Jesus talks more about money & possessions than about heaven & earth. There are 2000 verses in Bible about money & possessions.
The Bible talks about money because our money matters to God.
If we can manage our money well, there will be blessings & rewards.
How you handle money is an indicator of how you handle your spiritual life. It's a test of spiritual maturity. Money management is a part of discipleship.
Giving alone will not bring blessings into your life, you need to live wisely too.
God's Words has wisdom for every areas of our lives, including for our financial. We need wisdom in managing our finance.
Money can be a monster that rules your life if you are not careful.
DANGERS of money:
- money can be addictive
- ecs 5:10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
- money can be deceptive
- mat 13:22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
- money can be destructive
- 1 tim 6:9-10 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
- money is only temporal. Luke 12:10-21
- ecs 5:15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.
Money can be a threat to your relationship with God.
It's OK to have money as long as it doesn't have you. It's what our attitude towards money that matters.
It is dangerous to pursue money as our #1 goal in life.
BENEFITS of money:
- meet our basic needs
- deut 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
- provide our enjoyment
- deut 8:10-11 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
- ecs 5:19 When God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
- meet the needs of others
- 1 tim 6:17-18 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
- resource God's work. 2 cor 8-9
God wants to prosper each one of us. The Biblical meaning of prosperity: having enough to meet my needs and to give away for others.
A financial assessment:
- What do you own? (assets)
- What do you owe? (liability)
- What do you earn? (income)
- What do you spend? (expense)
Money is a good servant, but not a good master.
Establish and live by a budget:
- Pro 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
- Ps 20:4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
- Luk 14:28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
- gen 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it
- God wants us to be productive (doing something useful). We've all been created to work. He has given us skills to exchange them with incomes.
- deut 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
- Earn your own living
- 2 thes 3:10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
- Working is part of God's calling in our lives. Have a "work" mentality.
- Work willingly as to the Lord and not men.
- Imagine if every job we do is as if Jesus personally asks us to do it.
- How we work is important to God.
- GIVE the first 10% to God's work. It reminds us that God is our source. God will give us good "interest" when we invest in his kingdom, but it takes faith.God wants us to start with what we have now, don't wait until you have a lot to give to Him.pro 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.
- SAVE the next 10% and invest in your future. Pay these 2 people first of all every time you get an income: God and yourself.Saving creates freedomSaving reduces pressures and anxietySaving enhances our joySaving enables us to give when we need to
- pro 21:20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.
- pro 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.
- pro 6:6-8 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
- ecs 5:13-14 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.
- SPEND the remaining 80% (or less) on your necessary expenses.Tips: Shop with a list. Don't shop when you are hungry. Shop alone. Before you buy something, ask yourself: do I really need this? is this a good price? do I need a new one?
- earn some more income. God wants us to work but not become a workaholic
- reduce your expenses. Downsize your living standard to reduce financial pressure in life. The key to financial freedom is NOT to get more money. There are a lot of people who have a lot of money who have a big financial pressure.
- ecs 4:6 Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
- make a decision. be committed to no longer be in destructive debt.
- create a plan
- get some help. accountability
- don't give up. It takes time to get into debt, and it also takes time to get out of it
- pleasing God by living right
- pro 11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
- pro 16:8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.
- pro 28:6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.
- enjoying quality relationship (people are more important than possessions)
- 1 cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
- experiencing inner peace & contentment
- pro 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.
- phil 4:11-12 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
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