8 BIBLICAL WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR MONEY
Today the world is experiencing a phenomenon which financial experts and analysts call the “World Economic Crunch”. This Economic Crunch has already swept across the United States economies and into Europe and down to Asia. At first our local economists said that Africa would not be affected because our economies are not really financially tied to the developed worlds. I am sorry to tell you that they got it all wrong because now it has hit us very hard. The unfortunate situation however, is that since we have depended greatly on these developed economies of the West for sustenance, we now find ourselves in a very precarious situation, because the hand that has fed us is now also in trouble. Big banks and other multi-national firms have collapsed within the period so where does that leave us?
What is the way forward for us Christians who believe that God is the provider of all things. He gives and He only can take away. God truly gives us all things because He created them in the first place. Not us mortal beings. Yes, He will provide for us all especially in such trying times such as these. But the catch is that there are certain principles which guide our access to the good things that He has created for us. Money or our finances happen to be the greatest item on our priority list in such hard times as these which we face today all over the world.
I hereby wish to share with you 8 of these Biblical Principles upon which you can actually STRETCH your finances so that you would be able to cope with the wind which is blowing the “World Economic Crunch” across our path.
1. Always Honour God by returning the FIRST PORTION of any resources you receive back to the Lord. Always adopt a God First attitude. PROVERBS 3:9, 10.
This refers to the practice of giving to God the first and best portion of the harvest (Deuteronomy 26:9-11). Many people give God their leftovers. If they can afford to donate anything after the bills are paid, they do so. These people may be sincere and contribute willingly, but they are not obeying what God says. God wants the first part of our income. This demonstrates that God, not possessions, has first place in our life and that our resources belong to him (we are only managers). Giving to God helps us conquer greed, helps us properly manage God’s resources, and opens us up to receive God’s special blessings.
2. Develop with your spouse an annual REALISTIC working budget that you carefully monitor and follow. PROVERBS 27:23-27
Because life is uncertain, we should be all the more diligent in preparing for the future. We should act with foresight, giving responsible attention to our home, our family, and our career. We should be responsible stewards, like a farmer with his lands and herds. Thinking ahead is a duty, not an option, for God’s people.
3. Adjust your lifestyle to live within the means God has currently provided for you. ECCLESIASTES 5:10, 11
We always want more than we have. Solomon observed that those who spend their lives obsessively seeking after money never find the happiness it promises. Wealth attracts freeloaders and thieves, causes sleeplessness and fear, and ultimately ends in loss because it must be left behind (Mark 10:23-25; Luke 12:16-21). No matter how much you earn, if you try to create happiness by accumulating wealth, you will never have enough. Money in itself is not wrong, but loving money leads to all sorts of sin. Whatever your financial situation, don’t depend on money to make you happy. Instead, use what you have for the Lord.
4. Commit to seeking the Lord’s provision instead of using credit or debt to buy things which are not in your working budget. Also accelerate payments on debts as quickly as you can. JAMES 4:13-16
It is good to make plans, but they will disappoint us if we leave God out of them. There is no point in making plans as though God does not exist, because the future is in his hands. What would you like to be doing 10 years from now? One year from now? Tomorrow? How will you react if God steps in and rearranges your plans? Plan ahead, but ask for God’s guidance. Seek God’s will in your planning; he will never disappoint you.
5. Make a written list of any new or major items you feel you need or want to purchase and commit to praying about it. Ask God to direct you concerning the purchase. PHILIPPIANS 4:19
We can trust that God will always meet our needs. Whatever we need on earth he will always supply, even if it is the courage to face death as Paul did. Whatever we need in heaven he will supply. We must remember, however, the difference between our wants and our needs. Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. We may not get all that we want. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting his provision and power to live for him.
6. Discuss and consider other viable alternatives or options to meet any needs you face. PROVERBS 24:6
In any major decision we make concerning college, marriage, career, children, etc., it is not a sign of weakness to ask for advice. Instead, it is foolish not to ask for it. Find good advisers before making any big decision. They can help you expand your alternatives and evaluate your choices.
7. Only make expenditures that both you and your spouse agree upon. PHILIPPIANS 2:1-5
Many people—even Christians—live only to make a good impression on others or to please themselves. But selfishness brings discord. Paul therefore stressed spiritual unity, asking the Philippians to love one another and to be one in spirit and purpose. When we work together, caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ’s example of putting others first, and we experience unity. Don’t be so concerned about making a good impression or meeting your own needs that you strain relationships in God’s family.
8. Actively “de-accumulate” (sell, give away, or throw out) unwanted, unused and unprofitable possessions. MATTHEW 6:20
Storing treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but is accomplished by all acts of obedience to God. There is a sense in which giving our money to God’s work is like investing in heaven. But we should seek to please God not only in our giving but also in fulfilling God’s purposes in all we do. Many of us have old items which we no longer use or require. You must either give them out to those who really need them or sell them off so that the money you make out of it can be put to better use.
By actively applying these Christian principles, “little can become much, when God is in it.”
