5 Biblical Money Tips
Let’s have the money talk!
Since I was little, my mom talked to me openly and transparently about finances. I remember attending her investment meetings and overhearing her advisor tell her what stocks and bonds to invest in. My mom is a smart woman, and I am grateful that she included us in these meetings.
She was also a single mom, which meant that the conversations about money and the reality of what we could afford were often on the table. I learned very early on how to live below my means and to live within a budget.
I would consider myself a good steward of what I have in the area of finances.
In 2019, I paid off the last remnants of my debt after chipping away at it, bit by bit, over seven years.
However, my relationship with money, how I’ve managed spending and savings, and when it comes to the motives of my heart, hasn’t always been balanced or correct before God.
You may have heard the scripture quoted often that the love of money is the root of all-evil, followed by someone reaffirming that money itself is not evil; it’s the LOVE of it. That would be correct.
That is because money, when it is exalted in our hearts, becomes a false god and an idol. We begin to put our hope, trust, a sense of value, and security in the number of zeros in our accounts when all of those things should flow from God. Whenever we lean on a paycheck more than we trust in Jehovah Jireh (Our Provider) for our needs, we start to worship another god named Mammon.
Mammon is the spirit behind an inordinate desire for material wealth, riches, or possessions that turns people over to a debased mind of no longer being able to serve God. It is the abuse of riches that is not God’s design for the right use for them.
It is when we are so greedy for gain and lusting after fleeting things that we selfishly seek to heap and hoard as much of it unto ourselves as possible.
Wealth, as Jesus teaches, does not belong to men, but as stewards, they may use wealth prudently unto their eternal advantage. Instead of serving God and Mammon alike, we may serve God by the use of wealth, and thus lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven.
Nevertheless, in this blog post, I wanted to delve into scriptures surrounding money, how we manage what we have, how we relate to, and where our hearts need to be guarded, so we don’t deceive ourselves into slipping into that “love of money” warning.
5 Biblical Money Tips
1. Discipline and consistency:
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. – Proverbs 13:11
What if I debunked the “name it, claim it,” “pray on it and get it,” “sow it and receive it,” prosperity gospel preaching myth right here in this first scripture. We love our quick fixes. We would like to win the lottery, and it became the solution for all of our financial woes. Yet, here the Word of God says it is better to gather it little by little verses hastily.
Hasty wealth with dwindling, and I believe that is due to the lack of character and knowledge of how to manage it.
I will tell you that preaching to people that getting their finances in order is going to take discipline, consistency, self-control, and smart work, is not as sexy as shouting that if you ask for it, it is yours.
Marketing discipline and self-denial are not generating the same crowd enthusiasm that a 6-week course can sell.
Someone telling you that it can take the same amount of time that it took for the mountain of debt to build and as many bad decisions you made to get there, maybe the amount of time and energy you put into shoveling yourself out of it.
I 1,000% believe that God can redeem the time we have lost and given us bright ideas, witty inventions, and strategy to execute. But, let’s also shift back to being responsible people.
God, in His infinite wisdom, tells us that we need to have self-control. He gives it to us as one of the fruits of the Spirit when we are born again. Restraint is what helps us not to overspend, to not buy more than we need, and to not eat another cookie after we’ve already eaten two.
He shows us that we should walk with Him day by day and put our hope and faith in Him to help us make the right choices that will produce long-lasting results than to rush ahead of His grace and loss it all because we couldn’t sustain the blessing.
I challenge you to weigh out your purchases and incoming paychecks every day, week, bi-weekly, and monthly with the Lord. He may instruct you to save, to put (x) amount towards a debt that will free up more cash, to invest it, or to sow it.
Nevertheless, be sensitive to Him and not hasty to obtain wealth. Let all financial pressure come under the presence of the Prince of Peace and the perfect Provider.
2. Contentment with your portion:
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! – Ecclesiastes 5:10
I thoroughly enjoy making money like the next person. If I can have another additional stream of income, sign me up! Its dope to see the numbers in your bank account go up and great to be able to do more because of it.
However, watch out for that shift in discontentment.
Wealth is relative. A millionaire is broke in a room full of billionaires. A person with $1,000 in savings is doing “well” in the eyes of someone with barely $1.00 to their name.
I completely understand the whole shift in the wealth gap that is taking place, but this is why these scriptures are so essential for us to understand.
Firstly, because when God brings the increase, it is so beautiful.
Secondly, because when we find contentment and the ability to give thanks for the little, we will always find that there is enough.
This scripture is talking about being satisfied. So if your hunger after money is robbing you from satisfaction with that you have or contentment in God’s provision for you, then it is vanity and like chasing after the wind.
Where is your heart?
Is it in money, or the One who can take five loaves of bread and two fish and feed 5, 000 people with it?
3. Guard your heart:
And He said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” – Luke 12:15
This is the biblical way of saying, “Watch out for trying to keep up with the Jones’.”
I will talk about myself that I have at one point been scrolling on social media, looking at the glamourous life of models and influencers, name brand designer bags, trips around the globe, red bottom heels, and found myself coveting.
I am then reminded of scriptures like this that put the focus on the right priorities. Our lives are not in the abundance of what we own, but in the richness of our relationship with God and with others.
Our legacy and reputation will never be in our material goods.
And, this has not been something that is known to hear, but when we are not careful of guarding our hearts, we all fall into a little bit of this from time to time.
Another way I look at flipping this scripture and applying what the right heart motive should be for me to have is to say live within your means and check inspiration behind your desires.
It is not bad for us to like beautiful things, or to want nice things. Shoot! I like nice things, and I like to look nice, but my heart's craving cannot be fueled or fulfilled by the desire to have more and more.
4. Your name is your legacy:
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
– Proverbs 22:1
My husband always quotes something his dad taught him, which is, “your name is all you have, so keep it clean and wear it well.”
My mom told me that because of the uniqueness of my name and the lack of online origin of where it came from, I get to define what it means for myself, by the way, I live.
These are both dire messages and responsibilities to choose wisely what we will represent with the names we have been given. It is also echoed here in this proverb.
Choose to leave a rich legacy by being wealthy in good works, with generosity, and by doing good works. Nobody else (other than your children) will get your money, but they will receive your impact.
5. Consider the entire cost:
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’- Luke 14:28-18
This scripture was written at the top of my budgeting spreadsheet for the longest time while I was working to pay off all of my debt. Naturally, as I was making the plan to get out of debt, I would sometimes have great things spring up that would require a financial investment.
It took a ton of discipline and self-control because, for some of these opportunities, I did not have the money available in my debit account to invest, which meant that there was a temptation to look for other ways to finance it through credit cards or by taking out additional loans.
My long term goals were to get out of debt by 2019, and by accruing more debt, that would prolong what I set out to do, and it wouldn’t be a wise thing to do. I was emotionally excited, but I wanted to be a woman of wisdom and one who counts the cost (look at the bigger picture) to see if I can follow it through.
Once my emotions subsided, I was able to look at the opportunity and say “not yet.” Let me finish what I set out to do here, put some money to the side to sign up for the course, and revisit it once I have completed this task.
We have to be very careful not to be impulsive and not to forget to consider all of our other responsibilities that may require financial attention too.
The Bible has plenty of money advice that protect your heart and soul.
The bible has so much more to say about finances. It is one of the most important topics covered in the book. I enjoy studying this topic often and getting heart checks as I remember the order of my priorities and Who takes care of me.
I hope this blog blessed you, and if you enjoy reading more comments on what the bible says about finances, drop me a comment below!
Until next time,
