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Um Spending decisions aren't just financial, they reveal what and whom we value. I am Rob West. Jonah's Old Testament story isn't only about a prophet running from God, it also gives us a surprising look at how our financial choices mirror the condition of our hearts. Today, Dr. Kelly Rush joins us to unpack how the way we spend money is inseparably connected to our walk with the Lord.
Then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith and Finance: biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Well, our guest today is Dr. Kelly Rush, Professor of Finance, Financial Planning Program Coordinator, and Business and Technology Chair at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She's devoted to helping students develop a biblical worldview of money, and today she brings that same wisdom to our conversation about Jonah. Kelly, great to have you back with us.
Well, thank you, Rob. Always great to be here. Kelly, I am so excited about the feature article you did for our latest issue of Faithful Stewart, our magazine. And you make a striking claim, and that is that every spending decision is a spiritual decision. Unpack that for us.
Well, our spending habits reveal what matters most to us. We say money is a mirror because money reflects what we value, what we care about, what we're choosing in life. We see that in Jonah's story. His actions show us that money and motives move in the same direction. This is not a modern day phenomenon.
This is fundamental to human nature. I love how we see evidence of the financial principles we teach in the very words of scripture. Helps us to understand that characters like Jonah that we read about in the Bible are people just like us, and their interactions of faith and finances are very similar to ours. You know, many people don't even realize there's money in the book of Jonah, but it shows up twice, and both times it shows us that spending decisions are spiritual decisions.
Well, it sure does. And this may be a surprising revelation to the story that our listeners know so well, the story of Jonah. But one of the first major moments is that he actually paid to run from God.
So how does that detail, perhaps we've read and overlooked in the past, how does it reveal the spiritual dimension of our spending, Kelly?
Well, in that first chapter of Jonah, God calls Jonah to deliver a message of repentance to the people of Nineveh. And instead of obeying that call, Jonah paid the fare for a shipride to Tarshis. He was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, and he paid the fare as he fled. Of all those shiprides in the Bible, this is the only one where the fare is specifically mentioned. God literally tells us that running away from him came at a financial cost.
And that same principle is true today. When our hearts move off course, our spending decisions will financially do the exact same thing. And Jonah's rebellion didn't just cost him. Those sailors paid a price as well.
So, what did that show us about the ripple effects, Kelly, of our financial decisions and how they can impact others? That's correct. When the Lord sent a storm to get Jonah's attention, the sailors were financially impacted. That's a detail that's easy to miss as well. The sailors threw their valuable cargo overboard to try to save their ship and their lives.
They lost their inventory in one night. It was Jonah's disobedience the Lord was correcting, but the sailors also paid the price. The same is true of us today. Poor stewardship in our lives rarely stays contained. People around us will feel it when our spiritual and financial decisions miss the mark.
Families, businesses, ministries, communities can all be affected. But the opposite is also true. Faithful stewardship will have ripple effects of blessing on others as well. Yeah, that's exactly right. And perhaps we haven't thought about it in that way, that not only are we affecting our own lives and in ways beyond financial, but the same is true as it goes beyond us.
Now, once Jonah is inside the fish, everything shifted.
So how does genuine repentance shape the way we approach money, Kelly? You're right, that's what we see in Jonah chapter 2. When Jonah is inside the fish, he cries out to the Lord, he repents of his disobedience. He says, with a voice of thanksgiving, I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
And this time, what Jonah pays isn't money, but repentance. He makes a vow and commits to obedience and follow through. When Jonah's heart was right, his payment was too. And the same is true for us today. Repentance can redirect spending away from what harms and toward what honors God.
Boy, that is so good.
Well, we're talking about this truth today that spending decisions really are spiritual decisions. And this story from the Old Testament of Jonah is a powerful illustration of that. Dr. Kelly Rush from Mount Vernon Nazarene University here today. This is Faith and Finance: biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
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Take the first step toward peace and financial freedom today. Visit ChristianCreditCounselors.org. That's ChristianCreditCounselors.org. Yeah. Have you thought about the fact that spending decisions are really spiritual decisions?
