An Ask Pastor Kevin Response
Q: Do you have any suggestions on how Christians should handle the money from the current stimulus package?
My son came home from work (an essential worker) yesterday and reported that they went to a pawn shop over lunch break because his coworker needed to buy a gun. His coworker received stimulus money for him, his wife, and children. Now, he was going to purchase a new gun.
A friend at a popular box store mentioned to me all the people buying TVs and other items, according to him, with money from the stimulus.
Another person mentioned to me that as soon as the stimulus checked cleared the bank, she had bills to pay.
Do not misunderstand the stories. They are all anecdotally used. I support buying a gun or TV if that is what is needed; no judgement here. I also support paying one’s bills.
Over 80 million checks went out from the US Treasury this week as part of the COVID-19 stimulus package (although I have not received one yet). For many, these are very needed dollars. For many others, not so much. For all, how do we handle this money?
All Stimulus Receivers Fall into Two of Three Categories
All those receiving stimulus checks fall into two of three general categories.
One of These Two Categories
- Change in Employment Status: This American lost his or her job, is furloughed, or have had his or her hours cut from an employer. This person’s employment has been affected as a result of the shuttered economy.
- No Change in Employment Status: This American’s job has not changed, his or her paycheck is the same or better, and is working either from home or otherwise.
All Americans Fit in This Third Category
Every Person Desires: All Americans fit in this category. Every person who receives a stimulus check wants, desires, longs for, and craves something.
The first two categories matter as does this third category. Let me suggest a way to consider the first three and then will provide some biblical insight related to stewardship in general. My comments are general in nature as they are intended to help conscientious followers of Christ try to handle the money in God-honoring ways.
What Should You Do with the Money?
If you qualify for category one Change in Employment Status, then I suggest that you treat the stimulus check as normal income. You would handle this money as you would handle any money that you receive through employment and provide for your immediate needs. Pay bills, buy gas, purchase groceries, give to your church, and the list would go on and on. Use it as normally budgeted money. As you receive an unemployment check, I would encourage the same. Conservatively spend as you would your normal paycheck, possibly trimming anywhere possible. This provision through the stimulus comes from God’s providential kindness to you and should be used to cover your responsibilities to your family and others. This is the easiest of the answers no doubt.
If you qualify for category two No Change in Employment Status, then I encourage you to consider this as an extra providential gift from the Lord. Although you do not specifically need it (related to employment), God graciously provided for you additional money through the stimulus package. For you, I suggest thinking about a balanced approach including paying toward credit card debt, giving it away to someone in need, giving to the church to support the Lord’s work during this time, and saving it. You may also want to consider funding a small project for which you have already been saving. You have many more choices and your decisions make it essential to consider the third category carefully.
Since everyone qualifies for category three Every Person Desires, then I suggest you spend the majority of your time thinking through this issue. Receiving money from the stimulus package provides you an opportunity to use it for something. For some in category one, the decisions with this money were possibly set in stone when you were furloughed or otherwise had your employment interrupted. For others in category two, your decisions become a bit harder since it is “extra” per se. However, all of us need to recognize that how we spend our money will demonstrate what it is we desire most.
In other words, whatever it is you value most will determine how you spend this stimulus money. As Jesus taught, “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34). Further, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21).
Often people use the phrase, “Follow the money.” In many ways, it applies here as well. Where you spend your money (or want to spend your money) will help you see what it is that you treasure. If your employment has changed and you pay your bills, you value good stewardship, honoring the Lord, and seeking to be responsible. You demonstrate love of God and neighbor. If your employment has not changed and the money is in essence “extra” for you, then your value system will also determine how you spend your money. Whatever it is you want most, will determine what you do as well.
In the second category, the battle often wages in these situations between love of God and neighbor versus love of self. If I prioritize God and neighbor, my spending will reflect that. If I prioritize love of self, my spending will also reflect that too.
