Why You Should Save Your Money…

“Saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better.”
Love that!

Thank you for this post.
It definitely encouraged me to be wiser with my finances. 🙂

Aah, this is really good! So practical and principles derived from the Bible! Thank you so much 🙂 This is such an encouragement for me to be more wise in my finances * Bless

Saving money can be a selfless thing or a selfish thing. The times I have saved money in the past has always been for selfish reasons. As I get older and near the age of marriage, it is definitely important to think about being a responsible husband and a responsible father. I think it is ignorant to just say “God will provide when time comes” and not save at all. The values we learn with stewarding God’s money can be very rewarding, especially with a Kingdom-minded, selfless heart. Thanks for the great post P. JM!

What stood out to me the most is that saving money is an expression of faith for the better future. I really like this way of thinking. We don’t just see money as something we need to live right now but the way we use it and the way we steward it now also challenges us to look forward to what God has for us tomorrow and beyond.

“An inheritance doesn’t just magically appear. It is something that is grown over a lifetime of obedience to the Lord and walking in His wisdom. It is something that should begin growing Day One of every person who gives their life to the Lord.”

Pastor JM, I was really encouraged by the statement above. We can’t live off of pipe dreams that things will magically appear with the snap of a few fingers. Fighting those urges of random buying and spending on, for lack of a better term, useless items; is very crucial and significant to me.

Thank you Pastor JM, for this awesome blog entry!

Wow! This is really something that I need now. Thank you for the encouragement and practical ways to wise financing. 🙂
‘Live faithfully for the Lord, tithing and giving offerings in faith, asking for His blessings while being wise with money. Our income isn’t determined by our salary or by our earthly boss, it is determined by God.’ These sentences really stood out to me!

I remember reading this blog entry many months ago, but this time the thing that stood out to me was

If our motives are pure before the Lord (living for His name and not our own), then we don’t need to fear money.

I’ve been so focused on trying to learn to be disciplined with my money (after being so carefree under my parents), that it had become so stressful and a burden. But that revelation is something that had brought me clarity for this! Thank you!

I really like how you tied in saving money with an expression of our faith towards God. By saving & waiting (rather than just spending on things we may desire), we communicate a trust in God that He will give us something even greater than what we think we desire in that present moment.

I also like the practical tips you gave on saving in terms of 10% for short-term & 10% long-term. We are not supposed to have wisdom regarding for just ourselves, but we should also be keeping in mind future generations.

I agree, so much of this generation have not been educated nor disciplined how to use our finances. I remember when P. Sky spoke about saving money for the future during her dating seminar at the retreat. It was eye-opening to see how finances can be spiritual and an act of our faith. Thank you P. JM and Sky!

Wow what a timely thing to read. I have been very foolish and selfish on spending money this past month, I lost sight of the wisdom I learned through past sermons. I need to be careful especially since I do not make my own income at the moment. I’m praying throughout this fast this week, I will truly learn the difference of wants and needs.

It is a kind reminder of saving money not with fear but with expectation.
It will change my spending habit in every direction and I know it won’t be easy but it will be good. And I want to be a person who gives to God and His people with extravagantly even in my support raising status and it takes discipline of saving money!

It’s worth it to mention that mere entries/recordings of numbers is not real “budgeting”. It creates an illusion that one is managing finance, but no substantial planning is being done by just recording expenses/savings. Actual “planning” and “adjusting” according to the cash flow must follow. A very simple model I developed is the four-quadrant budget sheet (Q1: net income, Q2: fixed expenses; Q3 variable expenses; Q4 simplified savings (w/o factoring in financial assets)), which gives a brief overview of the monthly cash flow that tells me whether I have room to spend more or less. I had to burn my savings many times due to family circumstances, because sometimes financial strain comes from other family members, which is hard to ignore. It’s important to pray for them as well, while drawing healthy boundaries in order to prevent “toxic charity”.

Pastor JM, thanks so much for sharing this post and wisdom on saving money.

The big take away is the bolded sentence, that “saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better.”

