Context refresh:
I haven’t written in a while due to the last year of university being quite intense (2018). I started off the year tackling five papers, but more importantly I came out of that semester with a role locked in at ANZ! Second semester was not as intense as the first and was actually a nice finish to the year. My girlfriend Synthea and I have done our best to make the most of each week, so I carved out a bit of my budget to make room for simple weekly dates. I also got encouraged again to be generous, so set aside about $5 a week to be generous with. It’s not a lot but it is always so much fun figuring out how to spend $5 a week to make someone’s day.
After my studies I was privileged enough to join the Camacho’s on their family trip back to the Philippines. There was a scenario where Synthea had to go to a women’s meeting at church. I had nowhere else to go so decided to just hang out with myself at this church. They had a little book store I wandered around in, and naturally there were a few books on money that caught my attention. The exchange rate really helps when it comes to buying things over in the Philippines, so I walked out with several books for something like $20. There are several that I intend to get through, but the first one is all about what the BIble says about money. It’s essentially just a collection of Bible verses categorised into relatable topics, but I have slowly been making my way through it to try and equip my mind with financial literacy straight from the word.
Now for all you non-Christians out there, I know some of these might seem a little crazy but just understand that these principles do provide countless financial benefits, all of which I will explain. I challenge you just as much as my fellow Christian’s to open up to these concepts and see how you can apply it in your own life.
The first lesson I have learnt is that the money that enters my life is sourced from God. I do remember my Dad explaining to me one time that we do not own the money, but instead we manage the money that God allows into our lives. Deuteronomy 8:18 says “but remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”. For me that means that the job I have is a blessing, the energy I wake up with each day is not to be taken for granted, the brain I have to apply myself at work is a gift. It literally says in Ecclesiastes 5:19 that it’s a gift from God to be able to work and receive a paycheck. It’s quite a humbling thought because all of a sudden the number I see in my bank account isn’t all thanks to me. So what’s the point in believing that we ourselves are not the source of money? Let me connect this deep lesson to our day to day reality.
You never run out
One very well known verse is Psalm 23, and it starts off with “the Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need”. I can’t think of a clearer way to say it myself. If we believe that God truly is the owner of our finances, and knowing that He is a good God who loves to bless His children, then we literally have all that we need. One of my favourite verses my Dad preached on around finances is Philippians 4:19 which says “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus”. If this is true, if God really is our source and all our needs are being supplied by HIS riches, not our riches, then I’m sure we won’t have any supply constraints. Unlike our own ‘riches’, God’s riches are probably a lot more profound and endless, and His deep pockets will be more than enough to meet our needs.
I have heard of countless stories where God shows up in people’s lives and constantly provides. When someone believes and wholeheartedly puts their trust in His provision, He rocks up meeting His promise. Yes there are moments when we are greedy and probably want more than what God currently has allocated for us, and when we ask and don’t get it then we think we’re running out or don’t have enough. But if we are genuinely like starving and can’t keep up with bill’s, then I truly believe that this principle of putting our trust in God to be our source will eradicate any lack, address issues of anxiety around not surviving, and even grow us to the point of confidence and comfort that we will never run out of the resources we need.
You are bulletproof
I’ve talked a lot about mental challenges and barriers back in the day, such as doubt and fear, and if we believe that it’s all God’s money then we have quite an edge when it comes to these typical challenges we face. Let’s try and rationalize my point with physical examples. Fear for example, if it’s not our money then we’re not as scared of losing it. If God calls you to start a business, for example, you will face the fear of losing money or doubting that it will work, but now knowing that God is the owner of the money then you shouldn’t be scared of losing it because it’s not yours, right? Now we can’t just go using it however we want and then tell ourselves that it’s not ours so therefore we’re not scared of losing it. The fact that we’re using the money in a way that isn’t aligned with God already shows that we’re acting as if we own it and not Him, and we all know that on that sort of path we most definitely can lose money. How about something good like generosity? Let’s say you are at a charity event and it’s time to donate some money. If the person in front of you gave you his wallet and said, here you go, I would like you to be generous and give, then you would probably empty that wallet without a flinch right? In fact, not only would we find it easier to give that money away, we would find it ten times easier to ENJOY the experience in general. Those are just two in-depth examples, but there are many more areas where we would get an edge. This belief crushes ignorance because our net worth isn’t solely due to our own pursuits. There’s no need for greed if we understand that we have all we need. This could go on and on but I think you get the point, if we truly have an understanding that we are just managing God’s money then we become bulletproof to many typical challenges.
In conclusion, the first lesson I learnt from exploring what the bible teaches about money management is that God is the source of our wealth and living under that concept brings many benefits. Now a quick forewarning, this only happens when we genuinely believe God’s the owner. Not just head knowledge or a Christianese feel good saying of “yes God is my source”. It needs to be a truth that actually changes the way we feel about money, something that’s so real that it impacts the way we manage our finances. Once it is true, then we can experience the benefits which we can summarise in two key points:
Key Points:
- If God is truly our source, then we should never worry about running out.
- Believing that God owns our money gives us an edge on mental barriers.
