Don't let money control your life!
We Christians need to have control of our money, and we cannot let it control us. With the costs of living increasing on a daily basis, it's way too easy to spend more than we have and to get caught up in the downhill debt wagon. Most of our neighbors, businesses, and some of the towns and states we live in are trapped by debt... and even our great country, the United States, owes trillions of dollars! Being that Christians in America are surrounded by increased costs and poor examples of handling money, we have to handle our finances even more carefully so that we will please the Lord with our monetary choices.
Having the proper perspective about money
The Bible says that as Christians we should be content with what we have (Psalm 23:1) and that we cannot serve two masters, both God and money (Matthew 6:24). If we end up loving money more than God, our priorities will instantly get out of line, God must always be first in our lives and we cannot let money satisfy our deepest needs.
Money is not the root of all evil
Money itself is not evil, but the love of money is. Too many people mis-quote 1 Timothy 6:10 which says “The love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil” and that is the correct perspective that we should have about money. If money itself was evil, then God would have never allowed Jesus to use money in his travels because it would've tainted Jesus' purity... however Jesus regularly used money in his travels, but he used it sparingly, only when he absolutely needed it. Both Hebrews 13:5 and Psalm 119:36 emphasize further that the love of money (and not money itself) is evil, and that we should be satisfied with what we have.
We fill the void with falsehood
We often buy things to fill a void or a need in our lives, but buying material things that we want (and don't need) gives us quick satisfaction and the gratification of doing so is short-lived. Proverbs 11:28 says “Trust in your money and down you go!” Also, Isaiah 55:2 tells us not to spend money on food that does not give us strength, but to listen to the Lord so that we will know where to get food that is good for the soul. Loving God more than money, and listening to his wisdom about money (and everything else in our lives) will give us a deep and lasting happiness that always satisfies.
Earn money honestly
God detests stealing money, selling stolen property for money, and all other deceptive and dishonest ways that people get or take money from others. Proverbs 19:1 says “It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest.” Mark 8:36 poses a thought-provoking question “How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?” Taking advantage of others to get money is stealing, and those who steal lose far more than they could ever gain.
God supplies all of our needs
Please listen to this carefully... I'm not saying that God provides all of our wants and desires, I'm saying that God provides our needs, and there's a big difference. Philippians 4:19 tells us that the same God who takes care of Paul will supply all of our needs from his glorious riches. The problem comes when our definition of “need” conflicts with God's definition of “need”... we often turn our wants and desires into needs and the difference becomes cloudy in our minds. Philippians 4:11-12 shows us that we can learn to get along happily with much or little, and this is the secret of living in every situation.
Generosity killed the cat?
No, the old saying goes “curiosity killed the cat”, but generosity will kill the “fat cat” desires that our sinful nature has to be rich and wealthy. When we see what giving does in the lives of others, needs are met in us that money and possessions can never satisfy. 1 John 3:17 says that if you have enough money to live well, and you see a brother or sister in need and you don't help them, then God's love is not in you. In Mark 12:43, Jesus showed his disciples that the poor widow gave everything that she had to the Lord, and even though the dollar amount was much less than all of the others, she had given far more than anyone else had given. This kind of giving measures our Christian love!
Being a good steward
God wants us to be good stewards in earning, spending and saving money. God understands the importance of providing for our family and the future, but God expects us to also use our money generously to help others. We must honor the Lord with our wealth (Proverbs 3:9-10), we must tithe (Malachi 3:10), we must be generous (Luke 6:38 and 2 Corinthians 9:6), spend wisely (Proverbs 21:20), work hard (Proverbs 28:19 and 1 Corinthians 4:12), invest wisely (Matthew 25:14), and be financially independent (1 Thessalonians 4:12).
Why do we want more?
We tend to think that more money is the answer to our problems (Ecclesiastes 10:19) because we trust money more than God to bring us wealth and happiness (Mark 10:22). However, we can be more happy and productive if we set our minds on building our eternal wealth in heaven instead of here on earth. The old saying “you can't take it with you” comes to mind... you never see anyone driving a U-Haul to a funeral. We foolishly spend our money on what does not satisfy the soul (Isaiah 55:1), we don't manage our money according to God's priorities (Haggai 1:4), and we falsely depend on money instead of God to bring us the security we need (Luke 12:15).
Is being in debt a sin?
Jesus uses a parable (Matthew 18:24) to teach us that lending or borrowing money is not sin, but the manner in which we respond to debt can be. We are not supposed to be slaves to debt (Proverbs 22:7), and we are supposed to avoid debt whenever possible (Proverbs 6:1-3). Avoid the temptation of buying items with credit cards and overdraft protection... if you see something you wish to buy, save up and wait until you have enough free cash to pay for it. We also should not fail on repaying our debts (Romans 13:8).
Again, God gives us what we need
As Christians, the Lord provides us with the money and supplies that we need to survive. If we feel that we don't have enough and we need more, then we must be misusing the resources that the Lord has provided us with in some way. If you're not earning enough, maybe you're not working where the Lord wants you to work. If you have a lot of debt and you can't pay bills on time, then you're probably not spending money wisely. If you turn to credit cards whenever you need to make larger purchases or when you go on vacation, then you aren't saving enough money. In fact, the Lord provides us with enough money to survive on, plus money to help expand and further his kingdom by generosity and tithing! If you are spending all of your money on yourself and there is nothing left over, then there is something seriously wrong and you need to learn from the Lord how to manage your money properly!
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