4 Biblical Teachings on How to Handle Our Money
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Our culture loves money but also never talks about it in tangible terms. Asking what someone makes or what their financial status is can be very taboo. Lately, I’ve been wondering if this area of our lives needs a little more light to be shone upon it.
Being content with the financial abilities we have been blessed with as a family is a lesson relevant to not just me, but it's something we have to teach our kids about too. Being content is definitely a counter-cultural way to live. If we can seek to live in that space of knowing we have enough, there is such peace to be found when it comes to our money.
1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Let’s be real, most of us love money. I’ll confess first… I love money. I love the feeling of being able to spend something a little extra on myself because some extra cash just popped into our hands. I love the idea of being able to build my dream life with my dream home and dream vacations. Yet, that’s not the point of money when we are Christ followers. Money is a tool God gives us. We are called to avoid the relentless pursuit of it. Believers are to use what we have wisely, not storing up our treasures here on Earth but focusing on how we can use what we have to bring Heaven down to Earth.
Proverbs 11:24-25 states, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” It’s interesting because when it comes to generosity, it’s the one and only place where the Bible tells us how to get more money. There are several passages that say when we give freely, God makes sure he takes care of us (Proverbs 19:17, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6). In God’s backwards Kingdom, we give to others in order to grow our own provision! I don’t understand that math, but I’ve seen it at work in my own life in many ways, so I’m starting to trust that God means what he said here.
What I love about the charge to take control of your finances is that the end goal is so you can feel free to give without fear. When a need comes to your view, you can act. That’s probably the most exciting thing you will ever get to do with your money! I’m ready to get busy making that budget, logging expenses, and following our plan because I’m pumped for the day I can send someone a check for something they need without thinking twice about it!
Creating a new habit is so hard! When it comes to how we handle money, being faithful requires practicing habits that will build into a healthy story as time goes on. Start small and begin to ask God to show you how to better handle what he has given you! I started praying last year for our family, and God sent me to Dave Ramey even though I had no intention of taking that small group class, somehow I’m doing it. God is faithful to help us with all we need!
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