What the Budget Says We Love
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:19-21 KJV
A budget can tell a story that our conversation leaves out. We may say that people matter most while every spare dollar goes toward something newer for ourselves. We may talk about generosity while never planning for it.
Jesus is not condemning careful provision for a household. He is warning us about making temporary possessions our treasure. A husband and wife can own useful things without asking those things to provide the security and joy that belong in the Lord.
Sit down together with the actual numbers. Make room for responsibilities, sensible saving, and cheerful giving. Listen to each other's concerns without treating every difference as selfishness. One spouse may carry a fear about money that the other has never understood. Bring that fear into the conversation. The goal is more than a balanced column. It is a shared direction of heart. Spend in ways that care for people, honor commitments, and acknowledge that everything in your hands has come from God.
Keep the passage in context
Jesus contrasts earthly treasure, which can be lost, with treasure in heaven. He warns that what we treasure draws the direction of our hearts.
Read further: Matthew 6 in the King James Bible.