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God Owns It All

Faith And Finance / Rob West
The Truth Network Radio
January 6, 2025 3:00 am

God Owns It All

Faith And Finance / Rob West

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January 6, 2025 3:00 am

What if everything you own isn’t really yours? It’s a biblical truth that changes everything once you grasp it. The belief that God owns it all has profound implications for how we manage our resources—and our lives. Let’s explore what it means to be a faithful steward of everything God has entrusted to us.

The Foundation of Biblical Money Management

The cornerstone of biblical money management is the belief that God owns everything. Psalm 24:1 states this clearly:

“The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”

Paul builds on this truth in 1 Corinthians 4:7, reminding us that all we have is a gift from God:

“What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

Acknowledging this truth is one thing; living it out is another. It requires a shift in how we view money and possessions. God isn’t a consultant or silent partner in our financial decisions—He’s the owner. As His stewards, we’re entrusted to manage His resources for His purposes.

What Does It Mean to Be a Steward?

The Koine Greek word for steward, oikonomos, means “household manager.” Like a household manager oversees someone else’s property, we manage God’s resources. We own nothing but are responsible for everything under our care, including our finances, time, talents, and relationships.

Even our ability to earn a living is a gift to be managed wisely. Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us:

"You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth."

Stewardship Responsibilities

As stewards, we manage God’s resources according to His will, not our own. This means making decisions that align with His purposes. Let’s break down our responsibilities as stewards.

1. Accountability to God

We are accountable to God for how we manage His resources. Romans 14:12 says:

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

This includes using our resources to advance God’s Kingdom, care for others, and reflect His character. Similarly, 2 Corinthians 5:10 reminds us:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

2. Living with an Eternal Perspective

Instead of focusing on temporal wealth, stewards invest in eternal treasures. Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:19-21:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."

3. Faithfulness in Small Things

Faithful stewards handle even the smallest responsibilities with care. Jesus emphasizes this in Luke 16:10:

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.”

4. Generosity and Open Hands

When we acknowledge God as the owner of all we have, it becomes easier to hold our possessions loosely. Faithful stewards give generously, reflecting God’s generosity and trusting Him to provide for their needs.

5. Humility in Success

Good stewards recognize that all they have comes from God. Jesus warns against pride in the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21), where a man takes credit for his wealth without acknowledging God’s provision. Faithful stewards give God the credit for their success.

Stewardship Transforms Our Lives

Living as faithful stewards transforms how we approach our finances—and our lives. It brings greater purpose, responsibility, and joy. Most importantly, it reflects our commitment to Christ and our trust in Him for all things.

Our ultimate goal is to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).

By embracing the truth that everything belongs to God, we honor Him as the owner and find freedom in managing His resources for His glory. Let this perspective guide your financial journey and every decision you make.

FaithFi’s New Publication: Faithful Steward 

Starting this month, FaithFi is launching a new quarterly publication, Faithful Steward. This resource invites you to join us on a journey of faithful stewardship, aligning your faith and finances to glorify God and bless others.

To start receiving Faithful Steward every quarter, become a FaithFi partner by giving $35 or more per month or $400 or more annually. Visit FaithFi.com/give to partner with us and receive this inspiring publication delivered right to your mailbox.

On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:
  • Am I responsible financially for my 78-year-old aunt's condo? She needs major renovations, like a kitchen renovation, but she doesn't want to refinance to pay for it. I will be the beneficiary of the condo once she passes away through a Lady Bird Deed. Some family members are telling me I should pay for the renovations, but I'm unsure if I'm responsible.
  • My father-in-law passed away about a month ago, and I'm helping my mother-in-law navigate everything. They had about $11,000 in credit card debt. The credit card companies said they could stop the interest, but she still has to pay the remaining balance. She's wondering if she should do that or try to consolidate the debt into one loan instead.
  • I'm in terrible debt with credit card interest rates between 19-22%. I recently had to pay for my daughter's medical expenses, and the debt has multiplied. I tried a debt consolidation company, but they told me to stop paying my cards and go into default. That felt dishonest, so I stopped. I just want to do the right thing and get this debt under control. I need help.
  • As my husband and I approach retirement, how much do we share about our financial situation with our almost 30-year-old children? I'm concerned that too much or too little information could impact their sense of responsibility and obligation. I'm trying to find the right balance and timing for communicating this to them.
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Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

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That's faithful.com slash sparrows. What if everything you own isn't really yours? It's a biblical truth that once you grasp it changes everything.

