I like A.W. Tozer. If you’ve never read him, here are a few reasons why I do:
He was a largely self-taught pastor who still has a huge impact on people today, more than 60 years after his death in 1963.
He never went to seminary. He made up for it by reading the Puritans, the mystics, and the classics, and he later received honorary doctorates from Wheaton College and Houghton College.
His books are short, but they pack such a punch that you need to reread them to soak it all in.
He wrote about everyday Christian living and often pointed out the ways Christians compromise with the world. His words from 70 years ago read as if he wrote them this morning.
I recently came across a short chapter from his 1955 book The Root of the Righteous titled True Faith Brings Committal (page 28 of the PDF). I’d encourage you to pause, take three minutes to read it, and then pick back up here. It’s only a page long, but it hits hard.
What does A.W. Tozer teach about money? Tozer's chapter asks whether our faith holds up when it's tested in real life, and that question applies directly to how Christians give, save, and plan. Here are four things from Tozer that I think apply to how we handle money as Christians.
1. Do we really believe?
People tend to do one of three things with the Christian faith. They deny it, they fully embrace it, or they build their own version of it. That third group talks the talk outwardly but follows its own agenda and rules inwardly.
Tozer writes, “It might shock some of us profoundly if we were brought suddenly face to face with our beliefs and forced to test them in the fires of practical living.” It’s easy to say the right things. Living them out is harder, maybe even terrifying.
In our finances, two words come to mind: generosity and stewardship. Both are callings for Christians when it comes to money.
Many people talk about generosity. It’s easy to give once and call yourself generous. But is your life marked by generosity? A generous life usually has a plan behind it. That could be a set percentage you give before anything else, a donor-advised fund that lets you give strategically, or Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA in retirement.
Fewer people talk about stewardship, and it’s harder. It takes ongoing faithfulness to care for and wisely use everything God has entrusted to you. That includes the less exciting pieces too: knowing what you’re profiting from in your investments, an up-to-date will, the right beneficiaries, appropriate insurance, avoiding consumer debt, and not letting unnecessary taxes eat away at what God has given you.
Stewardship also leaves a paper trail. Pull up your last three months of bank and credit card statements. How much went to giving? To lifestyle? To saving? As your income has grown, has your giving grown with it, or has your lifestyle grown faster?
No one wants the IRS to audit their finances. How much scarier would it be for God to look through ours and find we’ve only been paying lip service?
Tozer puts it this way: “Many of us Christians have become extremely skillful in arranging our lives so as to admit the truth of Christianity without being embarrassed by its implications… We boast in the Lord but watch carefully that we never get caught depending on Him.”
2. Do we operate on contingencies?
It’s easy to trust God when things are going according to our plan. The 401(k) is growing, there’s extra cash on the sidelines just in case, and the bonus came in better than expected. But what happens when God’s plan doesn’t line up with ours? Do we scramble to get things back to what we want? Do we lean on the numbers on a statement to get our way? Do we always have an escape plan in case things go sideways?
Planning is not a lack of faith. Scripture affirms wise preparation. Proverbs 21:20 says, “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.” An emergency fund, a retirement plan, and proper insurance are good acts of stewardship.
The question isn’t whether you have a plan. It’s what your heart is leaning on. Tozer calls it “secondary ways of escape,” the backup we quietly hold onto in case God doesn’t come through. In finances it can look like:
Holding far more cash than you could ever need, not out of wisdom, but because you don’t trust Him to provide.
A “finish line” that keeps moving. You hit the number you need to fund your lifestyle, and suddenly you need a bigger one. Do you know how much is enough?
Peace that rises and falls with the market. If your portfolio dropped 25% tomorrow, what would change? Your sleep? Your giving? Your joy?
For those nearing retirement, this gets very real. When the paycheck stops, many people discover what they’ve really been trusting all along.
Are we fully dependent on Him? Is our life surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? That means trusting Him in every area, including His provision for our daily needs. It means finding our joy and contentment in Him rather than in the things of this world or a number on a statement. And it means looking to Him for our next steps when things go sideways.
The best illustration of this I’ve heard involves a simple chair. I can have faith that a chair will hold me up while I stand there looking at it. That’s a theoretical faith. Or I can actually sit down and put my full weight on it. That’s true faith in the chair.
Financially, sitting in the chair might look like prayerfully committing your giving before you see the surplus. Or continuing to give during a down market. Or saying yes when God prompts you to be generous, even when the spreadsheet says to wait. It could also mean telling yourself no to the next thing you think will bring you happiness, joy, or comfort.
3. The end is what will matter
One day, whether we meet Christ at our death or at His return, everything we’ve built for ourselves will fade. Tozer reminds us that a day is coming when we will have nothing but God. For those whose trust was quietly in the things of this world, that’s a terrifying thought. For those who have truly trusted Christ, it’s the greatest comfort there is.
Health will fade. Family members will pass. Friendships will dissolve. Wealth will come and go. But “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
To be clear, we aren’t saved by how well we handle our money. Salvation is a gift of grace, received through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–9). But real faith doesn’t stay theoretical. As Tozer’s title puts it, true faith brings committal. And for those who belong to Christ, how we use our time, talents, and treasure still matters. Scripture says we will each give an account, and that faithful work built on Christ will be rewarded (1 Corinthians 3:12–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). We don’t do this to earn His love, but to glorify the One who already gave us everything.
The good news is that what we invest in His Kingdom lasts (Matthew 6:19–21). That’s worth thinking about in practical terms too. It may be your day-to-day living within your means so you can invest in Kingdom causes. It may also be your plan for what you leave behind to the next steward. Your estate plan, your beneficiary designations, a charitable bequest, and the conversations you have with your kids about stewardship are all ways to invest in what lasts.
4. Ask God for help
I think Tozer ends his chapter well: “It would be better to invite God now to remove every false trust, to disengage our hearts from all secret hiding places and to bring us out into the open where we can discover for ourselves whether or not we actually trust Him… Gentler cures may be too weak to do the work. And time is running out on us.”
I’m not perfect in my faith. I need God to shine His light into the dark places of my heart. I fret over business revenue too easily. I let an account balance drive my sense of security. I’m easily fooled into thinking a new thing will bring me joy. I haven’t met anyone with perfect faith. But I want my faith to rest completely in God, not in me, a number on a statement or the things of this world.
If you’d like a place to start, try these:
Review your last three months of statements with Tozer’s question in mind: what am I really depending on?
Set or revisit a giving percentage, and decide it before you see what’s left over.
Define “enough.” Write down, with your spouse if married, what it would take to stop accumulating and start redirecting to Kingdom causes.
Check your investments, will, and beneficiaries so they reflect your values.
Ask God to show you your “secondary ways of escape.” Then be willing to hear the answer.
Ultimately, trusting God with our money isn't about having the perfect financial plan or giving the perfect amount. It's about recognizing that everything we have comes from Him and learning to depend on Him rather than the gifts He's given us. Our security isn't found in what we've accumulated, but in the One who faithfully provides for us.
If you're in Burleson or the greater Fort Worth area and would like to talk through any of these questions, especially as you approach or enter retirement, I'd be glad to have that conversation. Click the Schedule Appointment button at the bottom right of your screen to pick out a time that works for you. You can also learn more about our approach to Christian financial planning.
