How to be a Good Steward of your Money!
Today I was thinking about none other than… yes that right, MONEY! The bills have just came in, another $800 out the door, down the street, to the post office, and into the hands of someone who will cash my check, leaving me with …. almost nothing. My mind shortly becomes flooded with thoughts and images of soon living out on the street carrying nothing but my Bible, a suitcase full of items, and tattered clothing. I immediately had to stop myself and remember that I am a child of God; with my God all things are possible, he promises to provide for my all needs, and in my hands lies the Ultimate Manual To Life which guides me.
They say that money is the root of all evil, but I must strongly disagree. For it is not the money that causes evil but the mismanagement of money that causes evil. We tend to mismanage our money on account of many other sins such as; pride, covetousness, gluttony, lies, self-idolatry, gossip, debt, pretending (to be rich), wasting, fearing men and so many others. So for the sake of reflection, I’m compelled to give you the biblical ethics and tips on how to be a Good Steward of your money.
1) Remember All You Have Belongs To God –
Everything we have belongs to God and is a good and perfect gift from above coming to us from our Father of Lights (meaning God created everything the sun, moon, and starts; a reference in which traditional ritualistic Jews of that time understood). All which we possess God has allowed and bestowed upon us, this includes our jobs and our money. Have you, or a friend, ever prayed for God to get you that job from that ‘one’ interview? I know I have… then the next week you/they get that call from the interviewer and get the job. Later you go out and celebrate but can’t stop taking about how God pulled through when you needed it! Well guess what most of us do after we get done celebrating and praising God? Oh you don’t know? Well we FORGET about God and the provision He had for us and granted us. Soon we are taking advantage of the Job, which leads to money, which leads to paying bills and entertaining ourselves. Where is God Now? Nowhere! We need to always remember every time we get that paycheck in the mail that GOD bless us with the job to begin with.
Deuteronomy 8:18 ‘And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.’
Jeremiah 9:23-24 ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.’
John 3:27 ‘To this John replied, A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.’
Psalm 24:1-2 ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.’
More Reading Found Here —>
2) Always Seek God First-
You would be surprised what happens when you seek God first. When we consistently read our Bible’s, study and meditate on His word, spend time with Him in prayer, fellowship with others in the body of Christ, sing Him songs and hymns, share His Good News professing him to all we come in contact with, etc… whatever you can thing of – God blesses you for it! He gives you treasures and blessings here on earth in this life, but you are also storing up treasures and blessing in Heaven for your eternal life. Also God wants us to seek Him solely, we cannot have anything else put before him, that includes our money and finances. The moment we make God small our problems and troubles only get larger. He is all powerful, he created the Heavens and the earth, what is our small financial problem to Him? So remember God will always provide as long as you seek His kingdom first.
Matthew 6:33 ‘But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’
Isaiah 33:6 ‘He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.’
Matthew 6:24 ‘No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.’
Colossians 3:1 ‘If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.’
The More I Seek You Video —>
Trusting God To Know What’s Best —>
3) Tithing it’s not just about the Money –
Here is what really gets me about a lot of people, and Christians, these days. Yeah, the economy is tough, you’re barely getting by, but the thing is that; you are no longer trusting God with your life or finances! I was talking to my neighbor yesterday, she’s 78 years old and goes to my church, full of wisdom and childish charm. She was telling me stories of all 
the people she’s encountered who went to Church and were having financial problems one after another. She would ask, “Well are you tithing your first of your wages to God?”, they would reply, “NO…”, with a quizzical look on their faces. Then soon advice and wisdom poured from this woman’s lips, “Well I’ve found when I faithfully give my tithe to the Lord he always over-provides for my needs – but I’ve found that when I don’t tithe i get into a lot of trouble and begin to drown in my troubles and sorrows’. These people would take her advice and start giving and soon enough these people would have all their needs taken care of and a little extra to go out and spend on entertainment. When you don’t give your first-fruits and just wait till the end of the month you see what you have left and feel its not enough and then just don’t give. Always give your first-fruits from every check. It’s not about the money it’s about trusting the Lord with the money He’s given to you, then seeing the increase that comes from such great faith.
Malachi 3:10 ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing. That there will not be room enough to receive it.’
Proverbs 3:9 ‘Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the first-fruits of all your increase…’
Deuteronomy 14:22-29 ‘You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.’