That's what we're talking about today through a story I know you're familiar with. It's the Old Testament story of Jonah, this prophet running from God. And this truth that spending decisions really are spiritual decisions shows up in this story. Joining me today is Dr. Kelly Rush.
She's professor of finance, financial planning program coordinator, and business and technology chair at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. By the way, Mount Vernon is one of those universities that teaches the CFP, the certified financial planner, and the CKA, the Certified Kingdom Advisor, training the next generation of financial advisors to enter the business with a biblical worldview and thinking about impact. And she does such a fabulous job. She also serves as on the board of directors here at Kingdom Advisors. But Kelly, let's, for those just joining, Joining us back up for a second and just tell us where is it in this story of Jonah that this truth shows up?
Yeah, and that truth is that financial decisions are spiritual decisions, and we see that really plainly in the story of Jonah. Just right off the bat, in the very first chapter, Jonah is running away from the presence of the Lord. And in order to run away as far as he can, he has to spend money to pay for a fare to get to Tarshus when the Lord had sent him to Nineveh. And so we see that rebellion and the financial implications of his rebellion in the first chapter. In the second chapter, we see that the Lord has called him to repentance, has brought him back.
And he says, I'm going to pay now what I have vowed. And what he vowed in chapter two was repentance, and he followed through with that. And so we see both for the good and for the ill that Jonah's financial decisions reflected his spiritual state.
Well, that's exactly right. And I want to unpack this idea of this vow he makes a bit more. As you said, he actually follows through.
So, what does faithful follow-through look like for believers today, those listening to this broadcast? Yeah, I think today it looks like having a budget and sticking to it. It looks like keeping the commitments that we make to generosity. And even if that generosity commitment stretches us, it looks like giving is a form of worship rather than an obligation in our finances. You know, staying faithful to what we believe God has asked us to do in terms of saving, investing, repaying debts, always being honest and acting with integrity in our financial habits.
Those are the things today that our spiritual decisions can be reflected in our financial decisions.
Well, I think that's exactly right. And, you know, when we look at our own lives, our budgets can be surprisingly revealing. And perhaps this is a new idea for our listeners that our budget, our spending, tells a story about what we value most. And maybe we're saying, wait a minute, I don't think these two things line up.
So what might someone's budget say about their walk with the Lord? Yeah, well, budgets put dollars and cents to what we prioritize. They show whether we're seeking God's kingdom or running for it. From him. We see that in, for example, patterns of generosity.
You know, those tell a very powerful story, but a lack of generosity also tells a story. We see it in the way that we spend for lifestyle spending. It will tell us what we're pursuing in life. Our use of debt can also reveal what our walk with the Lord looks like, whether we're relying on him or we're relying on our credit card or something like that. But we see it in dollars and cents in our budgets.
Yeah, we sure do. And I love one of the things you do in the article so well. And by the way, this article is found that we're referring to today on Jonah from Dr. Rush is found in our latest issue of Faithful Steward, our magazine. I'll tell you how you can get it a little later here in just a moment.
But one of the things you do in the article, Kelly, is you provide several diagnostic questions. Why are questions about generosity and lifestyle choices so important for us to wrestle with? They help us honestly assess how we're stewarding God's resources and whether or not we're doing that in a way that honors Him.
So, questions like: Am I making wise spending decisions related to lifestyle expenses? And am I supporting my local church through ties and offerings? Those questions nudge my heart towards what God values because I want to be able to answer these questions with yes. Yes, I'm making wise spending decisions related to lifestyle. Yes, I'm supporting my local church.
When we can honestly answer yes to these questions, we are reminded that stewardship isn't just personal, it's meant to bless others. Yeah, for somebody listening today who's saying, You know what? I don't think what I want to matter most in my life is reflective of my budget today. I know Jonah's story offers some encouragement there because it's packed with second chances.