I am Rob West. The concept that God owns it all has profound implications for being a faithful steward. It makes every spending decision a spiritual decision. I'll talk about that first today and then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000. This is faith and finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey. Well, there's no question that the foundation of biblical money management is the belief that God owns everything. What could be plainer than Psalm 24 one?

It declares, The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Paul expands on that principle in 1 Corinthians 4-7, applying it to believers and reminding us that all we have is a gift from God. He writes, What do you have that you did not receive?

If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? While this truth is easy to acknowledge, living it out requires us to change how we view money and possessions. It's easy to think of God as a consultant or a silent partner in our financial affairs.

He's not. He's the owner and he's keenly interested in how we manage his resources. We are simply his managers or stewards entrusted to care for what he's given us for his purposes.

The Greek word for steward Oikonomos means household manager. Just as a household manager oversees a home on behalf of the owner, we manage God's resources. We own nothing. We're responsible for everything under our care. This extends beyond finances to our time, talents, relationships, and more. Everything we have is God's and we must manage it wisely, bringing him glory. Even our ability to earn a living is a resource we must manage wisely.

Deuteronomy 8 18 reads, you shall remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers as it is this day. The next thing to grasp is that we have responsibilities. As stewards, we manage God's resources according to his will, not our own desires.

We don't have ownership rights over what we manage. We are responsible for using it faithfully. This means making decisions based on what pleases God, not what benefits us personally. So what are those responsibilities?

Well, first, stewards are accountable. Romans 14 12 tells us that each of us will give an account to God for how we manage his resources. Did we use them to advance his kingdom, care for others, and reflect his character?

Or did we waste them on selfish pursuits? Second Corinthians 5 10 tells us for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Stewards must also live with an eternal perspective. Instead of focusing on temporal wealth, stewards invest in things with eternal significance. In Matthew 6 19 through 21, Jesus instructs us to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Another stewardship responsibility is to be faithful in small things. In Luke 16 10, Jesus teaches, one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. Faithful stewards manage even the smallest resources with care, knowing that God sees and rewards our faithfulness.

This next responsibility really hits the heart of the matter. Stewards must hold loosely and give generously. When we recognize that everything belongs to God, holding our possessions with an open hand becomes easier. Faithful stewards give generously, knowing that what we offer is already God's. In doing so, we reflect God's generosity and trust him to provide for our needs. And finally, stewards are humble.

They don't take credit. In Luke 12 13 through 21, Jesus tells the parable of a man who hoards wealth, focusing on his possessions instead of being rich toward God. The man takes full credit for his success, failing to acknowledge God's provision. In contrast, good stewards recognize that everything they have comes from God, giving him the credit for any success. By living as faithful stewards, we honor God as the true owner of all we have. Well, folks, starting this month, Faith by is launching a new quarterly publication, Faithful Steward. This resource invites you to join us on a journey of faithful stewardship, aligning your faith and finances to glorify God and bless others. To start receiving Faithful Steward every quarter, become a Faith by partner by giving $35 a month or more or $400 annually. Go to faithfi.com and click give to partner with us. That's faithfi.com slash give. As a faithful listener of the faith and finance program, you know that there is life-changing financial wisdom in God's word to meet all your needs.

More than anything, Faith by is here to help you and millions of others see God as your ultimate treasure. As a nonprofit, we're grateful for our partners that help expand our outreach every month with their generosity. Has God provided financial answers for you through this ministry? Please consider becoming a monthly partner by visiting faithfi.com and clicking give. In rural Malawi, baby Esther was taken in by her grandparents when her mother died. Resources were scarce and Esther suffered from malnutrition for years until God transformed her life. Today, through Cross International, Esther receives nutritious meals, drinks clean water, and is taught about the hope found only in Jesus.

But other children are still waiting. Make an eternal impact on a child now with a $62 gift at crossinternational.org slash faith. Great to have you with us today on faith and finance. I'm Rob West. We're taking your calls and questions today. 800-525-7000. We're ready to take your calls and questions today. So if you have a financial question, we would love to tackle it and you can call right now and I'll look forward to speaking with you. 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000. We've got lines available for you. Call right now. All right, let's dive in.

Fort Lauderdale. Nancy, thank you for holding. Go right ahead. Yes. My question is, am I responsible financially for my 78-year-old aunt? She has a condo which I will be the beneficiary once she passes. And right now the condo needs major renovations and she doesn't want to refinance to pay for those renovations. So am I responsible to pay for those?