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the concept of “addition, by subtraction.” I think that there’s a lot to be gained by learning to show restraint. Whether it’s with our consumeristic behavior, or waiting on God’s timing, I believe that our lives can often become more enriched by having less.

I think that the strategy of tithing 10%, saving 10% for immediate savings, and 10% for long-term savings is a really practical way to be disciplined, show faith that God is going to do something bigger with our futures, and also learn to live with less clutter.

Thank you so much Pastor JM, just for sharing your heart with us and giving us much needed wisdom on how to handle our finances with more faith. I’m also lifting you up in prayer.

“Our income isn’t determined by our salary or by our earthly boss, it is determined by God.”

I like this. There is a safety and peace that comes when we place our trust in God who is our Jehovah Jireh. My parents raised my brothers and I to tithe, to give as the Spirit leads, to save, and always trust in the Lord as our Jehovah Jireh.

The point that stood out most to me was that saving is an expression of our faith that the future holds something better. Saving and not saving can both be selfish or unselfish. Saving can be selfish if one hoards to splurge on oneself. Not saving can be selfish if we spend hedonistically and live only for the moment. Saving can be unselfish if we have the right mindset of stewardship and the desire to bless our future families. Not saving can be unselfish if we give from God’s instruction but aside from that, it is probably unwise. But probably the wisest default is to save, trusting that God has better days ahead of us and that God wants to bless us. Finances is certainly an arena for wisdom to play out.

I thought saving money is for our own good and I didn’t even wonder about saving money is an act of expressing our faith to God! “Saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better” this phrase really means a lot to me. Thanks for waking me up from the old and selfish thought.

JM, you really helped put it into perspective. It’s more than just tithing and offerings, but saving is believing in and investing in the future, in the promises of God. I also desire to grow in greater confidence in God’s provision.

I shared this with my CG when we spoke about wisdom with food:

A poverty mentality keeps us trapped in the mindset that there might not be a certain resource ‘tomorrow’ and ironically, can make us more greedy than prudent.

Whichever effect comes from that mentality, neither are good (even though the saving might seem wiser) because neither decisions are made from a place of faith or hope for a better future.

We have to shake off that lack of faith that causes us to fear the future, and tap into that self control we have in Christ. Absolutely! Saving is a good act of faith- thank you for that powerful point, Pastor JM!

Also- the practical tips you gave (bearing in mind student loans or other debt people might have) were just what I’ve been looking for 🙂

If our motives are pure before the Lord, if we are living for His name and not our own, then we don’t need to fear money. This has been a great challenge for me to overcome, understanding that money is only money. It holds no real authority in my life, it should not determine what I can or cannot do; who I can or cannot be; where I can and cannot go. Money does not rule over me.

Thank for you another reminder of who we are Pastor JM. We are already debt free, not tied down to anything here. Our finances are a powerful way to exercise this. I’ve been told to just speed through school and visa debt, get them over and done with and forget saving for now. Thank you for the reminder of lineage and generation, that my life today is affecting the life of my children and their children. Saving in addition to clearing debt is very necessary.

I think tithing was never a problem for me growing up because it was a teaching I knew to be true. However, when it came to saving or spending money, I never seemed to steward it properly. I would go on either extremes of never spending money at all or spending all of it at once. But now I’ve learned that “saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better” – it’s a way to prepare for the future ahead of us. Whether we may walk through seasons of abundance or lack, because we have done our part in saving, we will not be anxious or worried of the days ahead. Thank you P.JM for this insightful post!

I love how this entry gives me a longterm perspective also very practical advice. This got me to ask myself how much I trust in Gods future for me.Godhas definitely blessed me in finances season after season but I see how Ive stopped at being thankful and refused to grow in stewardship and practice greater faith. Being in control of your spending shows faith, maturity, and wisdom.

Saving money is not just practical wisdom, but it is an act of faith, acknowledging that God has greater things in store for us than what we have access to right now. As we are faithful with our finances, God will entrust us with greater levels of wealth.
By saving money, you bless not only yourself, but also the wife/husband as well as the next generation.

