In this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, a questioner wants to know what their financial priorities should be when they have so many to be concerned with. They give a list of some, such as, feeding and supporting their family, saving for the future and retirement, paying down debt, helping care for aging parents, and supporting the church. Dr. Philpot asks Dr. Caldwell what is the biblical perspective on this, how should a Christian think in terms of priority when it comes to financial matters.

Dr. Caldwell admits that these are difficult questions, we don’t always know what is best and that we need wisdom when it comes to answering these questions. He reminds us that in Matthew 6:33 our Lord tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So Christ and His kingdom should be preeminent in everything. Our Lord said this in the context of those worrying about having food, clothing and a place to live, things we need, the very things that often cause us concern. Dr. Caldwell also reminds us of Colossians 3 where we are reminded not to set our minds on earthly things, but on heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

God’s Priorities Should be our Priorities

So he tells us we want to start with having the right priority. This would be making sure that God’s priorities are our priorities and that we are trusting Him. Dr. Caldwell says that we do this by beginning with our giving to the Lord. When we begin with our giving to the Lord we acknowledge Him as the owner of everything, provider of all that we have, acknowledging that our desires are for the advancement of God’s Word and the gospel and that we desire to honor Him with what He has given us.

This is not to say that these other things aren’t important, many of them are. For example, we do need to pay down debt, but we also should avoid debt; one of the wisest things we can do is avoid debt. Sometimes, bad or wrong choices that we have made in the past will hinder our desires in the present. If this is the case, one of the best things we can do is acknowledge this, these things are forgivable and we can go before the Lord confessing and repenting of our wrong, asking for guidance and wisdom for our future choices. We can then begin to structure our lives looking to the future in a better way so that we can then do many of these things that are good and right.

The Right Set of Priorities is Important

So, as Dr. Caldwell says, beginning with the right set of priorities is important. Yet, he also explains that we need to have contentment in God’s perfect provision; contentment is a huge part of the equation. We need to find our satisfaction in God, not in things because the things of this world are temporal and are passing away. We won’t be able to handle any of our financial choices rightly if we aren’t first content with what God has given us and thinking of it in terms of eternity.

When we don’t have this understanding, it can lead to anxiety, even great anxiety, and stress in our lives. This is because we are acting as if we are our own supplier as if it all depends on “me”, and as if God isn’t God. Therefore, as Proverbs 3:5 & 6 direct us, we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, not lean on our own understanding, and we are to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths.