On any given day, Brian Barksdale, a certified public accountant, encounters a variety of clients. Some seek advice for handling a newfound fortune. Others request direction in order to minimize losses in the struggling economy.
“Whether you have two nickels or tremendous sums of money, the principles of stewardship remain constant,” Barksdale said. “In economic hard times, the principles don’t change.”
Barksdale, partner in charge of the Birmingham office of Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC, has practiced as an accountant in Birmingham for nearly 30 years. He began working as an intern for a local accounting firm just prior to graduating from Samford University in January 1979.
“I’ve been here ever since,” he said. The firm later merged into Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC.
Barksdale’s daily interaction with individuals, families and corporations over the past several decades reinforced in his mind the importance of stewardship.
“Stewardship is managing and utilizing the resources God has given in accordance with his will,” he said. “My mother used to tell me, ‘How you manage your resources says a lot about you as a person.’”
Financial decisions especially indicate a great deal about priorities. Barksdale recalled that his mother carefully monitored how he spent his money. At age 12, he began delivering newspapers on a route that he kept for eight years.
“She made sure I managed every penny,” he said with a smile.
Later when he and his wife Becky started a family of their own, they made it a priority to teach stewardship principles to their children. Barksdale and his wife knew that early stewardship training would affect future life skills.
“This is something that affects how all of life is lived,” he said.
During the current economic downturn, practicing wise stewardship is especially important, he said, emphasizing that when an abundance of resources is present, mistakes are not as evident. When resources become scarce, every mistake or poor choice is magnified.
“The sooner this is learned, the better,” he said.
A member and deacon at Shades Crest Baptist Church, Hoover, Barksdale is also a member of the financial stewardship committee of the church.
“I work with young couples frequently to try to teach them good stewardship principles,” he said.
He mentioned that a decision such as whether or not both spouses should work demands careful thought and prayer. A decision like this encompasses more than simply financial considerations. Parenting, family time and discipline are all factors to examine.
An important financial stewardship principle is to budget for high and low times.
“Save for the rainy day,” he said, adding that in the current economic situation, “the rainy day is here.”
Barksdale suggested that during these financially hard times, Christian stewards should use extra caution in managing their finances.
“The ability to avoid impulse buying is extremely valuable,” he said. “People should pass up the chance to purchase unnecessary items.”
Barksdale described the dramatic economic downturn as surprising, particularly in the banking sector.
“A lot of loss of wealth has happened in a short span of time,” he said.
He attributed a portion of this loss to emotion and greed, the opposite of good stewardship. However, he pointed out that many people are struggling financially in spite of careful choices and wise financial planning.
“Great people sometimes have problems,” he said.
Barksdale stressed that people should not abandon their stewardship principles now that times are tough. When people stray toward panic, they often do the opposite of what they should do.
A healthy view of stewardship is the key to living in today’s economy, he said. “We need to remember who gives us all things. Our faith is in God and we can trust Him in all things. That is just as true now as it was in the good times.”
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