2 Corinthians 9:7 ‘So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.’
Get more Understanding Here —>
4) Giving Freely For Needs of Others –
When you care for the needs of other, God blesses you for it. When you provide for the physical and spiritual needs for others, God provides for the physical and spiritual needs for you. We are to love one another as we love ourselves, we are not to be partial in our giving. If the body of Christ were to all give, as they had, to fulfill the needs of someone else in the body of Christ – Do you think that one single person would have debt? lack of food? lack of supplies? lack of clothes? lack of a place to live? I don’t think so! So let’s be a real community and start providing for the need of those in our Home, our Church, and our Local Community.
Acts 20:35 ‘I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Proverbs 28:27 ‘He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.’
James 2:15-16 ‘If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?’
2 Corinthians 9:10 ‘Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness…’
Become Generous By Learning It’s Importance Here —>
5) Saving and Preparing for the Unknown-
So, yes, God does provide for our needs, what we do with what we get is up to us. Now we never know when tragedy will strike; when you will break your leg, when you don’t have money to make rent, when you can’t go on the vacation you already booked a flight for, when someone you love dies and you’re stuck with all the medical bills, when you get cancer, or when your car breaks down and don’t have enough for a tow and the repairs, etc… Whatever that tragedy may be in your life, it comes unexpectedly. We go through trials and suffering from time to time, and every time we successfully handle it we come out emotionally, physically, and spiritually stronger and closer to God. It produces endurance and patience. So to help prepare somewhat for these money costing crisis’ we need to be able to save up money. So only spend money on what you need, don’t waste (food, time, money, etc…), have discernment, think everything through before making a purchase, and take a certain percentage from every check to put into a ‘safety account’ (a second savings account).
1 Corinthians 16:2 ‘On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.’
Proverbs 21:20 ‘There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up’
Proverbs 30:25 ‘The ants are not a strong people, but they prepare their food in the summer…’
Proverbs 27:12 ‘A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the penalty.’
For More Tips Check Out Here —>
6) Budgeting and Planning a course of Action –
God was a God of Order. God also always has a Plan. So start filling the shoes of the ‘Big Man Upstairs’ and start stepping out into the image He created you in. Get organized, get planning, get budgeting! When you don’t plan things out and count the costs, you are setting yourself up for failure. Whether you are planning to buy a car, rent an apartment, buy a house, make a wedding happen, or go on a 3 week vacation… budgeting helps immensely because it shows you where your finances are currently at and how much surplus you will have every month (as you start making more, sometimes less, money). Budgeting helps you adjust to financial changes as well, and relieves frustration from you, and subsequently your family. So get smart and start your financial blueprint now, always factoring in that 5%-30% for tithe!
Luke 14:28 ‘For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish?’
Ecclesiastes 11:2 ‘Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.’
Proverbs 15:22 ‘Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.’
Proverbs 24:3-4 ‘By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.’
Get Help Creating You Budget TODAY —>
7) Worrying About Not Having Enough-
Do not worry about tomorrow or the future to where is gets in the way of your daily activities, your sleep schedule, or your relationships with God – and others. Concentrate on the things that you know you can take care of today, practice time management, and if you don’t get something done today just leave it on the list of Things-To-Do-Tomorrow… When you get anxious or worrisome about money and finances, like I recently did, just lift up God’s name by giving Him your burdens. For it is written His yoke is easy and His burden is light! God always provides; ask and you will receive, pray without ceasing, and know your God is ALL powerful. Everyday is trouble – so starting today let tomorrow think about tomorrow and today think about today.
Matthew 6:34 ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’
Psalm 127:2 ‘It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.’
Philippians 4:6 ‘do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’
Matthew 6:25 ‘For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to to his life?’
Worship God and Stop Worrying —>
8) Contentment For What You Have-
Contentment – this is a tough one. Our culture so vivaciously has been shoving covetousness down our throats for years; you’re not beautiful enough, young enough, skinny enough, cool enough, famous enough, or rich enough…. but if you want to be all these thing DO THIS! The problem with this is that it subliminally makes us NOT trust in our all powerful creator God who can do anything; provide for our needs, fill our voids, give us eternity in a place filled with NO pain, suffering, tears, etc… Our God will never leave or forsake us, so be content with your life, embrace the perfectly and wonderfully made YOU that you are. What do you gain from having every material thing that you have ever wanted in your life? When the whole world just sits in your hand will you actually be happy? Happy that everything you have is superficial, brown-nosing, and without a doubt incapable of loving you whole heartily in return? What is there to gain from always wanting more and losing all joy? The one who is content in life, themselves, and God will always bear fruit (the good things) even when drought comes to the world, or to others, God will be there feeding you what you need. Our home is not here, it is in Heaven, then things we have here we do not take with us.
