Introduction to this blog

While I intend for this blog to go into very practical money saving and money-producing tips, I hope we will often lift ourselves up beyond those details to see the large issues related to Christian finances. I want for us to take time to discuss the background and to look behind the scenes of money. In the book The Challenge of the Disciplined Life Richard Foster introduces the readers to important questions about money. Following his lead we will ask: As Christians what are our assumptions about money? What drives us? What motivates us? How does it differ from the world? Through our dialogue, I pray we can always provide the necessary checks and balances in the discussion of finances. This is one topic where there is an ever present danger to drift. Jesus was not speaking in jest when he spoke about the difficulty of the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. It will take focus and attention. This forum for openness and accountability will continually force us to ask – was that decision I made about money a truly Biblical and Godly decision?

Perhaps at times this blog will simply be my own personal struggles with the above questions. On some occasions I find that I have a firm grip on the matter. The teachings are clear, the perspective is understandable. And then moments later the understanding slips between my greasy fingers. Is God really saying that? Does God really want that? Or am I being blinded my own cultural biases.

As such you wont find much ready made and prepackaged on this blog. You’re going to have to pray alongside me. You’re going to have to question. You’re going to have to hold the hand of your Savior until he makes everything as clear as he chooses.

I’ll be honest, I sort of think this is where God wants us to be with finances. Always fully obedient, but never completely satisfied with our current situation. God has often thrown curve balls. In a field of calculators and balance sheets our faith forces us to deal with something neither predictable nor consistent. What God calls one person to do with finances he does not often call another. So we each carry the burden of listening to the Word of God, and then discerning.