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From Luke’s Journal Sept 2025 | Vol. 30 No. 2 | Success-Failure

When thinking about success and failure, often people think in monetary terms. The world generally looks at those who are rich as those who are successful, whilst those who are poor or do not earn much are viewed as failures. Wealth can bring security (a kind of insurance), power, status and the means for fun and pleasure, which are all perceived as desirable outcomes. To Christians, all these things may apply, but there will also be overlays of stewardship, contentment, holding loose (God’s money), generosity, support and transience.

As doctors and dentists, it is likely that we will earn money and, most likely, a significant amount of money. Even if we work part-time, even if we bulk bill a significant number of patients, even if we work as missionaries for a number of years, we will still likely earn more than the majority of Australians in our lifetime.

The Bible has a lot to say about money. Jesus also has a lot to say about money. Twelve of His 38 parables are about money – that’s almost a third! “If a person gets their attitude towards money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in their life” (origin unknown, often attributed to Billy Graham).

So what does the Bible say?

There are three things I want to cover that the Bible says about money:

1. Money is a TOOL
2. Money is a TEST
3. Money is a THREAT

I will also discuss some practical ways we can steward money well.

Money is a tool

Money is only useful in THIS world. Use it now for eternal purposes. Use it for storing treasure that will last. We are citizens of heaven, and that’s the only currency that lasts.

This is not Barefoot Investor stuff! We cannot barricade our finances to protect and ensure our happiness. But we should be good stewards of what we have. We need to use our resources to store treasures in heaven. Gospel and kingdom perspectives should be the backbone of using all our talents. 

Each of us in medicine and dentistry has been trusted with many talents (not only financially, but also with intelligence, compassion, power, status, time, passion, personality and skills). Remember the parable of the talents (Luke 19:11-27)? The parable reminds us that we should use them for the greatest return. How we use our talents for the benefit of God’s kingdom is what will last.

It is good to remember that it’s God’s money, not ours. It is God who has given us not only the money we have, but all the other things that help us make it.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 ESV says:

“Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (author emphasis added)

The money that we earn is not of our own making. It is God who gives us what we need to make it. It is His money first, not ours. Keeping that truth at the centre of our money management will loosen our grasp and our greed. It will make us generous and compassionate to the needs around us. We will have God-priorities in spending, rather than self-priorities in spending. 

A good principle with money is to give our “first fruits” to God before anything else. Tithing was an excellent principle (Deuteronomy 14:22). Start with dedicating 10% before tax to regular giving – the local church, mission work that has meaning to us (both local and global) – CMDFA, Compassion, etc.

It is interesting to see the basis of tithing. 

In Deuteronomy 14:22-23, 26 ESV, we read:

“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in the place that He will choose, to make His name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always… Spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.”

The tithe is to celebrate God, to rejoice in Him and to revere Him. It is a cheerful offering to be enjoyed and given gladly! We are not to be stingy in our enjoyment of giving. It is quite surprising that the Israelites were to benefit directly from the tithe given to God. Although this may not be the same for our tithing nowadays, the sentiment that it is to be given cheerfully and generously, with joy, remains.

Once we have tithed, aim to be open to giving another 10% or so to random opportunities that come across our path – an emergency appeal, the Salvos, or sponsoring a fundraiser; there are always urgent needs that we could give to. We want to reflect God’s generosity and abundant grace as we consider each need prayerfully. Have an open and compassionate heart to support those in need. Be open to the Spirit’s prompting. 

Here are some other suggestions in giving creatively:

• Treat friends or family, students and others in our churches to a meal.
• Employ those who need a job.
• Sponsor a student to attend a conference.
• Loan substantial amounts interest-free to those in financial need and unable to access money otherwise.  
• Give sacrificially and trust God. 
• Bulk bill those who need it. Err on the side of generosity, even if some take advantage of us. Better that than to be stingy and not help those in need.
• For more direction about choosing ministries to support, you could check out www.epm.org/19questions. They list nineteen questions to ask before you give to any organisation. 
• If you don’t go on a mission, stay, give and pray.

Why else should we aim to give away more than 10%?

Because we earn so much! Relatively, even as “poor” interns, we are rich:

• If we earn $100,000pa, we are in the top 0.15% earners of the world. 
• If we earn $25,000pa, we’re in the top 10% of the world. 
• If we earn $1000-$5000pa, we are in the top 25% of the world. 

If we are not struggling to eat or get a roof over our heads, we want to be loose with money so that it doesn’t get the better of us. Most of us will earn far more than that $100,000pa, even working part-time.

We are also to be content. Whatever we have, we are urged to be thankful (Philippians 4:6). Gratitude should spring from every breath. We need not grasp for more. Comparison, envy and greed will have no foothold if we can see the goodness God has blessed us with, and be content and grateful.

