Four Keys to Helping You Find the Balance Between Saving and Hoarding

For those of you new to Free Money Finance, I post on The Bible and Money every Sunday. Here's why.

The following is an excerpt from The Bible and 21st Century Finances (a free eBook offered to people who subscribe to Money Help For Christians).

1.  Remember, you are not God’s standard.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye (Matthew 7:3)?

 

The Christian community provides accountability. It is important that we are accountable to each other in our actions. However, accountability can cross a fine line and become judgment. That is a dangerous line to cross. Your job is not to monitor the saving habits of others, but to be a faithful steward with what you have been entrusted.

One could chastise a fellow Christian for owning a BMW or having a million dollars. A fellow third world citizen could just as easily condemn that person for owning a computer. And their neighbor might question why they own a pair of shoes.

Your financial situation is not God’s standard. In other words, you cannot say that if someone has more stuff than you they are hoarding. Nor can you say that if someone has less than you they must be squandering their money.

Who ultimately gets to decide?

The decision is one of proportion – proportionate to our income, proportionate to our call, proportionate to our faith, proportionate to our joy, and proportionate to our giftedness. Consider the following words by Elizabeth O?Connor (recorded in Devotional Classics):

Proportionate to what?  Proportionate to the accumulated wealth of one’s family? Proportionate to one’s income and the demands upon it, which vary from family to family? Proportionate to one’s sense of security and the degree of anxiety with which one lives? Proportionate to the keenness of our awareness of those who suffer? Proportionate to our sense of justice and of God’s ownership of all wealth? Proportionate to our sense of stewardship for those who follow after us? And so on, and so forth.  The answer, of course, is in proportion to all of these things.

In other words, we ought to focus on our financial decisions rather than being consumed with the decisions that others make.

2. Recognize your God given limitations.

 

Speaking directly in reference to missions, missiologist Paul Hiebert wrote, “There are limits to our ability to identify with another culture … we must identify as closely as we can with a culture, but not at the expense of our sanity and ministry.”

Hibert recognizes that we each have a different relationship with our stuff?.

Some families stay at home and avoid the restaurant to save money. They absolutely love the experience of eating at home. Another family eats out often because cooking is a burden and a chore. Is one family more spiritual than another? Absolutely not. Each is acting in accordance with their limitations.

Do we need to stretch and grow? Of course. But, at the same time, we do need to realize that God has not created us all alike. We all spend money on certain categories that others would consider to be extravagant.

3. What gives you joy?

I think the key to this question – what is the right saving balance? – revolves around this very important word: joy.

Mother Teresa, by all legendary accounts, was an amazing woman. While she lived in the slums of Calcutta, she lived life with joy. Her poverty was not a burden. She answered her call, recognized her passions, and lived a life that completely overflowed with joy. You can read part of an interview with Mother Teresa at the bottom of my post on characteristics of the wealthy, poor, and middle class.

Dave Ramsey, on the other hand, is a man who is passionate about helping people build wealth. He is happy to teach you how to become a millionaire. He seems to have little guilt associated with the wealth, and he often attributes his wealth as a blessing from God. He also recognizes his passions and lives a life that is, in his own words, better than he deserves.

4. Check your motives.

You might have unhealthy reasons for saving. You might save out of fear or greed. This leads to hoarding. Ultimately, your motivations dramatically impact the end result.

Saving becomes hoarding when you do it out of unhealthy motivations.

Comments

[Alex]

This is a nice article. I especially like point 1. It is very easy to think that anyone with more than you spends extravagantly while another is a hoarder. I've often had this point-of-view but might not after reading this.

[Rob Bennett]

I think the key to this question – what is the right saving balance? – revolves around this very important word: joy.

There's no joy to be found in hedonism. Hedonism is a lonely and desperate pursuit.

But, yes, different people reach the point at which they recognize hedonism in themselves at different places. That is not for us to judge. We need to struggle to be honest with ourselves about it, knowing that God will be the judge.

My hope is the He grades on a curve! (That's a joke, but it is indeed a concern of mine -- I live my life as if He grades on a curve and I worry that I may end up in the soup if that ends up not being so).

Rob

[MrAtoZ]

One point of clarification as it relates to Mother Teresa: The book, Come Be My Light, that came out 4 years ago, consisting of private letters she wrote, would hardly lead one to conclude she lived a life of joy, at least spiritually.
At times - one can question how often such feelings were present - she felt great spiritual pain.
You can read a shorter summary of it here :http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html

[Emily]

This is exactly what I have had to struggle with lately. DH and I are on a plan that is going to allow us to live our dreams in a couple of years...
BUT...

we need to make sure we are still giving. We need to make sure our investing isn't simply out of greed, but b/c we believe God has called us to the vision we have. We need to make sure we are still enjoying life while we work toward the goal.

Great thoughts on the subject!

[Georgia]

Rob - I heard a song (new to me) the other day that said, "God grades on the cross, not on the curve."

As to Mother Teresa, I don't doubt that she often had doubts and when she had doubts and worries, she wrote to others for reassurance. But I also don't doubt that she really did have moments of great joy and did not need to write to others then, as she would have had no doubt that God was there.

And her life was filled with so much pain and misery of the people around her that it would be hard to be constantly joyful. If we bear others burdens, we will feel their pain.

We obey God, not because it makes us feel good, but because He asks it of us. The words of Jesus, "if you love me, you will serve me."

[hejingjoy]

I think the four points of the summary is very good. Different people reach the point at which they recognize hedonism in themselves at different places. That is not for us to judge. Every man for himself the balance of the savings have their own practice.If you approach is bad, you can follow the above practice try it, you'll have the different results.
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