Finances: God's Way

Statistics reveal that one of the leading causes of divorce in the United States is financial difficulty. In fact, the Mexican government is even working on a new type of marriage license that is only binding for two years at a time; after the license has expired, the couple able to choose whether to renew their marriage or separate. The reasoning? Over fifty percent of marriages in their country end in divorce before the second year, costing the individuals and the country thousands of dollars. No word on whether they’ve consulted their Bibles on the subject… In a society governed by the almighty dollar, with legislators and legal representatives are being purchased through Political Interest Groups, it is no wonder that our nation’s moral and spiritual center is…well, a bit off-centered! Our world is desperately in need of stewardship training, both in the financial arena and in the relationship realm.

We have become so dependent on credit that many live well beyond their means, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and relationship problems that result from the strain of juggling too many irons in the fire. While scripture does indeed say that if a man doesn’t work, he does not eat, we should be cautious of the place our finances hold in our life.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus instructed that “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is money. We cannot be a slave to our finances…which means we should be cautious in our use of credit. Our debt load should not be such that it requires our taking on extra jobs, thereby missing time in the House of God or with our families. If you already find yourself in such a position, begin taking steps to relieve the debt.

Whether you are in a position to play the stock market with millions or you are barely able to put food on the table, God has a plan for your life…and your finances. As Psalm 50:10 says, “he owns the cattle on a thousand hills.” He is the chief financial analyst of the universe so trust His methods and He will bless you even when you least expect it.

All he asks is that we be good stewards so, whether you just need stewardship advice or are having serious difficulties, look into the Word for your answer and trust the Lord.

Stewardship:Deut 8:18 Matthew 25:14-30 Luke 6:38 1 Corinthians 4:2 Matthew 6:3-5 Matthew 6:19-21,33

• Invest wisely and put your money to good use. Matthew 25:14-30 tells the parable of the talents. One servant received five talents and, through hard work, produced another five for which his master rewarded him. Another servant received two talents and, likewise, doubled it. A third servant received one talent and hid it in the ground and was later punished for his lack of entrepreneurship! Don’t just hide your money under the mattress or even in a savings account; put it to use.

• Give. Although it sounds opposite from what you should do if you are struggling financially, it is indeed the answer. To accumulate wealth, you must not only invest it but also simply give to those in need. Matthew 6:3-5 says, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” To truly prosper, Luke 6:38 compels us to “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

• Give to God. Consider the woman who knelt and washed his feet with her tears and precious ointment. Although Judas, the monetarily-minded disciple disapproved, her every need was met when she poured it all out and lavished her treasures on Jesus.

• Use wisdom and mercy in your business dealings, and work well with those in the world with financial savvy. Consider Luke 16:1-9: “And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.”

• Realize that “every good and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Therefore, remember that God has the power to bless you financially…when he knows you will use it to bless His kingdom! Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

• Be faithful…to God, the His Word, to your family, to your beliefs, and to your work. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” In Luke 19:17, we find that those who are faithful when they have little to work with are soon blessed with greater!

• Focus and work hard. Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”

• Focus on the kingdom of God more than your personal kingdom. Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

• Put God first in all things. Matthew 6:33 instructs us, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Financial Problems:Matthew 6:28-30 Psalm 37:16 Ecclesiastes 4:6 Psalm 12:5 Deuteronomy 8:18 Proverbs 11:28 Proverbs 13:7 Proverbs 22:2 2 Corinthians 5:7 Mark 11:22-23 Numbers 23:19 Deuteronomy 4:31 Deuteronomy 7:9 Psalm 1:3 Psalm 72:12, 13 Psalm 69:33 Jeremiah 20:13 Psalm 102:17 Psalm 113:7 Psalm 132:15 Psalm 68:10

Matthew 6:28-30
“And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

Psalm 37:16
“A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.”

Ecclesiastes 4:6
“Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.”

Psalm 12:5
“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.”

Deuteronomy 8:18
“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

Proverbs 11:28
“He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.”

Proverbs 13:7
“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”

Proverbs 22:2
“The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.”

2 Corinthians 5:7
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Mark 11:22-23
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Deuteronomy 4:31
“(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.”

Deuteronomy 7:9
“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”

Psalm 1:3
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Psalm 72:12, 13
“For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.”

Psalm 69:33
“For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.”

Jeremiah 20:13
“Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.”

Psalm 102:17
“17He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.”

Psalm 113:7
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill”

Psalm 132:15
“I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.”

Psalm 68:10
“Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.”


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