Why would that be? So tell me, you said it's your elderly aunt and what would be the issue? Is it because you are a beneficiary of or named in her will or what is it that makes you think you might be responsible? Well, she has me right now as the, I think it's called a ladybird deed, whereas when she passes the condo automatically goes to me. And so right now she needs especially a kitchen renovation in which she doesn't want to refinance. She doesn't own the condo, but she's about 10 years before she owns it, but she doesn't want to refinance and have to pay for the kitchen renovation.

So now I'm wondering whether or not, you know, I'm being told by family, maybe I should be paying for it, but am I responsible to pay to renovate the kitchen? No. So what is her status right now? I mean, is she able to make decisions? She can make decisions. Eventually she would need to be in an assisted living facility because she does have, you know, she has fallen a free time this year and the condo, but she's still able to make some decisions. She's still also able to make to do some cooking, but eventually she would need to move to another location. Okay.

Yeah. I mean, with a, I would check with an estate planning attorney just to kind of go over all of the ins and outs of this. With a ladybird deed, estate, estate expenses are typically paid by the grand tour. So that's the property owner during their lifetime because they have full ownership and control of the property until their death. And then upon passing the designated beneficiary automatically inherits the property without going through probate. And so the beneficiary that would take, you know, be responsible for any remaining expenses at that point. And so, you know, that would be something, you know, that you would need to be aware of, you know, any expenses related to the property you would then be responsible for as you receive that.

But that hasn't happened at this point. If she's incapacitated, there could be a power of attorney that would step in and make decisions on her behalf. If there's not one and she's unable to do so, then the court could appoint someone to take responsibility. But at this point, you know, she has control of that property while she's living and it's only at her death does this property pass to you by way of the ladybird deed, you know, outside of probate. So I think at this point, perhaps talking to an estate planning attorney about how you handle decision making just given her health status and what instruments, what legal instruments are in place, you know, would be your next step as you manage through this. Does that make sense?

It does make sense. In the meantime, do I have to give her the money or pay for the renovation because I'm being told that her kitchen is to the point where it's not functioning and it's a dangerous situation at this point. Okay. Yeah, I'm not an attorney. So I would talk to an attorney about that just in terms of what your responsibilities are versus hers. Normally, because she's living, she would retain full ownership and control of the property and therefore she would be making those decisions about improvements, whether they're critical or cosmetic to her property, not you, unless she is unable to do so. And then either existing documentation that's in place that designates who that person is to step in and make legal and financial decisions on her behalf would go into effect.

Or if those don't exist, then that's where a court would appoint someone. So I think at this point, you need to get some legal counsel just to know based on her health status and mental faculties, what she can and can't do and what the next steps are. It really is a legal matter at this point. It's not related to the Lady Bird deed at this point because she's still living. And so this is really a matter of who is the decision maker with regard to her dwelling, her finances, her legal decisions, if she is unable to do so. Of course, if she's able to do it, then she would be the one to do that.

So I think you need to reach out to an attorney, Nancy, and I wish I could be more help to you. But I think that's your next step. Thanks for being on the program. Let's head to Louisiana. Blaine, you'll be next up.

Go ahead. So I have a question about my father-in-law passed away about a month ago. And so I'm helping my mother-in-law navigate through it all. And they've got about six credit cards, about $11,000 worth of debt. And she was just asking me, what should she do? She's called several of the companies and they said they could stop it, but she still has to pay the remaining balance, but it won't cure any interest. So she was wondering if she should do that or just do a debt consolidation and try to get it all in one note. Yeah, I wouldn't do that. So they've all said that because of his passing that they're going to freeze the interest, is that right? That's what she told me they said. Okay. Yeah. So you just want to confirm that.

I'm not saying she's mistaken necessarily, but that's a big part of this. Because if you didn't have that option, I would say I would contact our friends at christiancreditcounselors.org and considering putting this in a debt management program. In either case, I wouldn't do a loan consolidation because if you took out a new loan at this point and rolled up all the debt into a new loan, you're certainly not going to have the interest frozen there. That new lender is going to want to collect every dime of the interest there that is due. The other thing is, you know, oftentimes, even if that interest rate comes down, you extend it out over a longer payback period, so you end up paying as much or more.

So I think the two directions I would go is either, you know, get on and just verify not another dime of interest from this point forward. It's just every dollar I send is going to principal reduction. If that's the case, then let's just set her up on a monthly payment that fits in her budget and get that debt coming down.