Knowing you are being a wise steward of God’s wealth and knowing that every good gift truly comes from Him (James 1:17).
This sentence stood up to me because I am that typical 20-year-old kid who spend my money carelessly. As I am fully supported financially, I have no any idea how to take money seriously, neither do I know the meaning and importance of tithe and offering. But this message speaks to me that I didnt gain my comfortable life now all by myself but it all comes from Him. I realised that He has been taking care of me all these while. I should have known to appreciate every little things in my life including money and start to save money as an act of gratitude and also an act of faith to Him.

Thanks a lot, Pastor JM for asking for the smart comments. Otherwise, I couldn’t get the wonderful insights from this post. I thought I had no serious problem with money. However, my perspective is now changed: “Saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better”. This is so true but a neglected part to me.

Thank you for the great post pjm I like the point you made at the beginning of the blog that this generation probably sees more commercials than all generations put together that there are more people from broken homes and in college debt and in credit card debt than ever before~ It’s a good reminder and very sobering~~ Its sad to see so many people a product of this fatherless generation~ One part that stuck out for me is when you wrote that people with poor spending habits are not very admired that they are like a house with weak a foundation~~ at any moment they can collapse~~~ I believe God wants more for us than that~~ and as you wrote that saving is a lot more than just saving up for a rainy day but saving money is actually an expression of faith that the future holds something better~~

Sometimes we easily forget that our money isn’t even ours to begin with.God is our ultimate provider and He is the one that blesses us through our financial needs. We need to have complete faith and trust on Him alone because he will never fail us! Thank you, Pastor JM for sharing with us the wisdom on money and how we shouldn’t create unnecessary stress for ourselves. I lay down everything in front of God because I know that He is more than enough and will provide!

this has blesses me so much! i agree with the part, that money is an investment and an inheritance, for our kids and grandchildren. Life is not ours alone, and what we do today really do affect the future. thanks pst.JM!

i’m taking this to my heart as i prepare to move to sydney, australia in a couple of months. i’ll be a full time student, serving NP sydney, and relying on God’s provision through my amazing, loving, and faithful supporters. i was awakened to how much the Father cares for His children through the past three years in support raising but now i’m excited to be more intentional about saving for my children and my children’s children. i really love the last point “Our income isn’t determined by our salary or by our earthly boss, it is determined by God. He is the One who has given us the ability to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18)” cause this tells me that in the end, it’s really the Lord that determines the course of my life and he knows exactly where to take me and how to provide for me. thank for sharing JM! your wisdom with money flows down over everyone at shillim!

Let’s not be a people with weak foundations and spend our money carelessly, but know that through Him we have faith that God will do something greater and powerful with the money we save for our future destiny, beautiful dreams and true legacies! Thank you for sharing this blog post, P.JM. I recently opened up a savings account and every time now when I put money into it, I won’t do it like a robot, as a habitual habit, but thank Him that He will use this money towards a greater purpose and I have faith that He will!

Thank you p.JM for this post. Danny and i have been talking about finances a lot these days and this post reminded us that how we steward finances is a demonstration of our faith, and that God is the one who provides and meet all our needs as we faithfully steward what God allows in our lives.

I want to learn to tithe and have faith that God wants to bless me! I truly want the conviction and discipline for tithing to be firm in my heart.. Thank you P.JM

“I want [my kids and even grandkids] to be confident in God’s provision, and the greatest revelations they are going to get of God the Father will be from my example as a dad.” This part stood out, as my dad has been a role model showing me God’s provision and my responsability to provide with abundance for my own children. He never directly taught me about providing for my own children through saving or investing strategically, but his ethic of provision shaped my who I am today. I also want to show my own kids through example that God is a faithful provider.

Even if you are saving a small amount, getting a hold of your finances and being able to plan for things ahead of time will give you peace of mind. Creating solid financial habits even with a little that you have now will translate into stress free finances as you get older and God continues to bless your wise stewardship.

