A deep look into Christian Finances is something worth doing. Finances are a crucial part of every Christian’s life. Being more of a controversial topic in the modern church, many people prefer not to talk about it. Failing to do so is what regularly leads Christians to taking poor financial decisions. If you’ve been struggling with your finances and are wondering how a Christian should deal with such, you are in the right place. We’ll guide you into knowing what it takes to fully manage finances as a Christian. This will prevent you from getting into poor financial situations as well as taking poor financial decisions which could ruin you. What do we mean by Christian Finance? It is a Christian approach to wealth building and management. In other words, it is making use of financial wisdom to build and maintain wealth in a way that is pleasing to God.

There is absolutely nothing wrong about Christians learning how to build and manage their finances. Money in the Bible is a reality which if not properly understood can lead to many mistakes. God wants you to prosper and use your wealth to bring glory to his name while remaining humble and submissive to His Holy Will. Understanding these basic principles and embracing hard work will open the flow gates of Heaven to pour down much blessings on you than you can contain. In as much as we are taught by the Holy Scriptures to avoid laziness which leads to poverty, we are also invited to overcome the temptations that come alongside wealth. Wealth in itself is not bad but taking it higher than God is bad. The Bible is not against those who are wealthy but against those who value wealth more than God.

Christian Finances

Wealth is a blessing from God which must be used in accordance to his will. No man has anything unless God allows him to have it. That’s why we should perceive ourselves as keepers of wealth and not its owners. Understanding this will keep you humble and lead you to using the wealth in a way that pleases God and advances his Kingdom. The moment you start seeing yourself as successful, powerful, wealthy, and rich, chances are high that you wander away from the true path. This is t say that there are lots of temptations that come alongside money. Failing to overcome these temptations will lead you astray. The way Christians ought to build and manage their wealth is different from the way the world does. The world is interested about selfishly gathering wealth irrespective of what God is saying and for such, all ways are suitable.

You’ve likely come across the scripture that says “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). This scripture was written by Apostle Paul to his spiritual son and the Church as a whole. Does it mean that money is evil? We don’t think that’s the true meaning of this scripture. For money righteously obtained is a reward and blessing for those who respect God’s command to work for a living. It is a means of sustaining the life that God has given us. When God sent Adam out of the garden of Eden as punishment, He commanded him to make a living by working and eating what the soil produces. Today, you are either working the soil to at from its fruits or you are executing a job for money which will permeate you to purchase what comes from the soil as food.

Why is money the root to all evil?

Note that money is the root to all evil and not the evil itself. Money is the root to all evil due to the temptations that come together with it. Many people have not been able to overcome these temptations and as a result they were off the true path. Some people are so desperate to have money that they have wandered far away from God. Other people out of the desire to have money have not heisted in obtaining it through ways that are not pleasing to God. Some have gone to the extent of stealing it and making themselves rich. Others turn to put more value to money than God who created and allowed them to get the money. Many have betrayed their friends for money while others have sacrificed their fellows to obtain it. These are the things which are displeasing before God.

On the other hand, Biblical wealth or money is one which has been obtained through hard work, justice, honesty, and ways that are pleasing to God. Such wealth brings glory to God’s name. We’ve never said being a Christian is a call to be poor. It’s simply a call to do things the way God wants. It is in this light that we’ve embraced the topic, Christian Finance. Have a look at famous Biblical Figures like Abraham, Solomon, Job, and Joseph. They were wealthy men who served and honored God. The way they gathered their wealth and managed it brought glory to God’s name. Job’s wealth led him into a spiritual test which he succeeded and gained favor in the eyes of God. Chances are high that you’ve read the scripture that says Jesus Christ used money to pay his Temple Tax.

What are finances?

Finance as a whole is the discipline of managing assets and liabilities which are all measured in terms of monetary value. The word “Finance” is derived from the French word “Finer” which means “settle a debt” or “make an end”. That is to say if you are good at finance, you’ll soon have your debts come to an end. But if you are poor at finance, you’ll hardly see the end of your debts.. In this very light of thought, we’ll recommend that you read the Bible Verses about Debt Free. These Bible verses will teach you what you need to live a debt free life and quickly make your way to financial freedom God’s way. The primary way for a person to become debt free is to generate wealth and close up all the debts. School loans, credit cards and mortgages are major ways that get people into debt.

