As the year draws to a close, we take some time to reflect on the last of the 10 commandments.  What does it mean to covet, and how do we avoid it?  Crown Ministries CEO Chuck Bentley joins us to talk about contentment in a society of envy. Bentley is author of  , and he offers biblical wisdom and counsel on finances as we head into the New Year.

Chuck’s latest book outlines the worst financial mistakes made in the bible, the consequences that follow, and what you can do to avoid falling into the same traps. He suggests we ask ourselves this simple question:

“What is the attitude in our hearts towards other people’s success?”

Chuck starts by discussing the Ten Commandments and points out that there is a way to honor God by ridding ourselves of jealousy and envy. He suggests that the tenth commandment “Thou shalt not covet” was given to us by the Lord for economic purposes. Have you ever thought our financial decisions can be gently guided by the One who created heaven, earth and everything in it? There is much we can learn from scripture about money, and often we can learn from past mistakes as well.

We can learn how ‘self-generosity’ can be dangerous and ‘hording’ was used as a prime example. The bible calls us to be generous but only to give with the right attitude. Chuck shares helpful insights for generosity and biblical perspectives that change the way we think about money.

“God commends us for being generous at all times”

Through every season of life, scripture tells us that “whoever can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much.” –Luke 16.10. So how are we supposed to handle our finances in a way that is honoring to God? Chuck shares a few tips that break old habits and provide financial peace:

  • Make giving your top priority.

Psalm 24:1 says that the creator of the earth owns everything in it – including what’s in our bank account. The Lord is looking at what we are doing with our money and who really is on top of our priority list.

  • Begin to save.

Having an emergency fund will allow us the freedom to have financial peace through unexpected circumstances. We can then pay off debt and position ourselves to become investors.

God not only wants us, He wants us to surrender everything we have to Him. 2015 doesn’t have to be a year of bad spending habits and overwhelming financial stress. We can apply biblical principles to our lives regardless of the financial scale we find ourselves on.

Key scriptures:

Psalm 24:1, Ecclesiastes 11:2, Luke 16:10

Highlight: Sharing

Financial contentment for the New Year