Saving money is an expression of faith. I think we have to note that what pastor JM is teaching isn’t an unhealthy frugality – saving money doesn’t mean “don’t spend money at all.” You have to budget wisely and know how to handle money in a healthy way, so you don’t have fear of spending money – that’s also being controlled by money. But we have to know/be convicted of the importance of saving money because that means you’re making an investment in the future rather than living day to day, setting your eyes on the greater things God has planned for you.

“An inheritance doesn’t just magically appear. It is something that is grown over a lifetime of obedience to the Lord and walking in His wisdom.”
Loved that part! We must be obedient and faithful in doing what we can do so that God can fulfill His calling on our lives that much more. God’s not calling us to just get by day by day, but to steward what He’s already given us for our future.

Thanks you Pastor JM for this post. I’ve been struggling to control myself from spending so much money on shopping starting from this year. Especially when I know I am being fully supported financially, it is so easy for me to lose sight of the importance of saving and stewarding my money wisely. What really stood up to me was ‘… you are unknowingly demonstrating you have little faith that God has something better for you later.’ I always have this mind set of, ‘I can start saving my money starting from my last year of college or probably after I started working.’ Come to think of that again, this just show how selfish and little faith I have in God that He has something better for me in the future. This is truly a wake up call for me to start saving and stewarding His money wisely to glorify Him.

This motivates me to develop a habit of saving money starting from now on. Honestly I’ve been acting like a foolish child thinking God will provide and he knows my needs so I can use money lacking self control. While tithing was part of my life since elementary school, I realized that saving up money is also an act of response to trusting in Jehovah Jireh! Thank you P.JM!!

A point that stood out to me was the “why” we save. I never really thought of saving as an act of faith. For me it was always external or “tangible” motivators, like saving up for that new electronic thing, or a car or marriage etc. But saving essentially is saying that there is something greater that God has in store us..its an act of faith

I never thought saving money can be a joyful thing. “As you walk with the Lord saving your money will be a joy because you will know with faith that God has great plans for you…” This stuck out to me. I want to save money not out of fear, not out of anxiety but out of faith in God and knowing that he has great plans for me!

This entry has really pushed me and encouraged me to save up not just for myself but for my future generations. I feel much more motivated thinking that I’m saving up not just for my own future, but also for my wife, my children, my family —- people who i will love with all my heart. Even though my parents aren’t the perfect role models for me in the area of financial management, I’m encouraged to become one myself for my family in the future, to be able to glorify God’s name in this area.

P. JM thank you so much for this massage! This is really somthing I need, I am the one with poor spending money and as I meditated scriptures you pointed, realized I had also weak future holds. I have got so insfired that blessings for my grand sons that confident in God’s provision. May be I only had teporary settle… I like that our income isn’t determinded by our salary or by our earthly boss, it is determinded by God. And it is really helped me a lot in very specific way, how to save the money with your example. My motivation for saving money was too limited with lack of knowlege. This article changed inside of me with super cliatity! Thank you so much again!

I’ve always been good at saving. But in the past, it was always ruled by fear. For example, fear of mishap, fear of being jobless, fear of bad things happening to me. But as I began to trust in God’s provision, my savings have gone from being a dead and dusty storehouse to a overflowing well that can flow into the lives of not just myself but to others around me.I remember getting your first seminar on finances 3 years ago and as I re-read this blog, I’m amazed by the transformation God has done to my heart as I have trusted in God’s provision, lifted my finances to him and have understood more and more that all the gold and silver belongs to him. Praising God!

mmm I’ve always been big on saving until pretty recently. I know God will provide no matter what but saying that saving up your earning is an expression of faith. Faith that God will give me something big is truly wise and Godly words for people especially in our generation. I can completely 100% agree with what you said about saving up, p.JM. Because i’ve been taught to tithe and save ever since i was little, i now live in a rent free (junsae) place. Although it’s not an apartment, and it’s not a fancy place by any means, but i was able to have this place with my saving habits my parents taught me since i was in elementary. Thank you for this having this blog up. It’s a reminder that i need to be “fit financially” and use wisdom and caution in my finanaces once again. =)

Pastor sky wrote that saving money doesn’t mean you should spend money because if you budget wisely and have healthy spending habits then you won’t have a fear of spending money or just fear of money in general. As I have a family now, saving money is crucial but its not only saving but wisely spending. These days, I have to be honest and say that I fear money and fear spending money. I need to now root myself to save and budget wisely because it is God who is determining my income and He wants me to not look short sighted but to have faith that He holds a future for greater things.

