Put Your Principles Where Your Money Is

If you’re tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck, you can make a decision today that will  change your life. All you have to do is put God’s financial principles into practice and then wait to see what happens. You’ll be amazed at the results!Like most things, the first step in making financial changes is admitting you have a problem and then identifying what you’re doing wrong. So what’s not right with the way you’re handling money?Maybe you worry about bouncing a check. Or you fear the phone ringing because it might be a bill collector. Or you’re dealing with the gas or electricity being turned off for non-payment.Maybe you argue with your spouse about money. Or you’ve stopped giving to your church because you’re afraid you won’t have enough.Those are all signs that something needs to change. And you shouldn’t fear that change. It might be a little scary at first, but nowhere near as scary as living paycheck to paycheck. Following God’s principles will give you welcome relief from worrying about money.Isaiah 43 tells us, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. I am doing a new thing … I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”So how do you begin to bring about this change? First, by dispelling the notion that God’s Word doesn’t contain everything you need to transform the way you handle money.Hebrews 4:12 reads “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”Understanding and believing in biblical truth is essential, and the first principle you need to grasp is that God owns it all.In Psalm 24:1 we find, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who live in it.”  When you fully embrace that principle, everything else can fall into place.You won’t be consumed with thoughts about the way you’re handling your money because it’s not yours. Instead, you’ll begin to think about managing God’s money because you’re simply His steward (or manager) of the resources He’s temporarily entrusted to you.And as His steward, God will never abandon you to fend for yourself. He’s always with you and He’s promised to provide. Luke 12:24 reads, “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap … they have neither storehouse nor barn … yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”Once you believe that God will provide, Scripture becomes your guide for changing the way you think and act about money. Instead of running away from God’s financial principles, you’ll run to them. The Bible says a lot about spending, saving, investing and getting out of debt, along with contentment and generosity— everything you need to know for wise money management.Take just one principle to start. Pray earnestly about it. Ask God for strength, discipline, and the desire to carry it out. Maybe that’s setting aside a few dollars out of your paycheck. Or paying more than the minimum on your credit card. Or putting a little more in the collection plate. Pick one and stick with it. Then when it’s part of your life, you can go on to the next and the next.This is putting principle into practice. You do that with tools and structure, a budget, a will, a long-range financial plan, and so on.If you’re not living on a budget, you need to develop a spending plan now. Proverbs 27:23 teaches, “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.” These days our “herds and flocks” are our bank accounts.And there’s no better tool for developing a spending plan than the FaithFi app. It uses the tried and true envelope budgeting system to plan and track all of your spending. Download it at your app store.Now, many people find it difficult to change by themselves. They need someone to encourage them and to hold them accountable. As our friend Howard Dayton likes to say, “to hold their fuzzy feet to the fire.”You may need someone to keep you on track. It could be a spouse, another family member or a friend— but someone to hold you accountable for staying on budget.So, those are the tools you need to start putting God’s financial principles into practice. When you do, you’ll see big changes in your life— not right away but be patient— it’ll happen. And then you can stop worrying about money. We hope you’ll get started.On this program, Rob also answers listener questions: What is the wisest way to use cash recently pulled out of a 401(k) account?Can you take out a home equity loan on a home that you’re buying via owner financing?What is the best way to file taxes for teens?Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Also, visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community, and give as we expand our outreach.   Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.