a proposed budget and recommend that the budget be presented to the congregation for their approval.
The proposed budget should be presented to the congregation for their approval before the end of the current fiscal year. Once approved by the congregation, any deviation from the budget by any church department and/or ministry must be by special written approval (usually by the board or a board member and the pastor).
Department and/or ministry financial reports that explain all income and expenses should be presented to the board at least quarterly to confirm that each is operating per the approved budget.
Before the congregation approves the proposed budget, pastors need to show them a yearly financial statement related to all budget areas: the previous year’s proposed and approved budget, how much money actually came in and was spent on each budget item, and what is projected for the coming year in the new budget. Afterward, the congregation will have the opportunity to accept or reject the proposed budget.
An approved budget should mark the beginning of a special stewardship emphasis taught by the pastor. It could be for a week or even a month in which every Sunday School class, every group, every meeting, every sermon, and every lesson focuses on the theme of giving, tithing, and stewardship.
Just as families cannot effectively operate without a budget, so also churches cannot operate effectively unless they are financially governed by an operating budget. It is essential for churches to practice and model good stewardship so their members will follow suit.
Originally posted 11/6/11.
Over a 50-year span, the average American spends about 100,000 hours working. A major part of adults’ lives is involved in work, but often with the job comes some degree of dissatisfaction. Perhaps no statistic demonstrates dissatisfaction more than job-hopping tendencies. A recent survey discovered that the average American man changes jobs every four and one-half years, the average woman every three years.
To find satisfaction in our work and to be placed in a position where God can prosper our work, we first need to understand what Scripture teaches about work in general, as well as the responsibilities of both employer and employee.
From the beginning, God instituted work. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). The very first thing the Lord did with Adam was to put him to work for his own benefit. It was not a curse. However, after the fall of Adam, work was included in the curse and was made more difficult.
Work is so important to our daily lives that God commanded us to, “work six days” (Exodus 34:21). In the New Testament, Paul was even more direct concerning work: “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). God’s Word implies that there is dignity in all types of work. It does not elevate one honest profession above another.
Jobs are not merely tasks whereby workers can earn money; they are also a means by which workers can use their talents and abilities to develop character—godly character.
The Word of God reveals three specific responsibilities that God has in connection with work.
1. God gives talents and skills. “Every skillful person in whom the Lord has put a skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work” (Exodus 36:1). God has given each worker unique skills and abilities. It is not a matter of one person being better than another; it is simply a matter of having received different abilities.
2. God gives success. “The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man” (Genesis 39:2). Although we all have different talents and responsibilities, God is the one who is ultimately responsible for our success.
3. God controls promotion. “God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another” (Psalm 75:7). Your boss is not the one who controls whether you will be promoted. God controls promotions based not only on workers’ abilities but also on workers’ faithfulness to the tasks and responsibilities given to them and whether they were good stewards of the responsibilities God had given them. “You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:23). One of the major reasons people experience stress and frustration in their jobs is because they do not understand God’s part in work.
Godly employers usually need to perform a balancing act. Employers are to love, serve, and encourage their employees, but they also are responsible to lead their employees and hold them accountable for the completion of their assigned tasks. According to God’s Word, employers have five primary responsibilities.
1. Serve employees. The basis for biblical leadership is servanthood. “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant”(Matthew 20:26). Employers need to balance efforts to make a profit with an unselfish concern for their employees and treat their employees fairly and with dignity.
2. Communicate. “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6). When employer and employees are committed to accomplishing a particular task and there is good communication between them, nothing—within the will of God—will be impossible. Communication is a two-way street. Employers not only need to speak to their employees, they also need to listen to their employees with sensitive and understanding ears.
3. Hold employees accountable. Employers are responsible for the employees knowing what’s expected on the job. Employers regularly need to evaluate employees’ performance and communicate this to employees.
4. Pay a fair wage. “[The Lord will judge] those who oppress the wage earner in his wages” (Malachi 3:5). “You shall not oppress a hired servant….You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets” (Deuteronomy 24:14-15). Employers must pay fair wages promptly when they are due.
5. Pray to have godly employees. This is not a command; it is a principle. However, employers would be wise to pray that God would send them employees of like faith and belief. Although employers are forbidden to discriminate based on religious belief, employees with like faith eliminate a lot of potential problems that might arise.
The life of Daniel as recorded in the biblical book of Daniel illustrates eight characteristics that made him a good and godly employee. The following are those eight characteristics.
1. Work as if working for the Lord. We actually are serving the Lord in our work; we are not serving people. In essence, we work for the Lord. If employees know and believe this, slothfulness can be greatly diminished.
2. Work hard. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). In Scripture, hard work and diligence are encouraged; laziness is condemned.“He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys” (Proverbs 18:9). However, hard work must be balanced by other primary priorities of life: relationship with Christ, spouse, and family. If work interferes with any of these three relationships, you are working too much.
3. Be honest. Employees should not give cause for their employers ever to question or doubt their honesty.
4. Be faithful. Godly employees need to establish goals of being faithful and excellent in their work and work habits. Then they work hard to attain those goals.
5. Be a person of prayer. Godly employees are people of prayer. If employees do not pray daily regarding their work, the work will suffer.
6. Honor fellow employees. Wherever there are employees there will inevitably be office politics. However, a godly employee will avoid backbiting and slanderous talk about other employees.
7. Verbalize his or her faith. Daniel verbalized his faith in God to those around him. Even so, godly employees will openly declare their faith on their own time and live their lives according to what is pleasing to the Lord and according to the principles of His Word.
The most important question people can ask every day is, “For whom do I work?” If the answer is anything or anyone other than the Lord, the biblical principles of work are not being applied. God’s Word has given some very direct principles concerning work that all Christians should know and observe.
Originally posted 11/4/11.
