Stewardship and Blessings
I was raised in a family that emphasized studying and working hard to make money (my three siblings and I are all doctors or lawyers), but very loose on saving and investing it well. While I did not gamble or have any obvious bad habits, I was a poor steward and often spent more than I saved, creating cycles of debt throughout my working life. More specifically, in the last 20 years I had also allowed my income tax to remain unpaid.
There were various reasons: firstly, the beginning of my business was a struggle. Secondly, when my business stabilized, I still refused to pay tax to protest against the way the government seemed to be squandering taxpayers’ money. I knew this was a time bomb for me but ignored it.
In 2021 I met my wife, a woman who walks closely with God, and in February 2022 we were married. She was quite shocked to learn about my financial situation and pointed out that as a Christian, I must obey the government God has put in charge of the country – even if tax was squandered by certain officials. She and our pastor both urged me to deal with the tax debt if I wanted God’s blessing or to fruitfully serve in His future ministries.
It would be hard, because by then the outstanding tax was A$150,000 and the additional penalty interest was A$150,000. But I accepted their counselling and with my son’s help immediately paid off the A$150,000 tax debt. I also instructed a tax expert to negotiate with the ATO¹ to forgive the remaining interest because of my age and other hardship grounds. At this time, my son wanted to liquidate the house I was living in rent-free, to buy his house in Sydney. I fully supported his decision and had faith that if I obeyed God, He would not leave me without shelter.
I then moved to rented accommodations. Following my wife’s advice, I also learned to be a better steward of God’s provisions by cutting out unnecessary expenses. For once in my life, I was actually saving money. Shortly after paying the A$150,000, an unexpected business opportunity arose, opening a pathway to a new business income stream. On my reckoning, this income stream could give me a fresh beginning including buying a home for myself without a bank loan. The future looks bright.
This tax experience taught me that if we are obedient and faithful to God and a good steward of His provisions, we will receive His blessings.
1. ATO: Australian Taxation Office
About Author
Charles Yuen
ECA Adelaide