So, how does that offer hope to someone who feels like they've already made some big mistakes financially?
Well, God didn't give up on Jonah. He pursued him. God sent a storm, frightened sailors, a big fish, hard to imagine consequences to change Jonah's course and correct his disobedience. And that's God's kindness at work. It's his kindness that leads us to repentance.
In spite of his spiritual disobedience and his financial disobedience, God had a plan for Jonah. Financial mistakes did not disqualify Jonah, and they do not disqualify us. God loves giving his people fresh starts. There's no doubt about that. Kelly, in your experience, what's the biggest misconception Christians have when it comes to spending and spirituality?
Many people assume that money and faith are silos that they don't interact, but Scripture always connects our financial decisions to what spiritually matters to us. Jesus spoke often about stewardship, about sacrifice being a heart issue. and our spending choice reveals something about what we believe. You know, I'm curious, as I mentioned, you train and teach students in these ideas every day. And I love how you take them into God's Word as they understand their financial journey and how it intersects with their hearts.
How did they receive this? Is this a big, brand new idea for them?
Well, the story of Jonah is not a big, brand new idea to them, but the fact that there's money embedded in these stories and so many other stories in both the Old and New Testament, it's like the light bulb goes off. Like, oh, yeah, I see it too. I call it an occupational hazard. I can't help but see money in the Bible. And to point those things out to students, I love when their eyes light up over this kind of stuff.
I'm sure you do, and you're so good at it. All right. Last question. We're about out of time, but for someone who wants their spending to reflect God's generous heart, where do they start? We'll begin with prayer.
Ask God to shape your desires so that they match His. I would say put generosity in the budget intentionally and put it at the top of the spending plan, not at the bottom, not the leftovers. You can invite wise friends into the process to help you stay encouraged and accountable, especially when it comes to lifestyle spending and the use of debt. Then, as you journey through life, remember, spending decisions are spiritual decisions, and you'll keep yourself on a path that brings glory to God in your finances. Kelly, that was such a helpful reminder today that money always tells a story.
And the good news is that God offers us the grace and wisdom to align those choices with his purposes. Thanks so much for being here today. Thanks for having me, Rob. All right. Folks, if you're hearing Dr.
Rush today and you're saying, I've got a student that needs to be in her class, perhaps pursuing a career in faith-based financial advice and investing, you can learn more at Mount Vernon Nazarene University's website, mvnu.edu.
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Texas is where Paul is located. Go ahead, sir. Yes, more of a intellectual curiosity question. When we use the word investing, I'm thinking of you're putting money into something to grow it.
So let's take the example of a stock that has no dividends. When I buy that stock, I'm placing what I consider to be a speculative bet. That it will go up.
Now, I know the world is more complex than that, so my question is. Even in that situation where it's completely passive, and I'm just, you know, I'm not going to make any money until I sell it. What ways by my buying that stock, which I guess contributes to its value going up? Actually, it helps the company grow in positive ways so that it is kind of like an investment instead of like a bet. Yeah.
Well, I think it comes down ultimately, Paul, to this idea that you are an owner.
So, even though you're a very small owner, you are a part owner in this company as soon as you buy the stock. And business. Is the way that human flourishing takes place? Let's talk about that, starting with just this view of profit and business. I don't think we have to take a low view of profit.
I'm not saying Paul is suggesting we do, but tied to that is wealth created from business is the basis for all human flourishing. You see, business is the only institution in the world that generates wealth. Churches take donations that come as a result of business.
So do hospitals.
So do government. You know, government earns taxes that result from business. And so this is a part of the plan from the very beginning, in the sense that investing, what is it?
Well, it's the supply of capital that supports business in exchange for the rights of profit. That's the return portion that you talked about, Paul, and the dividends. Uh, you know, plus the stock appreciation.
Okay, so that's at the end of the day.