From the above definition, we can say that Christian Finance is the discipline of gathering and managing assets and liabilities in a way that pleases God. Talking of Knowing God’s mind can only lead us to the Bible. The Bible is an authoritative guide when it comes to knowing and doing God’s will. And for sure, God has something to say about Christian Financial management. We can know His mind by reading about Money in the Bible.

What is Capital?

By capital, we are referring to the net value of private property. We can as well say that capital is what profit becomes after it has been earned from a product and stored up in the private holding of an entrepreneur or business owner. Capital can be generated through illegal and legal ways. Going the legal way is what God expects from Christians. In other words, the legal way is that obtained through trade and gifts. Going the other way round is evil and referred to as coerce. It has to do with collecting money from people under the threat of their physical well being. It is a criminal act which is not encouraged among Christians. As Christian in search of capital, work hard and God will bless your efforts to obtain it in justice and happiness.

It might sound strange but you must note that God owns capital. And it is with pleasure that he will bless you with capital if you ask. Let’s confirm this by reading the following scriptures:

“Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it”

Deuteronomy 10:14

“The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them”

Psalms 89:11

“’The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts” 

Haggai 2:8

Should Christians own capital?

This is a question regularly asked when dealing with Christian Finances. Luckily enough, the answer is clear. Being God’s children, we have been given the right to own what he gives us. That is to say Christians can own capital. However, we must always keep in mind that all that is on Earth and in Heaven belongs to God. We are simply benefiting from his goodness for he created these things for our happiness. That’s why we must handle them in ways that are pleasing to him. Let’s read the following scriptures which are pointing to the fact that Christians can also own capital:

“House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord”

Proverbs 19:14

“On the day when [a man] assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn”

Deuteronomy 21:16

“For it is written in the Law of Moses: ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?”

1 Corinthians 9:9-11

What does the Bible say about a Financial Management Model?

Still on Christian finances, the Bible eventually speaks about a financial management model which was to be adopted by God’s children. However, it’s quite complex but with the help of God’s spirit, we’ll understand what it means. Have a look at the Holy Scriptural verse below:

“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow

Deuteronomy 28:12

Should Christians take a debt?

In handling Christian fiances, the question whether Christians should take a debt or not has always been very challenging to answer. Many people clearly stand to the fact that Christians should never take debt. Such people say so with Biblical support. On the other hand, some people argue that there are certain debts which Christians can take in order to better their financial situations as they generate wealth to pay off those debts and maintain a financial free life. Whatever the case, let’s hear what the Bible has to say about debts:

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law”

Romans 13:8

“The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave”

Proverbs 22:7

“The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives”

Psalms 37:21

“Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, But the one who gathers by labor increases it”

Proverbs 13:11

Now you better understand why the debt topic is more of a controversial one when dealing with Christian finances. Almost all of us have been into debts at one point in time for one reason or the other. Although we regularly get into debt, it’s not God’s will for us. But when we do such out of inevitable needs, we must work hard to pay off the debt in time and take precautions not to get into them in the future. Jesus Christ understood this and spoke in Luke 11:5 – “Then Jesus said to them, suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;” Jesus Christ pointed to this in the face of emergency and unplanned situations. Also read Bible verses about Debt owed.

Should Christians save and invest money?

Our writing on Christian finances won’t be complete without pointing to the importance of saving and investing. Christians should not spend all their money but learn to save part as recommended by the Scriptures in Ecclesiastes 11:2. There is a reason to save. Saving can proof itself useful in hard times or emergencies. It can prevent you from getting into debts that could jeopardize your happiness and peace of mind. Saving is also helpful in gathering capital to startup a business which will help you sustain yourself and your family.

Giving

Giving is one of the fruits of love. God being the father of love gave us all that we need to make our lives on Earth and that with him in heaven. Being God’s children, we must reflect his giving nature. By giving, we are storing up our riches in Heaven where thieves can’t steal. We ought to step out and help those in need. It is our Christian duty to assist the poor, those in need, the widows, the orphans, and the sick. Embracing these things will give value to your wealth before God. Also read Bible Verses about Giving Money.

Recommended related articles

Coming to the end of our writing on Christian finances, you can as well read the following articles.

• Money in the Bible
• Bible verses about Money and Greed
• Prayer for financial breakthrough
• Bible verses about Money worries
• Miracle prayer for money
• How to receive miracle money from God
• Christian financial resources