Savvy stewardship is eerily absent in many churches. Simple financial solutions are desperately needed. Financial statistics are alarming. I won’t bore or scare you with them here. Trust me, they are awful.
We at The Profit Dare are developing an online curriculum (Savvy Stewardship Academy) and a companion book (Savvy Stewardship Secrets) to combat financial frustration in the church.
Christians are no better off financially than their non-Christian friends. This is unfortunate as we have divine privileges to generate wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Savvy Stewardship Academy (S2A) is a bold step in the right direction. It originates in the Parable of the Unjust Manager (Luke 16:1-15). Christians are in desperate need of Bible-based stewardship instruction.
Here’s a sneak peek at S2A. This revolutionary course is scheduled to be available on Black Friday 2023.
For now, we’re working hard to make the course available.
Secret #1 — God Owns It All
Luke 16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.
The parable of the unjust manager reinforces the fact that God owns everything. This truth must be fully grasped to practice savvy stewardship.
Secret #2 — Borrowed Conviction Is Short-Lived
Matthew 25:15 To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey.
Personal finance is personal. We must uncover our financial hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
Secret #3 — What’s Measured Can Be Managed
Proverbs 27:23 Know well the condition of your flock, and pay attention to your herds.
Realizing our true financial condition is an important piece to savvy stewardship.
Secret #4 — Earn More Than You Spend
Genesis 26:12-13 Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundred times what was sown. The Lord blessed him, and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy.
We are made in the likeness and image of God. Surely we can optimize our income. Income optimization is easier than scrutinizing our spending.
Both are needed, though.
Secret #5 — Spend Less Than You Earn
Proverbs 21:20 (NLT) The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.
Scrutinizing our spending is a good habit to develop. Lifestyle creep hits us all. There will be times when we must tell ourselves “NO!” and trim some financial fat.
Secret #6 — Make Time Your Ally
Ecclesiastes 11:6 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.
Time is fleeting. It’s also a key piece to the investing equation.
Savvy stewardship requires us to prioritize investing.
Secret #7 — Debt Is Dangerous
Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender.
Debt is dangerous. Some say that debt is dumb. I will respectfully disagree with that notion.
Downsizing debt is a key component of savvy stewardship.
Secret #8 — That Pig Won’t Stuff Itself
Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.
Savvy stewards work at supersizing their savings. Embrace the act of saving money.
Secret #9 — Bad Things Happen To Good People
Proverbs 27:12 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover; the inexperienced keep going and are punished.
Savvy stewards think through various events and rightsize their risk. Ignoring potential issues is a recipe for disaster.
Secret #10 — Family Comes First
I Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
The Bible encourages believers to care for their families, to honor their parents, and to leave an inheritance to their grandchildren.
Family comes first — even before the church.
Secret #11 — Embrace The Grace Of Giving
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
God has given us His grace to give charitably. Jesus set the ultimate example. Paul is asking, “Will you do the same?”
Here’s a link to an article that I wrote titled, The Grace of Giving.
Secret #12 — Discipline Is Greater Than Motivation
Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to those who ignore discipline, but the one who accepts correction will be honored.
We all need motivation from time to time. A disciplined approach to stewardship pays huge dividends.
Savvy stewards systematize their financial lives.
Secret #13 — Wealth Creation Is Inevitable
Deuteronomy 8:18 But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, in order to confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Wealth creation is inevitable to the person who patiently and persistently practices these savvy stewardship secrets.
Savvy stewards maximize wealth.