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Two people instantly come to mind when I believe about financial mess-ups in the Bible:  Matthew and Zacchaeus.  Both were tax collectors and both created some pretty massive errors when it came to handling income.  What’s fascinating is that even although they had been hated for their dishonest practices, Jesus utilized their situations to minister to them and every person who knew about them.

Matthew: You want me to do what?

Who would have known that Jesus would pick a tax collector as a disciple (hey, who am I to judge, every person wants a good accountant).  The problem was that tax collectors back then had been notorious for becoming cheaters and swindlers, so when Jesus asked Matthew to ‘follow him,’ those around thought he was crazy.

Jesus, of course, didn’t condone the fraudulent behavior of the tax collectors, but those behaviors didn’t avoid him from reaching out to them.  Matthew’s sketchy financial history wasn’t something to be proud of, but Jesus created the most out of it.  When questioned by those wondering why he would eat with ‘sinners and tax collectors,’ Jesus challenged them with a statement that truly revealed his purpose, “It is not the wholesome who want a doctor, but the sick….I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

Zacchaeus:  Little man, massive issues.

Towards the end of his ministry, Jesus had just come to Jericho and a crowd had gathered to see what he was going to say that day.  Zacchaeus was a small too brief to see, so he ended up watching from a tree until Jesus known as him out and asked if he could have dinner with him.  The crowd was angry to say the least, and Zacchaeus knew that his reputation for cheating individuals out of cash was going to bite him.

Yes we read about how Zacchaeus repented to Jesus and that he was forgiven, but that wasn’t the end of the story.  In Luke 19:11, just following Zacchaeus repented, Jesus went on to share 1 of the most challenging parables of stewardship that we discover in scripture – the parable of the talents.

Jesus would have almost certainly still shared this story even if he hadn’t met Zacchaeus that day, but I have to feel that those who knew Zacchaeus were even more impacted by the parable.

How can we use monetary errors for very good?

We have all completed something with cash that we wish we could undo.  Since we can’t turn back time, our focus should be on how we can use our experiences to assist other people along the way.  If you’ve worked your way out of debt, or have genuinely identified techniques to save and make ends meet, you might think about becoming a monetary coach to someone going through a comparable scenario.  I’m not suggesting that you turn into their financial planner, just a source for encouragement and tips that can help.

You can even share your experiences to a larger audience on Individual Finance by the Book or at Faith and Finance with a guest post.  But the most crucial factor to do in order to make the most of our monetary failures is to teach others by performing it proper the next time. Be an example of great stewardship to your circle of influence and you may well just have the opportunity to reshape the way a person views their finances.

Is there somebody in your life who truly impacted how you view your finances? What did they do that made such an impact?

Tim is a individual finance writer at Faith and Finance a Christian monetary help blog that gives monetary insights for people, businesses, and churches. Outside of finance, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife, playing the saxophone, reading economics books, and a great game of RISK or Catan. Discover him on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to the Faith and Finance RSS feed.

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