financial stewardship

i believe that God created the universe (Genesis 1:1). everything in this world is God's (Psalm 24:1). everything that i see, i touch, i feel, i own are His.

God gave man the authority to govern, utilize and consume all these things. and therefore, we are all God's stewards. (Psalms 24:1. Haggai 2:8) we owe our prosperity to God. (Proverbs 10:22. 1Corinthians 4:7. Ecclesiastes 5:18)

as Christians and servants of God we should know how to handle our finances and learn to spend wisely. we should learn how to create abundance and multiply God's blessings. we should be the instrument of God in distributing His wealth to others especially those who are in need.

why God gives us blessings?

1. to glorify God. Proverbs 3:9 says "honor the Lord with your wealth". God, the source of our wealth, provides us money, possessions and richness not just for our own sake. we should use His blessings to serve Him and to finance His works on earth.

tithing. according to Malachi 3:7b-10, "we rob God if we don't tithe". tithing is a concrete expression of gratitude to God. we give back to God a part of His gift in acknowledgment of His care, protection and love. the tithe consists of 10% of an individual's income after taxes from whatever source. example: wages, rents, investments, business, etc.

the church and its communities need our finances to further Christian mission and to help our brethren. this will be used for members' formation, community activities, administrative expenses, etc.

compute your tithe from your total net income (less tax, etc.).

2. to bless others. we should learn (not force) the virtue of sharing. we receive wealth so that we can share it to others. if only all people in the world will learn the principle of sharing there would be no poor people or poor country in this world. there will be enough for everyone. let's share our wealth with the poor and the needy.

model: the mission and vision of Gawad Kalinga (GK): "less for self, more for others, enough for all."

2.1 resource sharing. it means lending our material resources to care for the specific needs of our others and sisters (Deuteronomy 15:7-8). it is done by means of sharing our material goods or by providing interest-free loans to others in need.

2.2 almsgiving. it means giving money or goods to the needy and poor.

giving is receiving. when you give, you actually receiving God's grace and making yourself an instrument of God in giving His blessings to other people. God uses His people in distributing His wealth and not through some kind of magic. we, as His children, are the key in opening God's door of abundance to His people.

3. for our personal use. we are God's children. our God is the King of all kings. it is only righteous that we share the abundance of His richness. we need these blessings to satisfy our needs and wants. we need to provide for ourselves, our families and our future.

God loves us so much. He doesn't like seeing us buried in debts. He doesn't want us to suffer from poverty. let's take care of His blessings. let's save. let's invest. let's put our money where it can multiply and grow exponentially. invest in mutual funds or create businesses. let's compound His gifts and be a blessing to others.

source: CFC Singles for Christ (SFC) Expanded Talk Outline on Financial Stewardship