Is It a "Need or Is It a "Want?"

I am convinced that one reason many churches, missionaries and para-church organizations struggle to meet their budgets is because many Christ-followers struggle to meet their own. As a result, Christians cannot give to kingdom ministries in ways that they could and should. The bottom line - missionaries come home, local churches slash their ministries, and Christian aid organizations are forced to sit back and watch orphans and widows remain hungry and homeless.

One basic principle of money management that would go a long way toward helping the average Christian get a handle on his or her budget is to ask this simple question before spending: "Is this a NEED or is it a WANT?" If it is a need - then the money should be spent, knowing that God has promised to meet our needs. But if it is a WANT, then extra scrutiny must be exercised on whether or not to spend that money. I am not saying it is never right to spend money on a "want" - but far too many of us on far too many occasions spend money we don't have on "wants." And as a result of that - our budgets are "overdrawn" and we have no money left for God and His work!

So .... before you lay out money for that larger HD television or new fully loaded computer - ask yourself, "Do I really NEED this ... or is it something I WANT but can do without?"

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj