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Character Journal No.33 / ThriftinessThe Character Journal is a monthly e-zine designed to help parents teach Biblical character qualities to their children. Each month a different character quality is presented with suggestions for Bible lessons and projects.
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In His Service!
In His Service!
Morris Hull
Home Life Ministries, England
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Related Hymns and Choruses
- A Charge to Keep I Have (Charles Wesley, 1707-1788)
- Have I Done My Best for Jesus (Ensign Edwin Young, 1895-)
- Give of Your Best to the Master (Howard B. Grose, 1851-1939)
- All for Jesus (Mary D. James, 19th century)
- I Surrender All (Judson W. Van de Venter, 1855-1939)
Bible Verses Related to Thriftiness
For a more complete study, we suggest you use the Online Bible which you can download free of charge from our web site at
NOTE: The black colored text indicates the number attributed to the Greek or Hebrew word in Strong's Concordance as well as a transliteration of the word and its pronunciation. The blue text shows all of the ways that the original word is translated in the Authorised Version. The number beside each of the various words indicates the number of times it is translated in that way; and the number at the end indicates the total number of times the original word appears in the Bible. The red text gives a more technical definition of the original word. In each case, the first time the original word is used is listed first. For the sake of space, not all occurrences of the original word is given but enough to show the various ways in which the word is used.
3621 oikonomew oikonomeo oy-kon-om-eh’-o
from 3623; ; v
AV-be steward 1; 1
1) to be a steward
2) to manage the affairs of a household
3) to manage, dispense, order, regulate
Luke 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward <3621>.
3622 oikonomia oikonomia oy-kon-om-ee’-ah
from 3623; TDNT-5:151,674; n f
AV-dispensation 4, stewardship 3; 7
1) the management of a household or of household affairs
1a) specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of other’s property
1b) the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship
1c) administration, dispensation
Luke 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship <3622>; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
Luke 16:3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship <3622>: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
Luke 16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship <3622>, they may receive me into their houses.
1 Corinthians 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation <3622>of the gospel is committed unto me.
Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation <3622> of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: {heaven: Gr. the heavens}
Ephesians 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation <3622> of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Colossians 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation <3622> of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; {to fulfil…: or, fully to preach the word}
3623 oikonomov oikonomos oy-kon-om’-os
from 3624 and the base of 3551; TDNT-5:149,674; n m
AV-steward 8, chamberlain 1, governor 1; 10
1) the manager of household or of household affairs
1a) esp. a steward, manager, superintendent (whether free-born or as was usually the case, a freed-man or a slave) to whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age
1b) the manager of a farm or landed estate, an overseer
1c) the superintendent of the city’s finances, the treasurer of a city (or of treasurers or quaestors of kings)
2) metaph. the apostles and other Christian teachers and bishops and overseers
Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward <3623>, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward <3623>; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
Luke 16:3 Then the steward <3623> said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward <3623>, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
Romans 16:23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain <3623> of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.
1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards <3623> of the mysteries of God.
1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards <3623>, that a man be found faithful.
Galatians 4:2 But is under tutors and governors <3623> until the time appointed of the father.
Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward <3623> of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards <3623> of the manifold grace of God.
Bible Stories
- The story of Joseph who demonstrated the wisdom of thriftiness when he gave a survival plan to Pharaoh (Genesis 41)
- The story of Jesus feeding the multitude and collected the fragments not allowing the remaining food to go to waste (Matthew 14)
- The parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-27)
Character Definitions
- Knowing how to accomplish the most with the resources that are available. Not encouraging yourself or others to spend that which is not necessary(IBLP - Character Clues Game)
- Multiplying my resources through wise investments so I have more to give back to God (The Power for True Success)
- Allowing myself and others to spend only what is necessary (Character First!)
How to Demonstrate Thriftiness
at Home
- Taking good care of the items in my possession.
- Budgeting the income and formulating family guidelines by which to evaluate each expenditure.
- A parent showing children how to budget money and schedule priorities and goals.
- Investing personal money and time wisely in order to prepare for future goals.
- Turning off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances.
at Work/School
- Looking for ways to save your employer money.
- Being punctual for meetings.
at Church
- Purposing to set aside your tithe before using the money for other purposes.
- Looking for ways to save more money so that you have more to give.
The "I Wills" of Thriftiness
- "I WILL save more and spend less."
- "I WILL make good use of what I already have."
- "I WILL look for the best value."
- "I WILL budget my money, time, and energy."
- "I WILL not confuse what I need with what I want."
-Character First! Education Series 4
Thriftiness vs. Stinginess
How does thriftiness differ from stinginess? Stinginess is holding on to things which should be given to God and others so I can have more for myself. Thriftiness is making do with as little as possible so that I will have more to give to God and others.
Tusser's Poem on Thriftiness
Tusser has a poem on Thriftiness, twelve lines in length, and in rhyme, every word of which begins with t (died 1580).
The thrifty that teacheth the thriving to thrive,
Teach timely to traverse, the thing that thou ’trive,
Transferring thy toiling, to timeliness taught,
This teacheth thee temp’rance, to temper thy thought,
Take Trusty (to trust to) that thinkest to thee,
That trustily thriftiness trowleth to thee.