Yes, it’s about our trust and faith in God when it comes to where our money goes. Knowing that God is our Provider, we should worship God with tithes and offerings. Not only that, stewarding the rest of our income also shows how faithful we are to God and how much we trust in Him. I loved when you said that saving up is also an expression of faith that the future holds something better. Also, keeping our motives pure before God will cast out all fear of money. How to spend our money wisely and godly should not be from a place of fear, but of faith, indeed.

Honestly, I have not saved as much money as I could, even with the earnings of a college student – although I have saved up for certain things (usually gadgets I wanted to buy). If I were to actually sit down and calculate all the money I earned tutoring/part-timing and write out the amount I saved as a percentage of that amount, it would be… less than 10%, if not 5%. It’s embarrassing, but I was under the notion that i could spend my earnings any way I’d like, as my living expenses were being covered by my scholarship & parents. This blog entry challenged me to save a much larger chunk of my earnings, not just to satisfy my immediate desires but to prepare for things to come… like family. Without good spending habits, having and providing for a family/children will prove to be one scary, daunting task – I’d like for it to be an enjoyable one. “Saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better.”

The statement “saving money is an expression of faith for the better future” stood out to me the most. We should hope and prepare for a better future. That’s why we need to save money for the future.
I feel the advice is really practical. 10% for tithing, 10% for immediate savings, and 10% for long-term savings. So let’s save up and enjoy God’s plans for us in the future 🙂

Having faith for the good future that God holds for you should be followed by wise management. We should have faith that God will do his part while doing our part of being a good steward of the things He has entrusted upon us. A timely reminder for me personalky !

Wow! “saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better” was just powerful revelation for me! To be honest, I wasn’t very disciplined about finances since I was always under my parents’ covering, yet it started to hit me so I’m trying to motivate myself on saving these days though it is quite hard. Through P.JM’s that bold sentence just spoke to me that I need to be faithful and be excited for the better future! Thank you! P. JM!! :^)

‘and my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus’ thank you so much for this message! It was difficult for me to lay down my struggles especially money issues before God previously but now I’ve learnt to have faith, believe and trust that God will meet all my needs as He is the provider for all things.

I always thought diffrently of ‘saving money is an expression of faith that future holds something better’
i didn’t feel the need to save money because i knew that God always provides and i thought it was not my money but God’s money but now i can see that saving money is important. Thank u for this wisdom.

To be honest my faith is challenged by some of the truths and insights I find in this is entry. One thing my parents taught me and emphasized ever since I can remember is the importance of tithing and giving unto the Lord. They were faithful to tithe and give as the Spirit led, and the Lord was faithful to provide for us in times of need. I can remember at least two times when we just didn’t have enough to pay the bills, yet money miraculously appeared in our bank account. Yet growing up, I don’t think I can recall many seasons where we were financially stable. My parents weren’t heavy spenders and they did what they could to save, yet we didn’t experience much overflow. I’m not sure why…
Regardless, I do believe that God isn’t just able to provide for our needs but is interested also in satisfying our every desire. There’s peace and contentment I will always find in the truth that God is Provider because I’ve experienced Him in this way all throughout my life. But my faith is challenged to continue to hope for the overflow as we continue to steward what He’s given us today.

Saving money is an expression of faith that God holds your future and it is good. I’ve never thought about it like that before. Coming from a broken family, being homeless, and living at some points in my life in extreme poverty and also wealth, I saw the way that money can control and destroy people and families firsthand. When I became a believer, I saw God turning these experiences around for my good and realized that I can “live in plenty or in want” and be satisfied and content in the Lord, as my happiness and joy is not dependent on what I own or possess materially. This is good and all, but there is still greater wisdom. And true wisdom takes it farther than just “I am content in plenty or want”- wisdom says, “I want to leave an inheritance.” Man! That is really my heart’s desire. It is kind of hard for me to picture right now as a full-time support raiser who is still paying off student loans, but I want to step forward in faith and action that I will leave an inheritance for my kids!

