Redeeming Money: How God Reveals and Reorients Our Hearts [Book Review]
Author: David Paul Tripp, Crossway (2018)
Reviewed by Gregory De Jong
Redeeming Money is a recent work by David Paul Tripp which should find a wide audience among Christians who sense that matters of the wallet may also be matters of the heart. Tripp writes:
My goal in this book is to root everything I write about money in a distinctly biblical worldview. Even more specifically, I want to help you look at money and money problems through the lens of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those looking for a workbook on budgeting, debt management or tithing may be disappointed, and yet this book lays out clearly the principles which undergird all manner of practical financial decisions. For example:
I believe that a good budget can be a powerful restorative tool, but your budget does not have the power to rescue you from you. I am convinced that the reason budgets don’t work for so many is that the underlying heart issues . . . have not been addressed.
For readers struggling with money problems, Tripp identifies a wide range of attitudes and misconceptions which lead us astray. A recurring theme is that we expect money to accomplish things in our lives which it isn’t designed for and isn’t capable of fulfilling. Tripp illustrates ways small and large where money becomes a false god, and he consistently draws the reader back to the reality that we will only find contentment, security, self-worth and happiness through a right understanding of the gospel.
This book will be a helpful resource for those beset by money problems. In a counseling context, a minister will find here a useful tool for helping individuals get at the root causes of their financial trouble. Redeeming Money could also be effective for building a foundation for godly stewardship, perhaps in a pre-marital counseling setting or as a tool parents could use with their young adult children. Even for those who, by God’s grace, have avoided the common snares of money, Tripp offers much to stimulate our thinking about generosity, gratitude, and living our daily lives with eternity in view.