Monday, 4 July 2016

What does the Bible say about managing your finances?

The Bible has a lot to say about managing finances. Concerning
borrowing, the Bible generally advises against it. See Proverbs 6:1-5;
20:16; 22:7, 26-27 ("The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is
servant to the lender.... Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very
bed will be snatched from under you"). Over and over again, the Bible
warns against the accumulation of wealth and encourages us to seek
spiritual riches instead. Proverbs 28:20: "A faithful man will be
richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." See
also Proverbs 10:15; 11:4; 18:11; 23:5.

Proverbs 6:6-11 offers wisdom concerning laziness and the financial
ruin that inevitably results. We are told to consider the industrious
ant who works to store up food for itself. The passage also warns
against sleeping when we should be working at something profitable. A
"sluggard" is a lazy, slothful person who would rather rest than work.
His end is assured—poverty and want. At the other end of the spectrum
is the one who is obsessed with gaining money. Such a one, according
to Ecclesiastes 5:10, never has enough wealth to satisfy him and must
be constantly grasping more and more. First Timothy 6:6-11 also warns
against the trap of desiring wealth.

Rather than desiring to heap riches upon ourselves, the biblical model
is one of giving, not getting. "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). We are also encouraged to be good
stewards of what God has given us. In Luke 16:1-13, Jesus told the
parable of the dishonest steward as a way of warning us against poor
stewardship. The moral of the story is "So if you have not been
trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true
riches?" (v. 11). We are also responsible to provide for our own
household, as 1 Timothy 5:8 reminds us: "If anyone does not provide
for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has
denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

In summary, what does the Bible say about managing money? The answer
can be summarized with a single word—wisdom. We are to be wise with
our money. We are to save money, but not hoard it. We are to spend
money, but with discretion and control. We are to give back to the
Lord, joyfully and sacrificially. We are to use our money to help
others, but with discernment and the guidance of God's Spirit. It is
not wrong to be rich, but it is wrong to love money. It is not wrong
to be poor, but it is wrong to waste money on trivial things. The
Bible's consistent message on managing money is to be wise. If you
need financial help, you can inquire more through Christian Financial
Concepts – http://www.crown.org.

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