Personal finances, church finances, and stewardship are all important to the pastor. In the 1960s Time Magazine every year issued small cards with a slogan that expressed the mood of the times. One year they issued a card that read, “Money is not the most important thing in life.” On the back of the card they added, “but it is way out in front of whatever is in second place.” Most pastors do not want to talk about money, but if they do not, they do not preach and teach the whole counsel of God. There is a lot about money in the Bible.
The pastor’s attitude toward money will be reflected in his church’s attitude toward money. He needs to practice a biblical balance about money. If he talks about it too often, some people will think that money is all he is interested in. If he never talks about money, he robs his people of the opportunity to discover God’s financial plan.
W. A. Criswell, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, for nearly fifty years, gave young couples seeking marriage some good, biblically balanced advice about handling their money. It is good advice for pastors as well. He told them to give the first 10 percent of their money back to God. Then give yourself the next 10 percent. Put this in savings. If a pastor does these two things consistently, he will capture the biblical balance about handling money in his personal finances. Keep reading
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