Pastors, Your People Need You to Preach on Money
A pastor's main desire is to help his people. When he sees a couple struggling in their marriage or raising their children, the immediate response is to lend a helping hand. What's offered will look different depending on the specific needs and circumstances. Still, help is given somehow, even if it's just to provide them with a biblical perspective on their situation and to pray and encourage them. That is unless the problem is related to money. Most pastors struggle to help people when finances are concerned. They shy away from this kind of counseling. If they have any ministry available, it's usually some form of financial assistance program that's ill-equipped to deal with people's real issues today.
It is hard to imagine that in a country where we have so much prosperity and available resources, people struggle financially. To the rest of the world, the idea that an income 10 to 20 times larger than they can produce is still enough is mind-boggling. At least in the U.S., the reason for financial stress is rarely financial lack, although there are exceptions. For a majority of Americans, there's more than enough resources to meet their needs but the wants and desires get them in trouble, and the reason many of them are struggling.
Here are some statistics of where Americans are in regards to their finances:
78% of people in the U.S. live paycheck to paycheck.
60% of people in the U.S. couldn't pay for a $1,000 emergency.
54% of people report feeling anxiety around finances.
31% of couples clash over finances at least once a month.
What's unfortunate and sad is that Christians are not different in the way they manage their finances. They are equally suffering from a lack of financial education and cannot break out of the trap of materialism and debt.
That the reality God's people face every day. They may be showing up to church putting on a happy face, but what you are not seeing is the hardships they face and the relational damage this financial stress is causing them and their family. What's even sadder is that they often don't see the church as an answer to this issue. If the pastor isn't preaching on finances, or there are no programs to teach and encourage them to grow in this area, they will not look to the church and God to help them. They will go to the world for the answer to their money problems. Unfortunately, the solution the world provides is not the answer they need.
The Bible has over 2,300 scriptures about money, wealth, riches, and how we should relate to them. It reveals financial principles like saving, debt, borrowing, spending, and investing, to name just a few. It also addresses the emotional side of money. It warns us of greed and how material things can become a functioning idol in our life.
God's people need biblical wisdom on this topic. Without God's word, they will continue to struggle with discontentment, greed, selfishness, and unhealthy desires that will draw them away from their devotion to God. No one is immune to this.
There's a real battle going on for the hearts of God's people. The enemy is crafty and knows that he doesn't have to get people to renounce God; all he needs to do is entice them to live comfortable and selfish lives. Satan is okay with people looking the part of a Christian. They can go to church every week, say all the right things, and play the role, as long as their hearts are far from God. Money and how we manage it reveals our true devotion. It shows whether we are serving God or ourselves. Do we trust in His provision, no matter what, or are we trusting in our wealth and our possessions?
Like the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27), God's people have a choice to make. They can learn to be generous toward God's kingdom, or they can live selfish lives that are focused only on themselves. That's why a pastor needs to help their people by educating them on God's word regarding money and wealth. Without this knowledge, they will be trained and enticed by the world, which operates contrary to God's principles. They will take on a lifestyle that's always looking for the next thing to satisfy their wants and desires, and they will grow indifferent and cold toward God's house and His kingdom.
Do you want to equip your people to be financially wise and faithful stewards? Take our Stewardship Impact Online Course.
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