How to manage money wisely

(Biblical Economics)

By Nick Bibile

Are you a slave for money? Is money controlling your life or you are controlling money? Are you always in debt? Please read this short article for your benefit.

1 Timothy 6:10 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.

As a Christian I believe one of the greatest struggles a Christian has,  is the temptation to get rich.  It’s the battle that wants to satisfy the appetites of the flesh. The devil speaks to your flesh.

Appetites of the flesh is very strong, like Eve desired after the forbidden fruit, like Achan desired to steal the beautiful robe, like Ananias and Sapphira cheated the church, like Judas sold his soul for money.

Satan will whisper and tell you, if you have enough money, you will be happy, rich, you will have all the comforts. These are very pleasing to the flesh.

Matthew 4:8-9 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

But many would say they are not worshiping the devil. However Jesus said, if you are not with me you are against me.  (Luke 11:23)  Here there’s no middle ground, either you are in Jesus camp or in the camp of the devil.

The enemy will lay traps for you to fall just like how he tried to lay a trap for Jesus, if you and many will fall into the golden hook of the devil as they become a slave of money. Now money is controlling them as they become helpless like a slave.

Buy now, pay later is a devil’s slogan.

The world is full of temptations as the goal of the businesses is to become wealthy, they will advertise and tempt you to buy things that are pleasing to the flesh, the great temptation which many cannot refuse is where you can buy now and pay later.

According to the Washington Post - “nearly half (47 percent) of credit cardholders have revolving debt, meaning they don’t pay off their balance in full.”

Borrowing money will be a problem as it will control your life and make you poorer.

Romans 13:8 “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

Problem of spending more than you earn

If you are earning $2000 a month and spending $2500 a month, you are in trouble. Remember it’s not how much you earn but how much you spend. The rich don't have enough money as they earn more, they spend even more, the poor the same. The bigger the house, the more cars, more comforts you have, you need more money.  Do not buy what you cannot afford and do not spend if you cannot pay,  before you know you are in deep trouble.

What is the answer for good money management? First rule is to love God more than money.

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.

Learn to be content

Learning to be content is a key for a successful life. Have you noticed there are rich people who are unhappy because they have too many expenses, yet poor people who are happy as they can live a low simple lifestyle.

1 Timothy 6-8  But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and[ we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

Philippians 4:12 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.

Make a budget and stick to the budget

 Walk in the spirit not in the flesh, when you see something that is desirable, pray if you can live without it. Do not buy things which you cannot afford to pay. Spend less as possible. Make a budget and stick to it, and try to live less of the budget. Jesus gave an example of making a budget, counting the cost.

Luke 14:28  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Need self control and discipline to stick to the budget. This is God’s economics.

Proverbs 25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls

Titus 2:12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

Save money for a rainy day

Life is full of unexpected events, unknown factors which will come in your life, make arrangements ahead of time. Good example is Joseph, he saved food for the famine and was fully prepared for problems. We can learn a lesson from an ant. God created this tiny creature for us to learn.

Proverb 30:25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer

Invest your money in God’s kingdom

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If you stick to the budget, you will love God and remember your Creator, it is God who gave you life, it is God who gave you a job, gave you wisdom, knowledge, protects you, put food on the table, protects you, you cannot take the next breath without the grace of God.

The Biblical rule is to thank God and give God  and give at least 10% of your income to the ministry.  God doesn’t need your money but you need God and He will see if you will obey and walk by faith.

Malachi 3:8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me.

There was a survey done on the percentage of Christian giving on their tithes. Only 10-15 %  give tithing, which means about 85 - 90% are robbing God. If you truly love God, give your pocketbook to the Lord to take control.

Do you want God to love you? Then be a cheerful giver, but today there are many evangelists and ministers who are abusing the church. They will compel you to give and they live in mansions, they have aircrafts, where Jesus lived a poor life.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 8:1-3 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

Helping the poor and the needy

This is one of the best ways to invest money in heaven.  When the puritans came to America instead of killing the local Indians they fed them, then it was the puritans who built schools like Princeton and Harvard, they built hospitals, there was Christian charity.

Matthew 25:34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

There is the story of a poor hungry boy,  who was looking from outside of a donut shop, many buying for themselves but he has no money to buy even one.

Then there was this Christian noticed the young poor boy and he bought a dozen donuts and gave them to the poor boy. The poor boy in total amazement asked the man who gave the donuts, “sir, are you God?”

Christians are different, we are the light of this world, people should see Jesus in us.