There is no place in all of this for the prosperity gospel, that is, where God blesses us financially as his primary way of showing that he is pleased with us. Jesus is our model – who left the riches of heaven, making Himself nothing, sacrificing Himself for our sake (Philippians 2:5-8). He tells us to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

We are also to be wise in how we use the money we don’t give.

Clearly, we need to use money so that we can eat, have clothes, have shelter and support our families. Live strategically. That might mean grocery shopping at Aldi, op-shopping for clothes, buying second-hand on Facebook Marketplace or the equivalent, owning a modest home in an average suburb, making lunch to take to work and sending our kids to the local school. Make big purchases after weighing things up over time (NOT impulse buying at Aldi!). God does care about and provide for our basic needs (Luke 12:22-34). 

Sometimes it is smart to use money to buy time.

We can get busy and time-poor, which may lead to burnout and compassion fatigue. Using money to buy a cleaner, a gardener, regular holidays or sabbaticals is a wise use of that which we have been given to guard our hearts and spend time resting in God and delighting in His provision for us. Enjoy the abundance of God’s blessings!

It also might mean that we do eat at fancy restaurants, have designer clothes, live in a mansion and send our kids to private schools if we hold money loosely, are generous in giving to gospel causes, and use our time and talent for God’s glory. However, this second option can start getting very noisy and demanding, requiring more and more money and distracting our focus from gospel-priorities to money-priorities. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34 ESV).

Money is a test

We need to use it as we have been trusted. The parable of the ten talents teaches that if we can be trusted with little, we can be trusted with much. If we are dishonest with little, we will be dishonest with much. One of the ways I most frequently fall into temptation is when choosing how to bill a time-based appointment. It is so tempting to justify billing a twenty-minute appointment when only nineteen minutes have elapsed. I have had to reorganise how I bill and pull myself up to stop this habit. Remembering that God sees my mind and my heart, even if no one else does, has been helpful.

Other ways we might try to cheat may be in tithing our after-tax money (not that there is a hard and fast rule about this), taking office or medical supplies from work for our personal use, stretching our clock-on/clock-off times – I am sure you can think of more. Making sure that we are generous and loose with money when we have little will help us find it easier to be generous and loose with money when we have more.

Money is a threat

Money is very seductive – almost as seductive as medicine! In Luke 12:15-24 ESV, Jesus warns those arguing about an inheritance:

“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”

Jesus went on to tell the story of the rich man with an abundant harvest who will die that night, and all his wealth will be useless to him. He reminds us that God cares about our daily needs, and will supply them, and urges us to remember that where our treasure is, that will be what our heart worships. This life and all its belongings are transient; only worshipping God has eternal value. 

It is easy in our culture to think that we need a flashier car, a second car, a nice house in a good suburb, overseas holidays, private schools, expensive clothing, and on and on. It is easy for wants to masquerade as needs, especially since so much of the culture we live in upholds a consumer lifestyle. Comparing ourselves to our peers, we may feel that we are always the poor cousin. We might feel like we’ve worked hard to earn money, and so deserve to spend it on our own indulgences. All of these insidious half-truths can get under our skin and taint the Bible’s revelation of a loving, abundantly generous God who wants to give us what is best for us. If we find ourselves threatened by this false god of mammon, it is wise for us to confess to a wise Christian brother or sister and work out how to keep ourselves safe and accountable in these matters. Transparency and truth will help keep us humble and honest.

Stewarding wisely: Practical money tips

Having said all of that, you can be savvy with money and put it to good use. The Barefoot Investor¹ has some good basic principles for managing money. Where it goes wrong is in idolising financial security and trying to guarantee financial happiness if you follow its principles.  But it’s a good place to start if you keep the Bible firmly behind it to remind you that the only guaranteed treasure is in heaven.

Here are some principles from the Barefoot Investor. It is general advice only. You will need to do due diligence for your particular circumstances and also check that the information still applies.

Do NOT gamble.

Get basic insurance.

1. It is most economical to get total and permanent disability (TPD) and life insurance through your superannuation fund. Beef it up so that your family will be cared for if something serious happens to you, particularly if you are the main breadwinner.
2. Also get income protection, home, car and health insurance (as soon as you are charged the Medicare tax levy). 
3. As far as health cover goes, hospital cover may be adequate, and extras cover only if the family requires substantial physiotherapy, glasses, hearing, or psychology services. Otherwise, it may be better to save the money you would have spent on increased premiums and pay for each visit outright. Check your personal circumstances, though, as this advice may not hold in the future, as more specialists refuse to see those who do not have private health insurance. Being in the health profession may mitigate this, but that is up to the discretion of each specialist.
4. Buying insurance directly is cheaper than through a broker who then gets the annual trailing commission fees, so it is worth doing your own research initially.
   The government has unbiased comparison sites that are a good place to start.

