WISE FINANCIAL IN BIBLE

Money Management Principles from the Bible

Malachi 3[10]  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it .
Money can be a useful servant but a destructive master.  The love of it is a trap causing people to rob others and even God.  Riches can be seductive and challenging to manage and we must be more discerning if God has blessed us with wealth – remembering that the ownership is His.
The following are 5 of many important principles from the Bible about money management.

1.  Do not set your heart on riches, and especially watch against oppression of the poor to gain riches and subtle robbery of the vulnerable.

Psalm 62[10]  Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them .

2.  God call us to be satisfied with what we have instead of lusting after what belongs to others even as He promises to meet our needs and not necessarily our wants.

Hebrews 13 [5]  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

3.  Building reputation and making selfish plans for money as though it belonged to us and not God can be dangerous.  Ask the couple Ananias and Saphirra in Acts 5:1-6

Acts 5 [1]  But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, [2]  And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it , and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. [3]  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? [4]  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. [5]  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. [6]  And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him .

4.  Wealth is a gift to be received with a sense of responsibility, accountability, thanksgiving and generosity to others. Wealth is given to flow and released ... like a stream to bless others and establish God’s kingdom.

5.  God is glorified in our wealth when we place even more emphasis on God the giver instead of worrying about the gift as we continue to be blessed.  Our emphasis can be determined by the amount of devotional time with God, quality and depth of our personal relationship with God and our love and obedience for His commandments and word. All these should increase as we are blessed with wealth or else we find ourselves vulnerable to all kinds of evil and sorrow.

Matthew 13[22]  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.