Money and Wealth (Part 24) – Debt (Part C) – Contentment and Covetousness; Gambling

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Money and Wealth (Part 24) – Debt (Part C) – Contentment and Covetousness; Gambling

1. Christians should be lenders, not borrowers (Deut 15:6).
   1. Christians who hearken diligently unto God and keep His commandments will be blessed by God to be lenders, not borrowers (Deut 28:1-2, 12).
   2. They will be the head and not the tail (Deut 28:13).
   3. What does being a lender say about a Christian?
2. Being a debtor is to be cursed and under the judgment of God (Deut 28:15, 44).
   1. Debtors are the tail and not the head.
   2. What does being in debt say about a Christian?
3. Avoid and hate debt
   1. If you are ever going to get out of debt and never get back into it again, you have to hate it.
   2. Remember that debt is likened unto sin in the Bible (see above).
   3. We should hate every false way which is against God’s precepts (which includes being in debt) (Psa 119:128; Psa 97:10).
   4. Avoid debt, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away (Pro 4:14-15).
   5. Purpose in your heart that you will not transgress God’s commandments concerning debt (Psa 17:3-4).
4. Pay your debts
   1. The wicked borrow and don’t repay (Psa 37:21).
   2. Don’t tell someone you cannot repay him if you have the money or could sell something to get it (Pro 3:28).
   3. If a Christian does borrow money, he should keep his word and pay it back according to the terms of the loan.
5. Contentment
   1. A person that finances something is an impatient and discontent person.
      1. Content adj. – 1. Having one’s desires bounded by what one has (though that may be less than one could have wished); not disturbed by the desire of anything more, or of anything different; ‘satisfied so as not to repine; easy though not highly pleased’ b. In imper. be content: be satisfied in mind; be calm, quiet, not uneasy.
      2. A content person is happy with what he has (Heb 13:5).
      3. A discontent person is not happy with what he has and borrows money that he doesn’t have to buy something he wants (and probably doesn’t need).
      4. Contentment is learned ― it doesn’t come naturally (Php 4:11-12).
      5. Start practicing.
      6. “It is human nature to want it and want it now; it is also a sign of immaturity. Being willing to delay pleasure for a greater result is a sign of maturity. However, our culture teaches us to live for the now. “I want it!” we scream, and we can get it if we are willing to go into debt. Debt is a means to obtain the “I want its” before we can afford them.” (Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover, p. 17)
      7. “You know what I’ve discovered? Every one of us has a little, spoiled, red-faced, grocery store kid living inside of us. His name is Immaturity, and he wakes up when we’re shopping. At the electronics store, he wants a big-screen TV. At the outdoors store, he wants a bass boat. At the car lot, he wants a convertible. At the furniture store, he wants a new leather sofa. If we let that kid make our financial decisions, we’ll always be broke. Children do what feels good; adults devise a plan and follow it.” (Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money, p. 140)
   2. Wise words about contentment.
      1. “He is rich – not who possesses much, but who desires little.” (Brentius)
      2. “Nature is content with little, grace with less, but lust with nothing.” (Matthew Henry)
      3. “Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.” (H. Jackson Brown Jr., The Complete Life’s Little Instruction Book, #1167)
      4. “One of the outstanding marks of a Christian should be a serene sense of gentle contentment.” (Phillip Keller, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, p. 48)
      5. “As the children of God, the sheep in the Divine Shepherd’s care, we should be known as the most contented people on earth. A quiet, restful contentment should be the hallmark of those who call Christ their Master.” (Ibid)

1. Keeping up with the Joneses
   1. Many people are in debt because they want to look impressive to their friends, family, and neighbors.
      1. “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have in order to impress people we don’t like.” (Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover, p. 30)
      2. “One of the paradoxically dumb things we do is to destroy our finances by buying garbage we can’t afford to try to make ourselves appear wealthy to others.” (Ibid, p. 82)
      3. “Don’t even consider keeping up with the Joneses. THEY’RE BROKE!” (Ibid, p. 83)
      4. “Remember, if the Joneses (all the broke people) think you are cool, you are heading the wrong way. If they think you are crazy, you are probably on track.” (Ibid, p. 105)
   2. Train yourself to stop thinking that people who drive new expensive cars, live in nice expensive houses, wear expensive clothes, have a lot of toys, and take nice vacations have money, and instead realize that they most likely have a lot debt and are broke.
   3. Chances are, you will not recognize a millionaire when you see one.
      1. “In his study of millionaires, Stanley discovered that their habits and value systems were not what most people think. When we think of millionaires, we think of big houses, new cars, and really nice clothes. Stanley found that most millionaires don’t have those things. He found the typical millionaire lives in a middle-class home, drives a two-year-old or older paid-for car, and buys blue jeans at Wal-Mart. In short, Stanley found that the typical millionaire found infinitely more motivation from the goal of financial security than from what friends and family thought. The need for approval and respect from others based on what they owned was virtually nonexistent.” (Ibid, p. 82)
      2. We need to stop equating looking wealthy with being wealthy.
2. Covetousness
   1. Covetousness is the opposite of contentment (Heb 13:5).
   2. Covetousness n. – 1. Strong or inordinate desire (of).
   3. Covetous adj. – 1. Having an ardent or excessive desire of (or for) anything; eagerly desirous to do, have, or be.
   4. Covetousness is a driving force behind taking on debt.
      1. A man has a strong desire for something which he cannot afford.
         • He cannot afford it because he doesn’t have the cash to pay for it.
         • Note: always remember, if you don’t have the cash to pay for something, you can’t afford it.
         • And oftentimes, even when you do have the cash to pay for something, you still can’t afford it because you are using money that should be laid up for the future to fulfill the inordinate desire of the present.
      2. So, instead of waiting and denying his desires, he takes out a loan for the thing.
   5. A man’s life consists not in the abundance of things which he possesses (Luk 12:15).
      1. Most of the things people go into debt for are things they don’t need.
      2. And if a man goes into debt for things he does need (like putting groceries, clothes, etc. on a credit card), it’s because he previously spent his money on things he didn’t need.
      3. “If you buy things you don’t need, you will soon sell things you need.” (Warren Buffett)
3. How to get out of debt
   1. See sections below on Pastor Wagner’s Practical tips on Money Management and Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps to get out of debt and become wealthy to learn how to get out of debt as quickly as possible.
   2. Getting out of debt should be very high on a Christian’s priority list.

Gambling

1. Gambling is a foolish way to spend money.
   1. The odds are you are going to lose; the house always wins in the end.
   2. Gambling is for people who have never taken a class on probability and statistics.
   3. If you win, the money was gotten by vanity and will soon be diminished (Pro 13:11).
2. Gamblers are not in good company (Psa 22:18 c/w Mat 27:35; Joe 3:3).
3. Gambling could be a sin if it is done in a casino or other place where women are dressed immodestly, or where other sinful behavior is being indulged in.
   1. We should make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof (Rom 13:14).
   2. We should abstain from all appearance of evil (1Th 5:22).
4. While gambling is not strictly forbidden in scripture, Christians should be very cautious if they engage in it.
5. Here are some guidelines.
   1. If you have an addictive personality (e.g.: problems controlling desires for alcohol, tobacco, food, caffeine, exercise, etc.), do not gamble.
   2. Never gamble with any money that you need and can’t lose.
   3. If you play a slot machine, at a table, etc., limit yourself to a small amount of money before you start, and when that money is gone, do not under any circumstances spend any more.
   4. If you are doing it for entertainment and not with hopes of making money, then it could be permissible if done in moderation and with great caution.
   5. Do not gamble often.