Earn, Save, Give
John Wesley brought educational and moral reform to England through his powerful sermons and writings. He held unique perspectives on the Christian life that challenged his parishioners, ideas that continue to energize Christians to this day.
However, Wesley was challenged to find financial support for the fledgling movement. In a sermon called, The Use of Money, Wesley encouraged Christians to, "earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." He found people had a hard time doing all three.
For many, the ideas seemed to be in conflict. Of course, they tried to earn all they could, and they understood the value of saving. Having the ability to save and give at the same time seemed to cancel each other out. If basic living expenses remain constant, the only way to increase savings is to decrease giving. Or the only way to increase giving is to decrease savings.
Today, we face the same dilemma. How can we earn enough to save enough and give enough? The answer is both simple and difficult, especially if we only try to reconcile saving with giving. The equation takes all three elements to solve. We need to equip ourselves to meet the challenge.
Developing Balance In Our Giving
As we develop a lifestyle of giving, we strive for balance. With the heart of a good steward, we practice all three—earning, saving, and giving—as best we can.
We provide our best work, to earn as best we can. We patiently meet the obligations of life, including saving for future expenses. Some of those expenses we can plan for, like education and home maintenance. Other expenses might surprise us, like unforeseen medical needs. We also save to care for those who depend on us.
Saving is an important part of any budget. The emergency fund can keep us on track, even in giving. As we save, we also give. As we give faithfully, we trust that God will bless and honor our gifts.
In Malachi 3:10 He says, “…I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing” (Contemporary English Version).
John Wesley understood the importance of balance. Balance comes when we develop long-range plans and objectives. What is your objective for your lifestyle of giving? Do you have a step-by-step plan to accomplish it? If not, taking time to develop a plan could be one of the most important investments you will ever make.
