Did you know that it honors God when we are wise with our money?
The Bible has much to say on the topic of money and it’s a good thing because it affects every single one of us living on this earth. So much of our time is spent working to earn money so that we can have the things that we need to live and play!
But in order to live abundantly, we must first be obedient to effectively budget our money. This is will look differently for every person, but the basics are that we take our paycheck and we divide it into different categories, starting with the most important first (which is not necessarily the most pressing…and this is admittedly hard to do!). However, God has specific guidelines on which categories are most important.
For example, if I earn $100 this is how I would divide it:
- $20 to TAXES (I don’t get a choice in this thanks to Uncle Sam, but even Jesus paid taxes)
- $10 to TITHES & OFFERINGS to the Lord (see Malachi 3:10 for the abundant blessings that God gives to those who tithe)
- $10 to SAVINGS (Don’t skip this step! This is what cultivates future wealth)
- $60 to SPENDING (living expenses first and then hobbies/fun activities)
The order of the allocation is so important because if I do this in reverse order, then chances are that I won’t get around to tithing and saving. Isn’t that true? Who here has had an air conditioner go out in your home or a pressing need for new tires on your car and thought, “I’ll just skip tithing and saving this one month?” Yet God says, “Put your trust in Me and I’ll work out the details.”
Proverbs 11:28 says, “Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like the flowers in spring.”
Our flourishing is a result of trusting God, not our money. And even though it is sometimes hard to do, blessings come when we are wise with our money and commit to budgeting His way.
That was just what I needed right now!! I’m retiring this month so, of course, we’ll have a drastic cut in income! But we do know Who our provisions come from! Thank you.