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Saving Too Much

  • Writer: William Seah
    William Seah
  • Oct 8
  • 3 min read
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I’ve always believed in stewardship. As a financial planner, it’s second nature to watch spending, track budgets, and encourage financial discipline. Stewardship, after all, begins with restraint. Buy assets. Avoid lifestyle inflation. Sensible , sound advice.


But at a recent Christian Financial Planners conference, something shifted.


God didn’t convict me about spending too much. He convicted me about saving too much.


God convicted me about saving too much.

That’s not a sentence I ever expected to write.


I realised my faith had quietly migrated—from God to mammon. I was trusting my savings to secure my future, not trusting the One who holds my future. The irony wasn’t lost on me: I had become a steward of accumulation, not of surrender.


This wasn’t about reckless spending or poor planning. It was about the quiet danger of over-saving. Of hoarding blessings, out of fear, rather than releasing them in faith. Because saving too much can be just as spiritually dangerous as spending too much.


It’s easy to justify over-saving. We call it prudence, responsibility, foresight. But sometimes, it’s just fear dressed up in financial language. Sometimes, it’s a lack of trust in God’s provision. Sometimes, it’s a subtle form of idolatry.


So I’m learning to loosen my grip.


To hold my resources with open hands. To see money not as a fortress, but as a flow. To let it move through me, not just accumulate around me.


In short, I am learning to save less.


Not so I can spend more on myself. That’s not the point. Saving less is about releasing control over my resources. It’s about giving more freely, more intentionally. It’s about asking: How do I use what God has given me to bless others?


This isn’t a rejection of planning. It’s a reorientation of purpose.


I still believe in wise financial habits. I still prepare for the future; I still get properly insured and invest for my retirement, education and so on. I still advocate and prepare clients to be prudent, to think cathedral years - decades, even generations. I’m learning that stewardship isn’t about protecting what He has given—it’s about aligning them with God’s kingdom. It’s about trust in the maker of heaven and earth.


This conviction didn’t come with a spreadsheet. It came with a quiet whisper in my spirit. A reminder that the goal of stewardship isn’t security—it’s surrender. That the purpose of wealth isn’t preservation—it’s participation. Participation in the purposes of God.


The purpose of wealth isn't preservation - it is participation.

I’ve started asking different questions.


Not “How much more can I save?” but “How much more should I give?”


Not “What’s the optimal savings rate?” but “What’s the obedient response to God’s provision?”


These questions are uncomfortable. They challenge the very frameworks I’ve built my career on. But they also invite me into something deeper—a life of radical trust and radical generosity.


I’m not advocating financial recklessness. I’m advocating spiritual attentiveness. There’s a difference between saving wisely and saving fearfully. Between planning with purpose and planning with panic.


I want my children to see this. I want them to grow up knowing that wealth is a tool, not a trophy. That generosity is a lifestyle, not a line item. That faith is not just preached—it’s lived out in how we give, how we save, and how we trust.


This journey is ongoing. I’m still learning. Still wrestling. Still recalibrating.


But I know this: God doesn’t just want my budget. He wants my heart.


And maybe, just maybe, stewardship isn’t just about securing my future—it’s about showing up in God's present. Showing up with open hands. With trust. With generosity. Because the blessings I’ve been given aren’t just for later—they’re for now.


I write about the financial habits and decisions that shape the way we live and see the world. If this piece resonated with you, I invite you to explore more at williamseah.com/blog—there’s plenty there for curious minds and thoughtful planners.

If you'd like to dive deeper into any of these ideas, or explore how they might apply to your personal financial journey, I’d be glad to connect. Drop me a note at reach.william@gmail.com or send me a message at 9673 1523. Whether it's coffee, whisky, or a good conversation you're after—I’m always up for it.

 

 
 
 

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