Christian Finance Blog

3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.

Acts 18:3 (NLT)

There’s nothing wrong with a pastor having two jobs. In fact, most pastors in America today are bi-vocational (have two jobs). Paul was a tentmaker besides being a minister. However, I believe that a pastor can be more effective when he or she can focus on serving God without having to worry about finances.

I believe the Bible is very clear about supporting ministers. But there’s also nothing wrong with a pastor having a second job. Sometimes, it’s just what it takes.

From the Life Application Bible:

Each Jewish boy learned a trade and tried to earn his living with it. Paul and Aquila had been trained in tentmaking, cutting and sewing the woven cloth of goats’ hair into tents. Tents were used to house soldiers, and so these tents may have been sold to the Roman army. As a tentmaker, Paul was able to go wherever God led him, carrying his livelihood with him. The word tentmaker in Greek was also used to describe a leatherworker.

25 Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.

Proverbs 21:25 (NLT)

From the Nelson Study Bible:

The longing of the lazy man kills him; he is devoured by his own passions because he will not expend the energy to fulfill them. Verse 26 describes further the insatiable greed of the lazy person by contrasting it with the generosity of the righteous.

7 Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.

Proverbs 13:7 (NLT)

Isn’t this so true? There are many people in America today who drive nice cars, live in fancy neighborhoods, enroll their kids in private school, and have fancy jewelry or clothes. What you don’t see is the enormous amounts of debt that they used to finance their rich lifestyle. These people are not truly happy and are struggling to make ends meet. The lifestyle is killing them. Looks are not everything. Just because they’re driving a leased Jaguar doesn’t mean they’re doing great. So resist the urge to keep up with the Joneses.

On the flip side, there are many millionaires who are the “millionaire next door”. These are the people who appear to live middle-class lifestyles yet have millions of dollars in net worth. What is the difference between them and the ones who look like they’re rich? They don’t care about image. They don’t care about what other people (who really don’t matter anyway) think about them or their lifestyle. This is one of the keys to being rich. It’s not about what people think necessarily but what God thinks of you!

3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3 (NLT)

Think about what the apostle Paul is saying in this verse. Even if he gave everything he had to the poor and gave his life as a sacrifice to God, it wouldn’t matter one bit if he didn’t have love. It’s one thing to “do“, but it’s another thing to “be“. Who you are has to match up with what you do. If what you do doesn’t line up with who you are, there is a problem there.

What are your motives? Why do you do the things you do? If we really answer these questions honestly, we can discover who we really are. Good deeds without love is worthless.

37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Matthew 9:37-38 (NLT)

From the Life Application Bible:

Jesus looked at the crowds following him and referred to them as a field ripe for harvest. Many people are ready to give their lives to Christ if someone would show them how. Jesus commands us to pray that people will respond to this need for workers. Often, when we pray for something, God answers our prayers by using us. Be prepared for God to use you to show another person the way to him.

14 Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards.

Proverbs 12:14 (NLT)

Our words are very powerful. If we are careful with our words and speak wise words, they can bring us benefits. Hard work generally leads to rewards. And it is definitely better than lazy work or no work at all. You can’t expect to succeed without hard work. Behind every successful person is a whole bunch of pain, struggle, and hard work that you might not have seen.

There’s a story about an artist who was sitting on the beach painting a beautiful painting of the ocean. A bystander was watching from start to finish. It took the talented artist maybe twenty minutes to finish the beautiful masterpiece of the ocean. The bystander asked if he could purchase the painting. The artist said, “It’s for sale for $1000.” The bystander balked and said, “but it only took you twenty minutes!” The artist replied, “yes, but it took an entire lifetime to get good enough to finish in twenty minutes.”

Hard work pays off.

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

9 Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

Ephesians 6:5-9 (NLT)

Although the 13th Amendment ended slavery throughout the United States in 1865 (although slavery still exists in the world and even in the U.S. in the form of sexual slavery and other forms) this passage of Scripture still has relevance today in the workplace. We need to respect our bosses and supervisors by working with enthusiasm even when they are not there.

Bosses also need to treat employees with respect and dignity. We ultimately have the same judge and that is God.

From the Life Application Bible:

Paul’s instructions encourage responsibility and integrity on the job. Christian employees should do their jobs as if Jesus Christ were their supervisor. And Christian employers should treat their employees fairly and with respect. Can you be trusted to do your best, even when your boss is not around? Do you work hard and with enthusiasm? Do you treat your employees as people, not machines? Remember that no matter whom you work for, and no matter who works for you, the one you ultimately should want to please is your Father in heaven.

26 Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for someone else. 27 If you can’t pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you.

Proverbs 22:26-27 (NLT)

Here’s another reason not to co-sign for a loan for anyone. Because the Bible says so! If you do co-sign for someone, make sure you can pay for it because it is your debt. And more often than not, it will become your debt as soon as the person you “helped” stops making payments. This will ruin your credit because it is your debt. In addition to that, your relationship with that person will most likely be ruined as well.

Just don’t do it.

32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

Acts 4:32-35 (NLT)

From the Life Application Bible:

The early church was able to share possessions and property as a result of the unity brought by the Holy Spirit working in and through the believers’ lives. This way of living is different from communism because (1) the sharing was voluntary; (2) it didn’t involve all private property but only as much as was needed; (3) it was not a membership requirement in order to be a part of the church. The spiritual unity and generosity of these early believers attracted others to them. This organizational structure is not biblical command, but it offers vital principles for us to follow.

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

From the Life Application Bible :

We are God’s masterpiece (work of art, workmanship). Our salvation is something only God can do. It is his powerful, creative work in us. If God considers us his masterpieces, we dare not treat ourselves or others with disrespect or as inferior work.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

15 But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

From the Nelson Study Bible :

Paul had the right to eat and drink whatever he wanted, to have a wife, and to receive wages for his ministry. But he did not exercise these rights. Is it oxen God is concerned about: God requires that ministers should be paid for their work just as He requires beasts of burden to be compensated for theirs. those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel: To support ministers of the gospel is commanded by God. Even as the priests in Israel were supported for their work, New Testament ministers were to be provided for as well (see 1 Tim. 5:17, 18).

4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.

John 9:4 (NLT)

Who would want to work the graveyard shift? I know sometimes we have no choice but to hold two, three, or even four jobs to pay the bills, but I wouldn’t be able to function properly if I had to work through the night. I mean, night time is for sleeping, not working. This verse gives me another reason to dislike the graveyard shift.

19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

Proverbs 28:19 (NKJV)

Hard work generally leads to plenty of bread (plenty of food), but laziness generally leads to poverty. This is a common theme thoughout the book of Proverbs (which is one of my favorite books in the Bible). Now there’s nothing wrong with having fun. But it’s the overindulgence of fun that leads to poverty. Everything in moderation…

From the Nelson Study Bible:

Tills his land is a call to hard work, a promise of reward, and a warning against frivolity or overindulgence in fun.

9 They were trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could break our resolve and stop the work. So I prayed for strength to continue the work.

Nehemiah 6:9 (NLT)

From the Life Application Bible:

When opposition builds up against you or God’s work, it is tempting to pray, “God, get me out of this situation.” But Nehemiah prayed for strength. He showed tremendous determination and character to remain steadfast in his responsibility. When we pray for strength, God always answers.

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Genesis 2:15 (NKJV)

From the Nelson Study Bible:

The garden was perfectly prepared. It was man’s home and he had to tend and keep it. Even the biblical paradise required work (1:26-28)!