Revolutionary Stewardship Podcast with Jay Dee Schurz Jay Dee Schurz

The Root of “Wants”

Why do we buy the things we buy? Why does the person choose to buy a $400,000 car as compared to buying a $40,000 car? They both accomplish the basic needs of transportation. Why does a person buy a $4,000 purse as compared to buying a purse at Walmart for $25? Again, they accomplish the same task of carrying your items. What is the definition between want and need? I think the answer is found in materialism. We are concerned about what others think of us. What is profoundly strange is, we care about the perception of others who don’t even know us. The man driving a luxury car envisions others sitting at the stoplight looking over and being impressed by their car. A woman walking in the mall with her $5,000 purse carries it in a manner so that other women can see it. Women she doesn’t even know. Materialism is the root of these purchases. Materialism shakes us from buying an item to satisfy a need versus buying an item we want to impress others. Scripture speaks about this topic in detail.

Luke 12:15

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes on not what is seen, but on the unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.

A time to buy and a time to sell

I have been bombarded with questions regarding real estate in the recent months. Is it a good time to buy? Is it a good time to sell? Will rates go back up? Should I do a 15 or 30 year mortgage? All very good questions. Let me give my opinion if I may. The housing market is cyclical. It has peaks and valleys. We saw a big price increase in the early 2000’s and then the bottom fell out in 2008. Being a seller and buyer is also cyclical. It’s a good time to sell and a bad time to buy right now. People are getting more than asking price for their homes and people are paying 25-30% more than what they should on a home. For people who are considering buying a home in areas where there is huge demand, I suggest renting until the market levels out. It is my opinion that we will start seeing defaults on mortgages which will lower the housing prices. Why such a dramatic change currently? Demand is why we see prices increases. There are more people moving into the red states and not enough houses for them to buy. This isn’t rocket science. Increased demand and not enough product equals economics 101. If you are a seller, I think you may have another year or two at best before you see prices starting to drop. As they say, get while the getting is good. Buyers, don’t get pushed into a bad deal which is what I am seeing currently. Stick to what you can afford and stay within your budget.

Why Save?

I have discussed the topic of the need to save money for 25 years. I see the problems people face when they have no savings and get into a “tight spot”. What prevents us from saving money? The worldview ways of handling money is the culprit. Many people are buried in debt and have nothing left to tithe or save. House payments, car payments, credit card payments, medical payments, etc. all are hurdles in our quest to be good savers. Scripture is very clear on the need to save money and how to do it. As a financial planner, I am telling you, debt is your biggest enemy. Let’s look at what scripture says about saving.

Proverbs 6:6-8:

“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.”

Proverbs 13:16:

“Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.”

Proverbs 21:5:

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”

Proverbs 24:27:

“Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.”

Luke 14:28:

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”

Proverbs 10:4-5:

“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes the rich . He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.”

Proverbs 21:5:

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”

Proverbs 13:11:

“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”

1 Corinthians 16:2

“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

I spent the first 12 years of my adult life in a position of law enforcement. One of the elements of my training was how to interview and what questions were important. Those questions were laid out as the 5 W’s.  We asked who, what, where, when and why during the course of an investigation. I think the last question is extremely important as we learn how to be obedient stewards. “Why” is good stewardship important? The question is critical in understanding God’s plan for us. The most simple money issues in our life can cause massive destruction if improperly handled.  “Why” do we need to avoid debt? Debt is the number one cause for divorce today. Ow many times have you worried about paying bills? How many times have you avoided answering the phone because it may be a debt collector? How much stress could be removed from your lives by not having debt? “Why” do we save for our later years? One of the leading demographics in the work force are previously retired people. Most who return are doing so because they cannot live on social security income alone. Many cannot pay their basic living requirements such as food, healthcare, and utilities. If a person had saved a portion of their income, this issue could have possibly been avoided. There are several money issues surrounding us that can improved on or avoided by knowing the “why” of the stewardship instruction. As a pastor, I have been involved in several end of life experiences. What is similar in every situation is that not one of these people are concerned about their material possessions, how much money they have or how much money they made. They are concerned about what comes next. Our stewardship will be reviewed at our death. What will God say about your stewardship? Did you have more concern for the Kingdom or have more concern about worldly comforts? This is another “Why” question. Why is stewardship important? Because it allows is to honor and glorify God with what has been entrusted to us.

Automatic Savings

As a young husband and father, one of my goals was to make as much money as I could. I discovered was that raising children was expensive. I worked part-time jobs on my days off, I jumped at any available overtime opportunities. The more money I made, the more money I spend. When I started in the financial services industry, I quickly made more money that I ever did serving in the military. I spend almost everything I made. It was a new thing to me to have money and I didn’t handle it very well. 25 years later, I realize it doesn’t matter how much you make if you spend it all. A person who makes 60k a year and saves $10,000 is much better off than the person who makes 100k and saves nothing. People who have not saved anything until they are 40 are very likely to work into their 70’s out of need. The best advice I can give you is that automation is your friend. If you have a retirement plan available through your employer, have your employer withhold at the minimum amount necessary to match your employer’s contribution. If you leave a job for another, DO NOT cash in the retirement plan. Consider rolling it into an IRA that you control. Once again, an IRA is not your emergency fund. If you are self-employed, speak with an advisor that can help you set up a retirement account. Do not put yourself in a situation where you are completely reliant upon social security to fund your elder years. Don’t procrastinate and use excuses to avoid saving money. I have heard many times that people will start to save when they pay off their debt. That day usually never comes. It is difficult to unravel years of bad stewardship, but you can make a positive change if you simply recognize the need to improve.

It’s up to You!

I have been teaching Biblical Stewardship since 2008. I have acquired various certifications in the discipline such as Certified Stewardship Instructor and Certified Kingdom Advisor. I have spread the stewardship message across many radio stations, podcasts, newspaper articles and blogs during the last 13 years. My observation during that time frame is that most Christians don’t really want to follow scripture regarding financial stewardship. It really comes down to Secular vs Non-Secular. Bible vs worldview. Scripture teaches us to avoid debt, the world says debt is ok. Scripture teaches us to avoid those things that are unclean. The world says as long as your making money, it’s ok. The world says it’s ok to be materialistic and marketing across all avenues pushes that. Scripture tells us coveting and being materialistic is sinful. The world is winning in this race of obedience vs sin. I’ve had Christians tell me that as long as they are making a profit, that’s good stewardship. My friends, that is absurd. Believers can make a huge impact on what God has called us to do, but we must turn form the world’s ways. The devil doesn’t entice with rotten apples.