Here are the 20 principles found in the Bible on how to manage our money. Remember that when we follow Kingdom’s principles, we reap Kingdom’s rewards. If you are faithful in handling God’s money His Way, He will surely bless you!
- Tithe
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:10 – 11)
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops. (Proverbs 3:9)
- Do not love money. Enough said.
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
Keep your lives free from the love of money. (Hebrews 13:5a)
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. (1 Timothy 6:10)
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:13-15)
- Owe no debt except for loving one another
Let no debt remain outstanding, except for the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)
- Earn money the right way
Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broke, but the LORD upholds the righteous. (Psalm 37:16-17)
Dishonest money dwindles away… (Proverbs 13:11a)
Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.”
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The crise of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
- Be faithful in saving your money
But whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. (Proverbs 13:11b)
- Be content with what you have now
Be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. (1 Samuel 2:7)
- Give to the poor
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21)
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (Luke 12:33)
If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfister toward them. (Deuteronomy 15:7)
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)
- Give to honor God, not men
Be careful not to practice the righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streests, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know hat your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)
- Be humble and ask God for wisdom in managing money
Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it? (Proverbs 17:16)
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. (Ecclesiastes 7:12)
- Use money to serve God
No one can serve two master. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and wiling to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
- Charge no interest when lending to your brothers or sisters-in-Christ
If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. (Exodus 22:25)
Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that many earn interest. (Deuteronomy 23:19)
- Be hardworking at work
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.
- Realize that you need God, even you have money
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
- Love God more than your wealth
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)
- Ask God for money to use according to His Will.
God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given to you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” (2 Chronicles 1:11-12)
- Understand that all we have belongs to God
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)
- The amount you give does reflect your heart
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crow putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”
- Trust that God will provide your needs.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
- It is not about how much money you have, but how well you manage it
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? (Luke 16:10-11)
- Do the best you can with your finances today, take one day at a time and do not worry about tomorrow
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34)
| Share the Good News |
Very excellent sermon