Money is to be regarded as a gift from God to be used to the glory of the giver, God. We worship the giver and not the gift. We cannot therefore spend as we wish even if we can afford it knowing that we will give an account someday to the giver, God.
We are only stewards of all that has been entrusted in our care. There are some principles worth recalling as we begin the year, even as we are blessed with funds.
I Corinthians 4[7] For who maketh thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it , why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ?
James 1 [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
1.God should be the ultimate beneficiary of how we spend money. Money is thus another tool to be used to please God. We must be thankful of the opportunity to steward even the smallest portions as for large sums, with the understanding that it may indeed be as difficult or even more tough to be found faithful when we are in possession of great wealth.
2.Do not allow money to master you by seeking for it at all costs. This leads to devilish clamouring for opportunities and intrigues disguised as business savvy. This love of money has led to murders of born and unborn, robbery, fraud or the more civilised sins of envy, subtle misrepresentation and exaggeration.
3.Do not be a borrower at all if you can help it, nor be a lender. What you cannot afford to give, do not give as a loan so as not to create a chain of bitterness instead of love. If you must borrow, be very certain that the means of redemption is already within your reach…never borrow for lifestyle expenses. Live as simply as the means God has made available to you dictates.
4.Enjoy simple living and resolve to be contented, never envying another for what they have or making comparisons. God may have very good reasons for permitting certain persons to have a higher standard of wealth and living to accomplish their specific mission. Do not imagine that the wealthy have an easier kingdom assignment. To steward great wealth can be a very difficult examination requiring a greater reservoir of self control and patience than most have been prepared for. Having more money than we can steward for God turns wealth to a destroyer. Many families have generations gripped in various bondages …drugs, alcoholism, perversions, depression and early deaths etc. mainly because of lack of disciplines that are needed to match great fortunes. Do not pray for wealth you cannot steward for God.
5.Impulsive buying and accumulation of non-essential gadgets will grieve the Giver who needs you as a conduit to direct funds to a need crying for provision. The prayer of the one with excess funds should be for God to reveal the needs the extra funds are meant to meet.
6.God is not against luxury, entertainment and leisure, but how does this glorify God if this consumes most of the money of a Christian? Visitors should be properly entertained and our homes should be comfortable and open to show a warm hospitality always. Partying and many celebrations are simply opportunities to show off and eat gluttonously and cannot glorify God. Certain forms of leisure such as viewing some films and some “innocent” games and music genres can expose us to youthful lusts we have been admonished to flee from. We are cautioned to be watchful.
7.The Christian keeps good records of money spent and budgets wisely. The Bible is a book of records, numbers and specifications suggesting that God is exact and cares about the fine details and so should we. Living carelessly expecting a miracle when we run out of cash is like testing God by jumping down a cliff.
8.Enjoy being a generous giver, giving without grumbling to several worthy causes also remembering to thank God always for the privilege of giving. Investing more in people’s lives and the work of God than in shares or investments can be more satisfying and pleasing to God.
My favourite Bible verses as it relates to God and Money are from Philippians;
Philippians 4[12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. [13] I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Remain Blessed.
Adapted from Christian Conduct by Kayode Adesogan and Wealth Out of Ashes by the Blog Author, Bode Ososami.
The Bible presents two broad ways and dispensations when speaking of prospering and the principles of enterprise. Both ways involve diligence particularly in sowing seed which refers to applying an input. The input could be our business ideas, our career efforts, and our investments in skill development, sacrificial giving or even financial investments of our surplus. These two ways are different but we often can confuse one for the other or be found in a mix, not really having left one approach fully while seeking to enter the other.
“The recession is over” says my dear friend as he dances happily to the bank once again … It’s been a while since he could visit the manager without nervousness on the position of things. But recently business has definitely improved. I discovered Charles Spurgeon wrote a piece in his devotional titled “ I know how to abound”… Do we really ? Below are the thoughts of Spurgeon. I still ponder over them …and this time I pray I get it right.
Brother Gbile Akanni writes below on the currency of the soul…
We are custodians of God’s wealth. We are stewards and not owners. All things come from God – all things are by His grace. There is nothing that we have that did not come from Him. Never get into thinking that it is your money. The more of God you see in your money, the better a steward you will be. We know the parable of the talents in Matthew 25[14]; it states the fact that God gives talents to different people. He gives us talents and He gives us time … an allotted time to use the talents and at the end of that time, He is going to come back and we are going to account for that which He has placed in our hands. Many times we believe God does not measure performance but He does even more so than our institutions with targets and indicators….
Idols: We unconsciously embrace the good and the not-so-good in kindred, leaders or examples of admired persons. How many lusted over 50 room mansions of celebrities? … Or gaped as films and TV commercials arrested our thoughts and screen idols alighted happily from white limousines (not considering that this joy could be only part of another script – unreal). Why is 
Luke 12[15] And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. [16] And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: [17] And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? [18] And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. [20] But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? [21] So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 