That'd be a great opportunity for her. If not, or if any of them are saying, no, we're going to continue to charge interest, then I think sliding those over into a debt management program. And the difference there, Blaine, is that the debt stays where it is, we're not replacing it with a new loan. But through credit counseling, or what's called debt management, the interest rate has dropped not to zero, like she's being told, and that's why that's a preferable option.

But certainly much lower than where it is today. So often a 22 or 24% interest rates, you know, down at 11, maybe down to 8% or less. So you get a lot more going to principal reduction. And again, christiancreditcounselors.org is where I would go.

But those would be the two options I would pursue. Does that make sense? Yeah, no, because christiancreditcounselors.org. That's exactly right. Yep. Okay, one more quick question regarding her. So she's not able to meet with Social Security for another month or so. And so she his check has stopped. And so she's just getting a very small check. She didn't pay much into it. So she's getting something but it's very little. Is she going to get anything from his check? Yes. So she will get the benefit equal to her late husband's benefits.

So it probably just has not switched yet. But she will hers will stop. You don't collect both. But she'll be able to get his benefit as survivors benefits.

Okay, so she'll stop getting hers, but she'll get what he got. If it's higher? Yes. You're right. Yes. Yes. Okay. All right. That will give her a lot of relief. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. So what she needs to do is she needs to contact them and report the death if she hasn't already.

And then based on his work record, they'll just change her payments over to survivors benefits, which will be equal to what he was collecting and then hers would stop. Okay, I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

All right, Blaine. Thanks for your call today. We appreciate you. We'll take a quick break, folks, and then back with more of your questions. 800-525-7000.

We'll be right back. almost 50,000 people search for a Christian financial advisor. Join our community and share your expertise with clients looking for someone who shares their faith and values.

Find more information at kingdomadvisors.com slash get certified. We are grateful for support from Crossmark global investments. They are a faith based firm with a goal of offering values based investments to help align financial choices and faith, ensuring a portfolio that reflects what matters most. Crossmark does this through investment solutions that span the capital market spectrum from large cap to small cap strategies, including equity, fixed income, and balance strategies. They are led by industry veteran Bob Doll, CFA, a regular guest on the faith and finance program.

More information is available at crossmarkglobal.com. Thanks for joining us today on faith and finance. I'm Rob West. We're taking your calls and questions here in our final segment.

I may have room for one or two more. You can call right now, 800-525-7000. Let's go to Chicago. Maya, thanks for calling. Go right ahead.

Hi there, Rob. Thank you for taking my call. I right now am in terrible debt over the past couple of years. It has just multiplied so much. The interest I pay on my credit card is really high.

It is between 19 on one card to 22 on another. I recently had to pay a surgery for my daughter for braces and for an internet system. I'm drowning right now. I tried to call a consolidation company, and they told me to stop paying my credit card to go into default, and that they would have lawyers that would try to lower my interest rate and to clear up some of that debt. But I felt like that was dishonest. I started the process with them and then stopped. I just wanted to do what's right, and I need help. Yeah, I appreciate that, Maya, and I can understand the burden that this places on you. I want to help you think about your best path forward. I'm glad you stopped because that's not my preferred way.

Number one, there's just a lot of bad actors in that space, but even if they are legitimate, I just don't think it's the right way to go. I think what you were sensing just around your own check and your own spirit is the right one in the sense that stopping payment with the hopes that you can then circle back and negotiate a reduced payment not only trashes your credit and causes you to not pay when you have the ability to do so, which I don't think lines up with the Council of Scripture, but it's just a really damaging approach. So what I would recommend for you is what we talk a lot about here, which is not debt settlement, but debt management. And essentially, what happens is these cards would slide into an existing program, one that's already in place, where there's interest rates that come down based on the card. So the average interest rate now is around 22 to 23%.

The average credit debt management rate or credit counseling rate is between zero and eight. And so you would see a pretty significant reduction in the interest rate. You would make one level monthly payment, so it wouldn't decline with the balance. And then that combination of the level payment and the lower interest rate would help you to pay it off 80% faster. But you stay current. And if you're not current now, they'd re-age it and bring you current. So you're always in good standing with the creditor, and you're not negotiating anything. You're sliding into an existing program.

It doesn't factor into your credit score, even though the cards will be closed. And I think it'll get you going in the right direction. And at least every month when you send that check, you'll know that a lot more is going to principle than interest. That would be my preferred way.

