Get a Grip on Your Finances
Big Idea: Move from financial immaturity to maturity, seeing yourself as a steward of God's resources rather than an owner of wealth.
This morning, we’re going to address what I believe is Christianity’s greatest competition. Many assume that God’s biggest rival is another religion, like Buddhism or Islam. But in North America, I’d argue that the greatest challenge to our faith is materialism. Today, we’ll discuss how to manage your finances. If you don't take control of your money, it will control you.
Martin Luther once said, “There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, mind, and purse. Of these three, the conversion of the purse is the most difficult.” That rings true, doesn’t it?
Let’s start by acknowledging a hard truth: most people fail financially. It’s shocking, but even in one of the world’s wealthiest societies, very few achieve financial independence. Only 2% of people who reach age 65 are financially secure. Astonishingly, 85 out of 100 people have less than $250 saved by that age. Even fewer men are worth $100 at age 68 than they were at 18—after 50 years of work. Imagine working for half a century and not saving even $2 a year.
But here’s the thing: money isn’t just a financial issue; it’s a spiritual one. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). If you want to know someone’s priorities, just look at their credit card statement or checkbook. If your treasure is on earth, it will show. If your treasure is in heaven, that will show too.
Out of Jesus' 38 parables, 16 focus on money. The New Testament talks more about money than it does about heaven and hell combined. In fact, there’s five times more said about money than about prayer. While there are over 500 verses on both prayer and faith, there are more than 2,000 verses addressing money and possessions. Clearly, the Bible has a lot to say about how we manage our finances.
Levels of Financial Management
What I want to do this morning is talk about different levels of financial management. All of us are in different places. By identifying our financial stage—infancy, childhood, youth, or maturity—we can hopefully progress to the next step in our development. This will be a self-diagnostic, and we'll all be able to figure out where we are both financially and spiritually. By the way, you could end up at different levels in different aspects of your financial management. For instance, you could be an excellent financial manager but a poor giver. But you evaluate yourself.
Financial Infancy
What is an infant like? Have you ever seen a generous baby? Infants are all about receiving—they take and give very little in return. Of course, we love them, but only because we know they’re meant to grow up. A baby's behavior is charming at a few months old, but if an 18 or 44-year-old acted the same way, it would be a different situation.
There’s something else about infants: they cling tightly to their bottle or their mother’s breast. That’s how God designed them—it’s where they find their security. However, they are expected to outgrow that dependence as they develop and mature.
Now, let me show you what a financial infant looks like. Financial infancy is marked by a dependence on and love for money. It’s when money controls you, instead of you controlling it. This kind of financial immaturity is vividly illustrated in a well-known story from the New Testament.
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.>
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:16-24).
The story of the rich young man highlights a stark truth: his love for money prevented him from being devoted to God. In essence, Jesus was asking him to let go of his "pacifier"—the thing he clung to for security and identity. That’s the essence of financial infancy. In America, our coins may say, "In God we trust," but a spiritual infant loves money too much to truly trust in God.
Paul warns us in 1 Timothy 6:10:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
I once shared this verse with a group of affluent individuals, and their response was telling: "Oh, that’s an exaggeration. You really can serve both God and money." But Jesus made it clear: you can’t. Wealth can hinder the gospel, as shown in the parable of the seed that fell among thorns (Matthew 13:22).
Consider the example of a wealthy Florida coastal town during the "I’ve Found It" Campaign of 1976. The closer people lived to the water—where affluence abounded—the less interested they were in the gospel. Meanwhile, those living farther inland, in mobile home parks and modest neighborhoods, were far more receptive. Why? Because wealth often blinds us to our need for God. As Ron Pierce from Bibles International observed, the most affluent places are often the hardest to reach with the gospel.
Jesus spoke so often about money because it is one of the most insidious and persuasive idols. It promises security and satisfaction but delivers neither. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity." Bill Hybels refers to it as the "Money Master," which contradicts the first commandment about not having other gods and the tenth commandment against greed.
A financial infant gives nothing to God. Many people expect something in return or misuse God for personal gain, especially in the health, wealth, and prosperity movement. It’s tempting to dismiss these warnings as alarmist, but Scripture repeatedly cautions us against covetousness and materialism. Yet, we often domesticate these sins, treating them as harmless house pets. That’s the essence of financial infancy—clinging to money instead of trusting in God.
Financial Childhood
Financial childhood can be summed up in one word: impulsiveness. This stage of financial management is marked by behavior like my own as a youth. I had a paper route, and once a month, I’d collect money from Brampton Guardian subscribers. But almost as soon as I had the cash, it would disappear, leaving me wondering, "Where did it all go?" I knew I had spent it, but I had no idea how or on what.
Financial childhood involves withdrawing $40 or $60 from an ATM without knowing where it went or being surprised by a high credit card bill. It’s receiving a windfall and rushing to spend it without a second thought. Another word for this stage is consumption. Financially careless individuals tend to spend more than they earn, violating the fundamental rule of money: spend less than you earn. As someone wisely said, “If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.”
Financial children lack a plan for their money—or if they have one, they don’t stick to it. They often end up in debt, living out Proverbs 22:7:
The rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
They prioritize whether they can handle the monthly minimum payment instead of assessing if they can afford the purchase in full. They rent-to-own and carry perpetual debt, trapped in a cycle of consumption.
When it comes to giving, financial children may give generously, but only when moved by strong emotion. Otherwise, they might toss a few spare dollars into the offering plate without much thought. Tragically, many financial children reach retirement with nothing to show for decades of work. The Bible repeatedly warns against the dangers of debt and impulsive spending. Proverbs 21:20 reminds us:
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,
but a foolish man devours it.