Hebrews 13:5 ‘Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.’
Ecclesiastes 5:10 ‘He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.’
Mark 8:36 ‘For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’
Jeremiah 17:18 ‘He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.’
Luke 12:15 ‘And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’
Contentment, What It’s All About —>
9) How Not To Fall Into Debt
Debt! A BIG problem especially in the United States. Since the invention of the credit card Americans have been taught that if we don’t have something we can still buy it with ‘someone else (credit companies) invisible money, but we failed to realize the not so invisible debt that comes along with that. Who would have thunk it!? Soon this debt chases after you, runs you over, and BOOM! you’re dead instantly, and you weren’t expecting it or prepared for it.Debt controls people lives with covetousness and rewards points then enslaves them with interest.
Proverbs 22:7 ‘The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.’
Proverbs 11:15‘Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe..”
Romans 13:8 ‘Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.’
Ecclesiastes 5:5 ‘It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.’
Getting Out of Debt God’s Way —>
10) Fraud Leads To A Void-
Fraud will only lead to karma, meaning you will reap what you sow… eventually. I don’t care if you don’t like the government and you want to skim by on taxes. Or maybe you do like the government because of the free welfare and food stamps you get because you are too lazy to get a job so you foster 5 kids (or you jut keep popping them out on purpose). Who cares if the insurance company messed you over something good. The point is fraud is fraud, though others may not see God does. You know what he sees?….. cause He doesn’t see trust and faith in Him that’s for sure. But He certainly does see deceit, stealing, hatred, abuse, greed, lust, mocking, unjustness, etc… (use your imagination). Then he cries for you because He loves you. He is wiling to forgive you, but you must repent fully and turn to Him, turning away from this sin and never do it again. Fraud causes strife and destruction because it is a lie, cheat, and scam. Fraud is a hidden sin that most don’t share but keeps to themselves. However a lie (like fraud) treas apart the soul like a knife through butter and eventually gets found out and exposed. So please refrain from fraud.
Jeremiah 22:13 ‘Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice, who uses his neighbor’s services without pay and does not give him his wages.’
James 5:4 ‘Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.’
Colossians 4:1 ‘Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.’
Proverbs 13:11 ‘Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it.’
Galatians 6:7 ‘Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.’
11) Taxes… Yup You Gotta Pay Em’ –
We are to submit to the power of our earthly authorities and laws as well as God’s laws. So if the federal and state governments wants us to pay taxes, pay them. You will regret it if you don’t, because when you don’t you get fined and you get to go to ‘Club Fed’ – federal prison. Jesus even payed taxes, even though the sons of the tax collectors didn’t have to pay. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and display Christ-likeness. We are also to render all the things that belong to God as well, so don’t forget that tid bit!
Romans 13:7 ‘Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.’
Luke 20:21, 25 ‘Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”…..And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’
Matthew 17:25-27 ‘He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.‘
12) Investing (Get Rich Quick) –
Basically work hard and diversify. When you make an investment be willing to put the needed work into it that it requires. So if you buy a building to invest and run a restaurant, be willing to plan, start it up, and manage it! If you plan to play the stocks, you will have to take the time to research the stock market to know when to pull your stocks out of a certain company and reinvest them into a different company. Do not waste money on worthless investments either, always have discernment and consider (do not rush into) each financial risk that you take. Wisdom and understanding is a key to success in any financial endeavor, so invest in areas that you already have much knowledge of.
Proverbs 12:11 ‘He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.’
Proverbs 13:11 ‘Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.’
Proverbs 19:2 ‘Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs.’
Proverbs 28:20 ‘He who tills his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.’
Investing Money Go’s Way —>
Well those are my thoughts and I hope that you enjoyed the post. Keep in mind… Don’t Worry, Be Happy! With God we can do all things – become a Good Steward of God’s money!
I would say that my favorite female of the Bible is 
This for me is a no brainer… since it can’t be Jesus, I will have to call in 
Lion 2 Lamb 