Now, if it's a company that doesn't have dividends, it's supplying capital to support business in exchange for the return, the rights of the profits. And the primary purpose of investing is to supply capital to enable and enlarge the work of business. You know, this actually started. I mean, if you go back to kind of where did this all begin, it was the shipping companies, the Dutch East Trade and the British shipping companies were the first publicly traded companies issuing shares. And, you know, through the Amsterdam Exchange, that gave them liquidity.
And, you know, there's an opportunity here for us to promote the human flourishing that happens as a result of business, which is part of God's design for economics and wealth creation and the virtuous cycle that leads to human flourishing and allowing us to co-create with God. You know, from the very beginning, you know, Adam and Eve were created to be workers. You know, God's story for work is that God is a worker, He creates the heavens and the earth. He creates us in His image. He gives us humanity, you know, He gives humanity work as a gift to cultivate and keep.
And then he gives us instructions for work. And we do that to bring him glory. And as a result of that, business flows out of that.
Now, you may also say, okay, but I'm not, you know, if I'm not in on the IPO, the initial public offering, and I'm not supplying capital directly to the business, that's what we call the secondary market. How is that supporting the business?
Well, first, let me define the secondary market because somebody may be saying, wait a minute, what are you even talking about? Essentially, when you buy a stock, it's kind of like if you were to buy a used car. You know, if you buy a used Honda, you don't wire the money to Honda, you give it to John Doe, who bought it from Honda and is now selling it to you.
Well, that's essentially what happens with stocks. The person who puts up, you know, buys into the IPO, the company goes to the money goes directly to the company. From that point forward, it's a secondary market that's exchanging those shares of ownership.
Okay, well, why does the secondary market support business?
Well, number one, our investments in the secondary markets help companies directly because the primary market depends on the secondary market for its survival. You see, the primary market gives the liquidity and the capital that allows this all to work. It doesn't work without the secondary market because then the primary market doesn't exist. Third, you know, management teams are dependent upon the share price. Fourth, shareholders have governance powers.
And so at the end of the day, our collective efforts, which include the primary and the secondary markets, have tremendous force and they make business work. You know, without the secondary markets, they don't work.
So I think that's what we have to look at this in light of the fact that that's why investing is not like gambling. Gambling is pure speculation. Investing is ownership. You actually own this company, which I think is a part of God's original design for the world and for human flourishing. And without this virtuous cycle of the primary markets and the secondary markets, none of this works.
But that also takes us to the question of: okay, well, if investing is ownership, what company should I own? You know, what is a good business?
Well, we say business produces goods and services.
So, what about owning companies that create good products and good practices and serve their neighbors? You know, how do they love their employees? How do they serve their customers? Are their suppliers valued? Are the communities better off with the company's presence where it's physically located?
Is the environment better off? And that's the opportunity we have with faith-based investing, where we take God's design for economics, investment, and business and ownership. and we lay that over. Companies that are doing good and promoting human flourishing and loving their neighbors and their stakeholders. And that's the ultimate opportunity, I think, for us to take God's money, grow it, and use it for productive purposes and ultimately to bring Him glory.
Now, I I've said way too much there, Paul.
So let me stop and get your thoughts on all that. Yeah, no, that's a good answer. I think that it came down really to the key of ownership, because even if nothing else, Uh, you know, you can own a company and you're pushing the needle to drive human effort to help supply that need. For example, if there's a company called NVIDIA and they make graphics processors and they're being Wealthy beyond all human imagination, well, that's going to provide incentive for other people to come into that business and help meet. That need, whereas you can't own the outcome of an NBA game, you do own the assets of something that actually produces Something for human flourishing.
So I think ownership is probably the key answer to my question. Thank you. Appreciate it. Absolutely, Paul. It's a great one.
I appreciate you asking it. Thanks for being on the program, sir. Folks, thanks for being along with us today. I hope today's been a blessing to you as well as very practical and helpful. Big thanks to my team today: Taylor Stanrich, Sandy Dickinson, Devin Patrick, and everybody here at Faith Vi for the entire team.
I'm Rob West. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