Don’t necessarily stick with the superannuation fund that came with your first job.

1. Roll it all into one superannuation fund and aim for one with low fees and broad investment options. Again, the government has comparison sites. Aware Super (which at the time of writing was the basic hospital one) is quite reasonable.
2.  Invest ethically – you may choose to go with Australian Ethical (previously Christian Super) for this reason.
3. Total and permanent disability (TPD) and life insurance are usually available through your superannuation fund – again, “beef it up” so it is sufficient for your family. Be responsible.
4. If you are self-employed, put in the maximum concessional contribution allowed (currently $30,000pa in 2025) or 12% of your income to keep pace with employed colleagues.
5. Dollar cost averaging means that putting a regular amount in every week is better than a large amount all at once, e.g. $575pw. That way, you spread your investment across the highs and the lows of the market.
6. Superannuation is the most efficient way to invest money due to 15% tax, the magic of compound interest, and the ability to use it for a deposit as a first-home owner, or as a self-managed super fund for financing a surgery in the future. Enforced savings before it hits your bank account is an added bonus!

No debt except for a home loan.

Live within your means when you are spending on yourself!

1. If possible, don’t get a credit card – use a no-fee debit card. There is no particular benefit in getting a credit card, and lots of temptation to get into debt. 
2. Only get a credit card if you pay it off fully every month. Make sure it is a no-fee credit card. Interest on credit cards is extremely high, and cash withdrawn on credit cards means that interest is generally charged from when you were last in credit, until you regain credit. This means that high fees can rack up dramatically for a prolonged period (you may be charged for the whole 55-day interest-free period, even if you replace the money the next day). 
3. Do not get the maximum credit possible – it makes it harder to get a loan for a house. Choose an amount that covers your monthly expenses comfortably – maybe $ 500 per month, or $5000 per month, but with the flexibility to increase to $10,000 per month for travel or $15,000 per month for renovation. Once those items are finished, reduce it back to its previous level.
4. Leave room for God’s provision in all of this. Demonstrate trust in Him by stepping out in faith and prayer to do His work. There may be a time when you risk living beyond your means, trusting God to provide as He has promised, e.g. in doing volunteer work of some kind.

Keep money in high-interest term deposits if you don’t have a home loan.

1. You might start with $1000 at a time. Have them mature at regular intervals so you can access it if you need it for bigger purchases. 
2. Once you get a home loan, then put money into an offset account so that it is minimising interest charged, but you can still use it when needed without the extra inconvenience of redraw or overdraft.

• Manage the home loan.

1. Living at home with your parents is the most efficient way to save.
2. Buying a home means that what you would previously have been paying in rent is now paid to the mortgage, but it is obviously less flexible than renting, and the initial outlay is significant. As a general guide, the purchase price should be around 2.5 times the family’s gross income.
3. When buying your first home, you can use your superannuation fund for the deposit.
4. Ideally, your deposit should be 20% of the property value (loan value ratio [LVR]<80%), so that you don’t have to pay mortgage insurance (about $3000).
5. The first home owner’s grant is available for your first property purchase, and you should consider how you can best use this.
   • This may be $10,000 if you are building a new home.
   • It also saves on lender’s mortgage insurance, saving another $3000. 
   • It may mean living in the home for at least twelve months before you could use it as an investment property.
6. Look around for a good rate and the flexibility you need. The best rate may not be with the big banks. However, they may initially offer the best deal since they can afford bigger risks. Every one to three years, it is worth looking around and checking that you have the best mortgage deal, especially as equity in the property rises. Sometimes, just writing to the lender annually to review their rates will result in being offered a lower rate.

Get rid of non-deductible debt first, e.g. the home loan.

After that you can then pay off deductible debt or invest in shares or investment bonds.  An investment house might be the way to go for negative gearing advantages (only if capital gain is likely to eclipse the loss), passive income or to fund early retirement.

Consider a financial planner.

Simple affairs probably don’t require a financial planner. Seek wise counsel otherwise and pray about how you manage your money.

1. If you need one, you may be able to access one free through your superannuation or banking facility.
2. If you can, try and choose someone who charges outright rather than taking a trailing commission. It is hard to make unbiased recommendations when you get a commission!

Set money aside.

If you have kids, you might like to set money aside for their later education. Ten-year investment bonds are helpful for this

1. They have the advantage of being capital gains tax (CGT) free.
2. Each year, you have the opportunity to increase the amount you put aside by 25% if you have money available.
3. If you put $5,000 per annum aside for each child (without increasing each year), then you might have $62,500 at maturity (averaging 10% per annum compound interest), earning $12,500 tax-free. 
4. This is probably similar to putting money into an offset account on a home loan.