Thank you, PJM!

This helps me have the right perspective on money. I honestly really haven’t thought about savings and money until recently as I started to prepare to fundraise to come out to Korea and as I still continue to raise funds. I shouldn’t fear money and saving shouldn’t feel like a burden. I want to be more intentional in saving and spending.

Proverbs 21:20 – In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.

I realize now that God provides the “choice food and oil” so that I can save it for something greater in store. I realize that God wants me to save money so that he can use it to bring dreams to pass in the future. I realize that saving is patience. Patience for an investment of the greater blessings that God has waiting for me.

When seen rightly, tithing, giving AND saving money are all manifestations of faith. For saving money it might seem to be the opposite but like you say in the post PJM, it is an expression of belief that God has something better for us. It has been good meditating on Philippians 4:19 regularly lately – God promises to provide for all of our needs, and to provide according to HIs glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Sometimes this can be hard to believe – but His promises are sure. Increase my faith Lord as I stand upon Your word!

Saving is having faith that God has something for us on the future. It is also being wise not to fall in the trap of dept. Spending what the hearts desire will not end in a good way. Thank you Pastor JM for this massage. I will try to really start saving form now on.

“Saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better.”
This was definitely a new paradigm for me towards money. Saving up money shouldn’t be a burden or a difficulty; but it should be something that we have grace to do and faithfully steward with joy. It’s not easy to be disciplined in our spendings and savings and tithings, but if we fail in one aspect, the other aspects are affected as well. So we should be faithful and take seriously how much we spend, how well we spend, and how faithfully we tithe!

Wow. Have never considered saving money as an act of faith. The faith that the future holds something BETTER. This is so powerful. So true that we think only about now or near future when we spend money. I also think that saving money is another expression which we are taking control of it, not money taking control of us. As the money is one of the most powerful weapons of the enemy’s which makes people, not only Christians, fall, taking control of it is so important and it can also be our counter attack to the enemy.

This blog posts really reminds me of how important to have wisdom in handling finance and also not to neglect our responsibility to tithe, not to forget that it is God that has supply every of our needs including finance. “Saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better.” God wants to bless us not only right now but in future. Saving money doesn’t just brings blessing to ourselves but to our family as well.

“Saving money is an expression of faith that the future holds something better”
Such simple words but they hold so much truth. I personally have been pretty bad at saving in the past and part of it was because I lived from paycheck to paycheck for a while and was worried about the things I needed to get in the present. But now I realize that my poor saving skills were mainly due to my lack of planning. Because the paychecks barely got me by, I never thought of the future and was just thinking about the “now” like you mentioned in Proverbs 21:20 –” In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” I was devouring all my food and oil and wasn’t saving for the harsh cold winter that was coming. I now realize I have to be more wise not just in my saving money skills but also have more faith in God and all the blessing he has for me if I walk with him in his spirit.
Great article Pastor J.M! I will definitely meditate more on this.

I’ve been working like crazy these days to go back to school and graduate. It’s been definitely challenging physically, but not really mentally. It was very hard at the beginning, but now I’m just so thankful for everything. By the end of next February I’ll have enough money for school. But I don’t know what to do with my marriage haha.
My favorite part is: “… I want them growing up with the knowledge that God loves them and doesn’t want them to always be poor and scratching by “for the glory of God.” I want them to be confident in God’s provision …” and Amen to this!

This gives me a new perspective on saving money. Not only is it practical, but it is expression of my faith that God will do more. After reading this article, saving money will now be much more of a priority.

Tithe and offering are a symbol that I believe in God, not money, as my provider. I thought that I need to do it with more joyful heart because it is an act of worship.
It was refreshing and encouraging to be reminded that my income is not determined by my salary! It’s determined by God!!