Psalm 37:21 adds:
The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
Interestingly, those most prone to impulsive spending are often heavy credit users and frequent television watchers. Sadly, the majority of people in North America fall into these first two categories of financial immaturity.
Financial Youth
This stage represents a significant step forward from the earlier levels of financial infancy and childhood. In financial youth, there is a noticeable sense of control. Debts are avoided, there’s a growing desire to save for the future, and a commitment to financial responsibility begins to take shape. They’ve taken to heart the wisdom of Proverbs 6:6-8:
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
Financial youth also begin to give to God, though often in a somewhat mechanical or legalistic way. They may have heard about tithing and aim to give a set percentage, such as 10% of their income. While this is a commendable step, it can sometimes lack the deeper understanding of stewardship. Still, financial youth are far wiser than financial infants or children. They’ve moved beyond poor money management to a level of basic competence—what we might call mediocrity.
However, there’s a lingering weakness: they still see their money as their own. They’ve yet to grasp the deeper truth that everything they have belongs to God. And that’s why there’s still one more level to reach.
Financial Maturity
A financially mature person realizes that they are stewards of their possessions, managing what belongs to God rather than owning it themselves. This principle is evident throughout Scripture, but it’s especially clear in the New Testament.
In Luke 16, Jesus tells a story about a shrewd manager entrusted with his master’s possessions. The main lesson is clear: everything we own belongs to God, and we must manage it wisely for his purposes.
Let’s briefly explore five key realizations of a financially mature person:
The amount isn’t important.
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. (Luke 16:10).
Financial maturity isn’t about how much you have—it’s about how you handle what you’ve been given. Immature financial managers believe they’ll be better stewards once they have more money, but that’s a myth. A financially mature person knows that faithfulness with a little prepares them to be faithful with much.
Some things are more important than money.
If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? (Luke 16:11).
Jesus reminds us that worldly wealth is not true riches. It’s temporary, like Monopoly money—useful during the game, but meaningless when the game ends. Only a fool would live to accumulate what is ultimately counterfeit when they could invest in eternal treasures. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:20: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
We are managers, not owners.
And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? (Luke 16:12).
Financially immature people think that a small portion of their money—perhaps 10%—belongs to God. But the financially mature person recognizes that everything belongs to God. We are simply stewards, entrusted to manage his resources for his glory.
Love God, not money.
“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Luke 16:13). This is where the heart of financial maturity is tested. Some, like the Pharisees in verse 14, sneer at the idea of choosing between God and money. But the truth is, you can’t be devoted to both. Financially mature people have settled this question: they serve God, not money.
Generosity is a hallmark of maturity.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Notice that Scripture doesn’t say God loves a successful getter or a careful keeper. He loves a cheerful giver. Generosity flows naturally from a heart that understands God’s ownership and trusts Him to provide.
These five principles challenge us to rethink our relationship with money. Financial maturity isn’t about wealth or status—it’s about faithfulness, stewardship, and a heart devoted to God. The question is straightforward: do you manage your resources as if they are yours or as if they belong to him?
Action Steps
Here’s some financial first aid to get you started.
First, break your allegiance to money.
Nothing will change until your heart shifts from trusting in money to trusting in Jesus Christ. Money can be a poor master. We can only manage our finances in a way that honors Christ when we place our loyalty in him. Stop trusting in money to provide what only God can.
Second, develop a financial plan.
This plan has three essential parts:
Pay God first. How do you know if you’re giving enough? Scripture teaches that our giving should be regular, sacrificial, and cheerful. If you give consistently, it costs you something, and you can do it with joy, then you’re giving successfully. But if your giving feels forced or insignificant, it’s time to reevaluate.
Pay yourself. In other words, save. Financial experts suggest saving 10% of your paycheck before you start spending. Those who’ve followed this advice often say they don’t even miss the money.
Live on the rest. Bill Hybels offers a simple rule: “Live on eighty.” Give God 10%, save 10%, and live on the remaining 80%. Use that 80% to pay your bills and meet your needs, but live within your means.
This approach isn’t just practical—it’s biblical. It aligns your finances with God's priorities, fosters generosity and wisdom, and liberates you from materialism.
In the end, the issue of money is not just about budgets and bank accounts—it’s about the heart. Jesus made it clear: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). The way we handle money reveals what we truly worship. So, the question isn’t just about financial maturity; it’s about spiritual maturity. Who or what has your heart?
The rich young man walked away from Jesus because his heart was tied to his wealth. Don’t make the same mistake. Jesus invites you to something far greater than material security. He invites you to Himself. He is the treasure worth giving everything for. He is the one who satisfies the deep hunger of your soul, the one who offers true riches that neither moth nor rust can destroy.
If you’ve been clinging to money for security, identity, or purpose, it’s time to let go. Surrender your finances—and your heart—to Jesus. Trust him as your provider, your sustainer, and your ultimate treasure. Begin by breaking your allegiance to money and placing your trust fully in him. Then, take practical steps to align your finances with his priorities: give generously, save wisely, and live simply. But most importantly, let your financial decisions flow from a heart that is fully devoted to Christ.
The gospel reminds us that Jesus gave everything for us. He left the riches of heaven, became poor, and gave his life so that we might inherit the true riches of eternal life. In response, let’s live as stewards of his grace, managing all that we have—our time, talents, and treasures—for his glory.
The call is clear: don’t serve money, serve God. Don’t store up treasures on earth, store up treasures in heaven. And don’t walk away sorrowful like the rich young man. Instead, follow Jesus with your whole heart, trusting that he is worth it all.