Run your own business/ surgeryonly if you are business-minded.

1. Otherwise, it can swallow up all your time and energy and ensnare you with a focus on money and profit. 
2. You could buy your surgery through your self-managed superannuation fund, which has tax advantages. 
3. The Facebook group, Business For Doctors (BFD), is helpful for business information. Remember not to get caught up in secular values when running your own business!

Passive income trumps active income.

Think creatively about how you can bring money in without having to work at the time.  Superannuation investments work this way. Think about:

1. rental properties,
2. write a book,
3. offer a subscription to something you’ve made available,
4. rent out a room on AirBnB. 
   

Manage your shares or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

I have very little experience in these at the moment. ETFs allow you to buy a diversified portfolio at a lower price by going in with other people to buy, and so they are an entry-level way to get into the share market. 

1. The bottom line is that it is worth sticking to the top one hundred blue chip companies and dollar cost averaging.
2. Learn a little at a time and try to buy when the market is going down and sell when the market is going up.
3. The benefit of shares is that you can liquidate them to cash much more quickly than property.
4. If you have no idea what you’re doing, invest in shares through your superannuation fund. Invest in high growth and growth portfolios when you are young and have time to wait out market falls, and change to more conservative options as you get older. Downsize, ideally to a location that is near one of your children, rather than equidistant but close to none. This increases the likelihood of easy visitation and better long-term connection.
   

Consider retirement options.

1. Downsize, ideally to a location that is near one of your children, rather than equidistant but close to none. This increases the likelihood of easy visitation and better long-term connection.
2. Can you draw down on your primary residence?
3. Will you take a pension or a lump sum from super?
4. Live within your means.
5. Get rid of what you don’t want. Decluttering is good for you and others!
   

Remember, you can’t take it with you.

1. Be in agreement with your spouse on how money is managed.
2. Give first. Save second. Spend last. 
3. Sell or give away what you don’t need on Facebook marketplace or other similar platforms – clothes/ furniture/ jewellery. Give valuables to family now rather than later.
4. Aim to make enough money to fund your food and shelter for the rest of your life by the time you retire. What are you retiring for? You may stop work early to devote time and skill in order to self-fund missionary work. The twenty or thirty years after retirement can be spent in volunteer service – to grandkids, teaching special religious education (SRE, previously Scripture), CMDFA, mission and any number of worthwhile causes.
5. It may mean that you invest significantly in money when you are young so that you can realise those investments at age 55-60 years old and use them to cover your expenses in doing mission or volunteer work in retirement. Passive income frees up your time.
6. You need to ensure you have sufficient funds in case you need to move to an aged care facility or other retirement living.
7. Beware of leaving too much inheritance money to your kids. It might be more helpful to leave smaller amounts to them or to your grandchildren. Large inheritances can be devastating – each of us should be able to support ourselves without relying on large inheritances which can negatively influence end-of-life relationships and sabotage motivation to support themselves.
8. You may plan to make significant donations to gospel work in your will as a bequest. It is wise to discuss that with your children so that they know your wishes and also so that they have reasonable expectations.
9. “Only one life, ‘Twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”²
   

Teach your kids.

1. Start early.
2. Split money into Giving/ Saving/ Spending jars. 
3. Give offering, give gifts, give to the poor. Aim for >10%.
4. Save money for purchases.
5. Live within your means.
6. Do chores regularly without payment.
7. Offer paid work on top of chores, including work out of home once they are old enough.
8. Consider supporting a Compassion child (or other similar organisation) and writing to them.
9. Money put into superannuation by those with low incomes (<$60,400 per annum in 2025) may receive a co-contribution from the government. Plan to put that money in every year as a minimum (current government contribution is 50% of all contributions to a maximum of $500) – no other investment returns 50%!
   
10. Charge board:
    i. Low as a student, e.g. $10 a day towards food. 
    ii. When earning a reasonable wage, charge commercial rent. 
    iii. This money may be put into a separate account as enforced savings to be returned to assist with large purchases such as a car or house. 

Summary

In summary, money is something we all need; that is better to have than not to have. However, when we value money too much, it can be dangerous. As with everything over which God has given us dominion, we need to steward it wisely from an eternal perspective. Whilst it is a crude measure of worldly success, it is an influential and seductive rival for our affections that a jealous God will not tolerate. If it succeeds in ousting God from the centre of our love and worship, it can take us down the destructive path of ultimate failure – to eternal damnation. My prayer is that in remembering that all our possessions and talents are from God, we will choose to be the faithful steward and not the foolish slave.

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:21 ESV).

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Resources

1. Payne, Tony Cash Values: 5 Studies about Money Matthias Media 2009.
2. Alcorn, Randy Managing God’s Money Tindale 2011.