That would be wonderful. Good. Yeah, so just go to ChristianCreditCounselors.org. This is the organization we've worked with for more than a decade. They've worked with thousands of our listeners. They're wonderful folks that love the Lord and love serving God's people and helping them get out of debt. So ChristianCreditCounselors.org.

They'll pray with you. They'll help you put a budget together, make sure that the monthly payment fits into it. They'll analyze your credit cards and determine, okay, what is the credit counseling rate for each of the cards you have, the specific creditors.

And then if everything looks good, they'll get you enrolled in the program, and then you'll make your monthly payment to them, and then they pass it on to each of the creditors on your behalf. Oh, Rob, that's exactly the information I wanted. Thank you so much. All right, you're so welcome. Hey, call back at any time. And then, listen, when you get on the other side of this, I'd love to hear about that as well. Thank you for your call today. Lord bless you.

We're going to stay in Chicago and talk to Sue. How can I help? Hey, thanks for taking my call. I am just aging into retirement with my husband, and I just wondered what your wisdom is on at which point and to what degree you share your financial situation with your children. I mean, you know, the obvious things are, if they're irresponsible, you don't say something at some point, or if they're very responsible, you do.

But how does one make that decision of it doing them good or harm? Either way, I mean, if you have too little, they freak out that they have to pay for you when you're old, or if you have something that they think is substantial, does that, you know, lend itself to them being less responsible in some way, or just what your thoughts are generally about that? Yeah, no, I appreciate that. And let me just ask, with regard to your financial situation, have you all made the decision about, you know, how the assets are going to be left at your death, and whether or not it's all going to the kids, or whether it's all going to ministry or a combination of the two? Yes, yes.

And, you know, we're just making power of attorney decisions and things like that, it sort of brought up the idea of, okay, well, those things are in place, but what sort of revelation happens at what time, you know, for them? That's the best for them, really? Yeah. And what age are the kids, roughly?

Like almost 30. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I mean, I think it's better to have the conversation than not. Now, obviously, there's a number of factors that goes into that, their spiritual maturity, the decisions you've made, their financial maturity, their financial status, currently, but I think all things being equal, it's better to have the conversation than not, because we don't want them, you know, learning for the first time, kind of how all this is going to shake out at your passing, I think what would be better is for you all to bring them in, in terms of, here's the decisions we've made, and why, you know, here's kind of, you know, how this is all going to go down at our death, here's the decisions we've made with regard to if we're incapacitated and still living, when we're unable to make decisions for ourselves, here's the person that has been named to do that, you know, if there's a healthcare surrogate, and a living will and decisions that have been made about end of life decisions or healthcare decisions, here's, you know, how that is going to happen. So I think better communication is good. And unless there's some sort of strain in the relationship or something, you know, that would cause you to consider that otherwise, I think sitting them down and kind of having that conversation, you know, with full disclosure, and even, you know, to the extent you want to bringing them into, perhaps, you know, if there's a portion that is going to be given away, now or in the future, you know, getting them involved in that understanding, you know, even the what led to the creation of the wealth in the first place, because I think passing wisdom before wealth is primary. And part of the process of communicating the plans are kind of what it took to get to that place where you now have this wealth and your understanding of God owning it all and your role as a steward. And so in that communication, you're communicating some of these big ideas about a biblical worldview of money management, that hopefully is, you know, educational at the same time.

But I think all things being equal, I would certainly opt for more communication than less. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I appreciate that. Just thinking through it.

Absolutely. Let me do this. I'm going to send you a book that I think will be a blessing to you.

It's called Splitting Errors. It's by Ron Blue, one of my mentors. I think it's the best book on this topic of kind of the not the strategies and the tools, trust versus will and you know, those kinds of things, but the why and the conversations that surround wealth transfer from a biblical worldview. It's the best book out there. So you stay on the line, Sue.

We're going to get your information and I'll get a copy of Splitting Errors in the mail to you. It's our gift to you. Okay. Excellent. Yeah. Thanks so much. Awesome. Thank you, folks. That's going to do it for us. So thankful to have you along with us today on faith and finance.

I'm Rob West. A big thanks to my team today, Pat, Sandy, Devin, Jim. Couldn't do it without them. And everybody here at Faithful that makes this happen. We'll see you next time. Bye-bye. Faith and finance is provided by Faithful and listeners like you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2025-01-06 04:15:28 / 2025-01-06 04:25:40 / 10

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