For those in the second category, I suggest a balanced approach from areas of stewardship rather than just simply following your desire to get something you have wanted for a while. Your “wants” may fail you. Essentially, just following your desires may lead you down a path that is, at best, unhelpful or, at worst, sinful. If your motive for spending is simply to consume God’s providential grace on your own desires without carefully considering other stewardship issues, then you possibly will sin. Therefore, spend wisely. Consider your motive for what it is upon which you determine to spend your money.
I have pasted below this line almost an entire article I found at the Gospel Coalition related to spending stimulus money. I believe the article provides excellent biblical principles as you determine what you should do with your stimulus check.
What Should I Do with My Stimulus Check by Clint Moore
Since many Americans are receiving stimulus checks from the federal government, how should Christians think about the influx of money?
Should we give it away? Save it? Spend it? Tithe it?
Though the Bible doesn’t give us specific commands for what we should do when the government gives away money, God does give many helpful principles for pursuing financial wisdom.
Here are eight biblical guidelines.
1. God Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills
God not only owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10), but he owns every penny of the $2 trillion stimulus. Christians are to be humble stewards of God’s resources—his third-party money managers.
Be thankful for your government, but even more thankful for your God.
2. God Provides for His People’s Needs
It’s disgraceful when those who are given the opportunity to provide for their families fail to do so (1 Tim. 5:8). Take care of your own bills, debts, and expenses as well of those of your extended family. This stimulus was designed to bring economic stability in a time of instability.
3. God Sometimes Provides for Future Difficulty
When provisions are plentiful, the ant works in wisdom knowing cold and less fruitful winters are coming (Prov. 6:6–8). We don’t know how long the economic downturn could last, so saving seems prudent.
4. Godliness with Contentment Is Great Gain
Since the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils (1 Tim. 6:6–10), be careful not to fall into the temptation to love the stuff this money can buy more than the stability God can provide.
Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Prov. 30:8–9)
5. God Provides for Enjoyment
When held in tension with being ready to share, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying God’s provision. Enjoying a nice date night or a new outfit as a gift from God also helps the economy.
6. God Provides So We Might Share
Paul urges Timothy to remind the wealthy of the uncertainty of money and to be generous and willing to share (1 Tim. 6:17). Consider how you might help a family, friend, or even a business. There is invaluable dignity in work. Giving to businesses provides them income and restores that dignity to their workers.
The United States has extraordinary economic safety nets in place (like this stimulus), while many countries throughout the world do not. Consider giving to individual global partners or larger missions agencies who can funnel funds toward those in even more dire situations.
7. God Loves a Cheerful Giver
While some Christians agree that tithing 10 percent is not the New Testament model of giving, joyful generosity is (2 Cor. 9:7) the standard. Online giving has helped many churches stem the tide of financial disaster, but continue to give generously to the church, especially if you’re a member.
8. It’s More Blessed to Give Than to Receive
However you use the stimulus money, remember Jesus said it is more blessed—happy!—to give than to receive. So find your higher joys not in receiving or hoarding these funds, but by sharing them through business and acts of generosity (Acts 20:33–35).
Many Good Ways to Use It
For someone who has lost income, it seems wisest to treat this stimulus check like any other income and to focus most of it on providing for immediate needs. Be faithful to give some to your local church but, considering the above biblical principles, feel free to use the rest as you normally would.
If, on the other hand, your income has not yet been affected in a significant way, you might consider dividing the money—say, if you received $1,200—in the following way:
- Use $300 to pay down existing debt.
- Put $300 into savings.
- Do some research to see which industries have been hit hardest in your local economy. Consider gifting $300 to businesses you know personally.
- For the remaining $300, check how giving at your local church has been affected since the downturn. Donate it to a local food bank, or to your church’s designated benevolence fund, or perhaps give it to Christian and non-Christian organizations on the front lines of helping people in crisis. Consider giving it to another church struggling financially. You might donate to global missions, share with a neighbor or friend who’s fiscally hurting, even pay a struggling family’s rent or utility bill.
God is already bringing good in countless ways amid suffering. May he even use dollars from this world’s kingdoms to advance the purposes of his kingdom.
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
