Should Christians save money for the furture?

Dear Pastor,

My wife and I are 25. We are Christians. We are being told at church that it is wrong to think about prosperity. We should rely on God to take care of all our needs and not think about saving for the future.

We should set our minds on things above. That is so different from what I learnt in my former church. My wife and I are in a conflict. When I want to put away money for the future, my wife often refutes it and reminds me about what the pastor said. Can you shine some light on this matter?

A.S.

Dear A.S.,

Thank you for your letter. It is true that the Bible says that a Christian should set their minds on things above.

However, It does not mean that Christians should not plan for old age and for retirement. Neither does it mean that Christians should not save at all. In fact, the Bible talks about prosperity. The Bible says that God grants to the Christian wealth. The Bible teaches that many of the men of God in the Old Testament were very wealthy. Job, Abraham and many others were wealthy. The Bible uses the ants as an example in encouraging Christians to save. It says the ant does not have any guide but it prepares itself for the winter and the Christian winter will come when he will not be able to go out and work anymore.

The Bible warns Christians from going into deep debt. It says that the borrower is a slave to the lender, see Proverbs 22:7.

Everybody should get into the habit of saving a little money every week or month as the case may be. Prosperity does not come overnight.

It is something that one has to work at. Money is not the root of all evil, it's the love of it. However, not having money can destroy your life and happiness.

Inspite of what your pastor might say, make sure you make a budget. Try to keep out of unnecessary debt and save as much as you can. After you have saved a reasonable amount of money, invest that money, perhaps into stocks and bonds and property.

After a number of years, you would look back and be glad that you handled your money wisely. I further suggest that you and your wife acall a financial adviser and make an appointment to discuss money matters. I wish you well. Do write to me again.

Pastor