Another Pay Cut

The daylight hours are growing shorter. The shadows are lengthening. Fall is upon us. And with it are some financial shadows that are falling across our path. The price of gasoline is stubbornly staying at near three dollars a gallon and may increase even more in the short term. The housing market is glutted with homes for sale. Businesses are feeling the effects of Delta Airlines declared bankruptcy. What was once a symbol of enduring financial stability, Delta is now fighting for its survival in the highly competitive and financially unstable airline industry. One of the immediate effects of Delta’s cost cutting is pay cuts. Its employees are experiencing shrinking pay checks and challenges to budgets, bills, and plans for retirement. The stresses that come with these economic changes are not small. Many of us remember quite well the social upheaval caused by the demise of Eastern Airlines. Some were not prepared for the financial fallout that occurred. There was anger, divorce, and a multitude of interpersonal conflicts. The entire community was impacted. New careers were sought. Houses went up for sale. Early retirement was taken. Families moved. Lives changed.

These same kinds of things are taking place again. Some have prepared themselves for a new set of economic realities. They have lived within their means, saved money, and stayed out of debt. Others have found themselves unable to sustain a lifestyle that allowed for little or no room for pay cuts. This is not to say that pay cuts don’t hurt. They do require adjustments and sacrifices that are not easy to bear. With that in mind it would be helpful to review God’s wisdom in the matter of finances. Money and material possessions are temporary in nature and do not provide lasting satisfaction (Prov. 27:24; 1 Tim. 6:17; Jas. 5:1-6). How quickly material wealth can disappear. Just ask Katrina and Rita Hurricane victims. One day you have all your worldly possessions at your disposal and then in a few minutes or hours they are gone with the wind. We must never forget that true satisfaction in life comes by having one’s life centered upon God (1 Tim. 6:6-8). Financial gain is vaporous and is subject to lasting disappointment. The joy that God gives does not depend on how much money one has. If we invest our happiness in financial gain, we are inviting some very unsavory characters into our lives (misery, disillusionment, and sorrows to name a few).

God has promised to provide the Christian with the basic necessities of life and with these we ought to be content (1 Tim. 6:8; Phil. 4:19; Matt. 6:25-33). Food and clothing are the essentials. A job to provide these basics is a provision of God. We are to work hard (the birds work at feeding themselves all day long) and be satisfied with God. It is a truism that “what you do with your money shows where your values lie.” If seeking first the kingdom of God is not our passion in life, there is no financial plan in the world that will be adequate. But when God’s wisdom shapes our financial decisions we will not spend more than we are making (live on less than you earn). We will give generously to our local church and other God-honoring ministries. High-interest credit card debt ought to be eliminated. Are you an impulse spender? Leave that piece of plastic in your wallet at home in a bag of frozen water, if you can’t control its use. Save as much as you can. Do you have an emergency fund? Are you prepared to buy another refrigerator when your present one has served its time? The failure to set up a savings account may be an indication you are funding a lifestyle you can’t afford. Everyone who claims to be a Christian should be meeting their financial obligations. Do you have bills that are going unpaid? Incurring financial obligations is not wrong (mortgage, car payments, etc.), but once a promise has been made to a creditor it should be fulfilled. Lying or stealing can come in many forms and one of those is the failure to pay one’s creditors.

Pay cuts can serve as pruning, so the believer in Christ can bear more fruit. A reversal in a family’s income can uncover attitudes and values that are hindering spiritual growth and productivity. Short-temperedness, grumpiness, and complaining as a response to our disappointments are villains that need to be shown the exit. We have a debt of love that is to be paid to all in our household and to those in the work place. Anger over what the company has done to one’s prospects for financial security is an open door for the evil one (Eph. 4:26, 27). Satan would love nothing better than to exploit our bitterness toward a CEO who bailed out with a golden parachute. Yes, even the mismanagement of the company in which we have invested some of the best years of our lives is part of God’s purpose for us (Rom. 8:28). We must not forget the Joseph principle, for it was he who said, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20).

Living on less is an invitation to experience more of God. It gives the opportunity to discover more of His wisdom and more trust in His ability to provide for us. It is a call to the body of Christ to rally around that member who is suffering. It is the occasion for the church of Jesus Christ to demonstrate the greatest defense of the faith, namely how much we love one another (Jn. 13:35). A pay cut can be an open door for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church