Planning budget, St. Luke chapter 19
What is a budget? It’s a plan for spending money. It can include other resources, too, besides money. Why would you be interested in a budget? Maybe you have a paying job or an allowance or some birthday money and you would like for that money to stretch as far as possible. The Bible has a lot to say about money and this chapter features some important lessons.
Read Luke 19 and let’s see what Laura might have learned about budgeting and how we can use those lessons when we spend money. http://www.esvbible.org/Luke%2019/
First, Jesus said he was coming to Zacchaeus’ house and Zacchaeus welcomed Him. If you skip ahead to verses 41-44 later in the chapter, Jesus cried over the city because they did not recognize Him or accept His help. We can welcome Him or ignore Him, be like Zacchaeus or be like the general population of Jerusalem. But He wants us to welcome Him.
$ A God-pleasing budget begins by welcoming Jesus to where you live.
Immediately, Zacchaeus let Jesus’ presence change his spending. He was rich and he promised to give half of his riches away and to pay back (four times!) anything he had gained by cheating. What might Laura have learned from this?
$ A good budget makes wrongs right.
$ A good budget includes generosity.
Next in the chapter Jesus told a story; servants were each given some money and they were allowed to use it until the master came back. These servants were rewarded or rebuked depending on what they had done with the money, whether they had used it well and increased it or whether they had not used it at all. Each servant was given the same amount at the beginning but they used it very differently. Lessons?
$ A good budget shows faithfulness in small things.
$ A good budget is rewarded with more responsibility!
Then Jesus sent His disciples to get a donkey for Him to ride. The donkey owners questioned why their donkey was about to be led away. That donkey was, no doubt, part of their budget and they wanted to know where their donkey was going. Was it a worthwhile use? When they learned Jesus wanted to use it they let it go.
$ A good budget asks the question, is this a worthwhile use?
Finally, Jesus threw sellers out of the Temple. Why? They were misusing the Temple. It was made for prayer but they were using it to make money. Making money is a good thing when it is done God’s way; it’s a bad thing when God is dishonored. Jesus even called the sellers “robbers” because they were stealing honor from God. And God is king…even over money.
$ A good budget honors God.
Perhaps Laura read this chapter in the Bible and remembered Pa’s boots and the church bell. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek, chapter 24, “Going to Church.” Do you think Pa made wise use of the three dollars?
What do you think this song has to do with making budgets? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Byp7aK2DA, “Take My Life,” by Chris Tomlin.