Secrets from the Ultimate Money Book

As Senior Pastor Jim White fills us in on the Bible’s secrets for living off what we make, it becomes apparent that the most effective system for living within our means mirrors that of anything else: it all comes down to the choices we make.

In the third installment of Secrets from the Ultimate Money Book, Pastor White presents the “10-10-80” plan. In subsequent weekends he explains the biblical model for living within our means and climbing out of debt. Following the “10-10-80” design, our first 10% of all money we make goes to God through our tithes, our second 10% comes back to us by saving, and we live off the remaining 80%. For students who are already living paycheck to paycheck or who depend solely on money given them by their parents, making a life with only 80% of the balance in their student checking accounts seems absurd. It may even seem a bit comical, until we realize how much money can be saved if we curb our unnecessary spending.

Many students who find it difficult to live within their means while they are in school often learn the hard way that it would have been much easier to forego purchasing a new wardrobe every season or the latest version of the iPhone each year in order to maintain a budget and avoid consumer debt. Not long ago, many students adopted the nonchalant mindset of “I’ll pay off my credit card once I graduate." Now, with the staggering unemployment rate, the idea of scheduling those payments “once you land that awesome job” becomes arbitrary. Talk about hindsight being 20/20.

Among the many steps one can explore to get out of debt and/or to avoid getting into debt, one of the most effective steps is also one people would argue to be the most common sense: if you don’t have the money to purchase something, do not buy it. Chances are you don’t really need it anyway. If you do need something and you don’t have the means to obtain it, trust in God’s promise of provision. As Christ-followers we must do this. If we can’t do this we might as well have no faith at all.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) clearly states: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” It is comforting to know that the God we serve will meet any and all of our needs, from the strength and focus we require to complete a certification exam in our field of study to providing a check we weren’t expecting right when we’ve spent our last dollar. All that is required of us is to step out in complete faith. Psalm 84:11 claims “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Once we have accepted Christ into our hearts and we relinquish all control to Him we can take comfort in knowing He will not withhold blessings from us.