Then temper thy travell, to tarry the tide;
This teacheth thee thriftiness, twenty times tryed,
Take thankfull thy talent, thank thankfully those
That thriftily teacheth [? teach thee] thy time to transpose.
Troth twice to be teached, teach twenty times ten,
This trade thou that takest, take thrift to thee then.
—Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, xlix. (1557).
15 Basic Steps to Getting the Best Buy
1. Relate Money to the Time Required to Earn It
2. Compare Cost with Other Things that Could Be Bought
3. Figure Savings by Percentages, Not Cents
4. Put All Earnings Directly into the Bank
5. Carry as Little Cash as Necessary
6. Know What You Want before Shopping
7. Focus on the Buy, Not the Bank Balance
8. Look at the Price before You Look at the Product
9. Make Sure You Really Know the Full Price
10. Determine the Unit Price of Quantity Buying
11. Total Your Purchases before Checking Out
12. Check Products in a Consumer Guide
13. Write Out Questions and Answers
14. Get Counsel from Owners and Repairmen
15. Check with Your Wife before Buying
Men's Manual Volume 2, IBLP, Oak Brook, IL
Personal Evaluation
· Do you plan out each day so you can make the wisest use of every hour?
· Do you save all you can so you can have available funds to give?
· When your income increases, do you keep the same standard of living so you have more to give?
· Does the present condition of your car indicate to people that you do not value the possessions that the Lord has given to you?
· Do you pay for services that you have the time and ability to do yourself?
The Power for True Success Character Clues
UNDERSTAND GOD'S PURPOSES FOR MONEY
One of the major sources of conflict — even in Christian marriages — today is money. Everybody has their own ideas how their money should be used. But as Christians, we need to realise that everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him. So in order to be good stewards of the money God has entrusted to our care, we need to know and understand God's purposes for money. Knowing and applying God's purposes for money results in financial freedom. An incorrect understanding of God's purposes for money brings financial bondage and a host of consequences that have the potential of destroying your marriage, your health, and your testimony.
A man who has financial freedom can build his job around his family; a man without financial freedom is often forced to build his family around his job. If we have sleepless nights and ulcers worrying over financial decisions it is probably an indication that we do not have a correct understanding of God's purposes for money, because God wants us to be financially free in order to serve Him.
Financial bondage is an immediate consequence of not understanding God's purposes for money. God's purposes for money are not to provide us with security, independence, or even to buy whatever we want. God's purposes are, firstly:
TO PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS
If we build our lives around possessions, then we will be devastated whenever those possessions are lost or taken away from us. Recent banking and Stock Market scandals prove that even respected, financial institutions cannot guarantee absolute security. So that people who were trusting in bank or retirement accounts are now experiencing the consequences of financial bondage.
Security is only possible as we build our lives around that which can never be taken away from us. We can loose every possession, every person, and every position; but if we are building our lives around the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can loose everything else and still have security because He can never be taken away from us.
God wants to build into each one of our lives the quality of contentment. In 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul says, "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." The person who is not content with God's provision of food and clothing will always have deep financial and spiritual problems. Contentment with the basics enables us to resist the constant barrage of advertising that seeks to convince us that we are not able to enjoy life unless we buy some new gadget or service. Paul again says in 1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
Is contentment a characteristic of your life? Are you content with your present salary or are you always trying to figure out how you can earn more money? Are you content with the size of your house or car, or do you secretly wish for something bigger and better? An attitude of discontentment is probably an indication that you are experiencing financial bondage.
A second purpose for money is:
TO GIVE TO CHRISTIANS
During the time of Christ, the Jews and Gentiles had no dealings with each other. But God was able to overcome this problem among Christians by using Jewish Christians to take the Gospel to the Gentiles and then using the Gentile believers to meet the material needs of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem who were experiencing famine. Paul explains this purpose for money in 2 Corinthians 8:14: "...that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want...."
Our generosity and willingness to give to meet the needs of other Christians is a reflection of our true spirituality. You can often tell how committed a Christian really is and where his priorities really are by looking at his cheque book.
Not long after my father accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour, he became very interested in missionary work. He was informed of a specific need for £5.00. And although he couldn't meet that need himself (for in those days after the war, £5.00 was more than a week's wages), he prayed that the Lord would provide. After he prayed, he lay down on top of his bed. And as he lay there thinking, he heard my grandmother — who wasn't a Christian at that time — come up the stairs, past his door and into her room. A short time later, he heard her come out and stop at his door. Then she came in and said, "Here, I'm sure you can use that," and put a large white £5.00 note into his hand. God uses the abundance of one Christian to meet the needs of others.
When was the last time that God prompted you to give to the need of another Christian? Did you obey God's prompting?
God's third purpose for money is:
TO CONFIRM DIRECTION
One of the greatest protections that every Christian has from making wrong financial decisions is purposing not to move forward on any program unless and until the funds are provided. Hudson Taylor said, "God's work done in God's way will not lack God's support. He is just as able to supply funds ahead of time as afterward and He much prefers doing so."
God will use the supply of money or the lack of it to confirm His direction for many of our financial decisions. If the funds are not available, it could be for several reasons: either we have misspent the money; we don't need the item; or God may be testing our faith by providing the funds just when they are needed.