Tax week reflections: toward a Biblical understanding of money
For many Americans, this is one of the darkest weeks of the year: it’s the week that taxes are due. If you’ve spent a few hours lately slogging your way through your tax forms (and if you haven’t, you really should get on that), the odds are good that you’ve lamented a few financial decisions, or wondered where all your money went over the course of the year.
As you can well imagine, money concerns and worries top the list of stress-inducing topics for most everybody, rich or poor. Everyone worries about making ends meet—but for Christians, there’s an extra dimension to the whole issue of money and finances. Christians must face the question of how they are to spiritually view the pursuit of wealth, and how they are to manage their money.
The Bible has a lot to say about riches, wealth, and money management, and this week seems like the perfect time to take a look at what God teaches us about money. Whether you’re living from paycheck to paycheck or are swimming in cash, the Bible challenges you to adopt a Christlike attitude toward money. Here are some resources that explore what, exactly, that means:
- The Bible and money: resources for teaching personal money management.
- Jesus’ Parables about money: what does a man who lived 2000 years ago have to say about your money troubles today?
- A Christian view of personal finances: an in-depth Bible study to help you understand and gain control of your money.
- Teaching financial responsibility to Children: how can you help your kids develop sound financial habits in an age of materialism and debt?
- God’s gift of wealth: where does our wealth ultimately come from, and what are we supposed to do with it?
- Managing your money wisely: a short devotional about the place of wealth and money in our lives.
No Christ-follower, no matter how destitute or how rich, is exempt from this call to understand our wealth Biblically. So while finances are on your mind this week, take some time to consider how your financial life intersects with your spiritual life! We’ll be back tomorrow on Tax Day with a few more money-related items to get you thinking. Now, go forth and finish those tax forms!
