To successfully navigate modern living in a godly manner, it is essential to grasp the basics of Christian financial stewardship. This series seeks not just to offer you piecemeal financial information, but a broad roadmap to the diverse labyrinth of personal finance from a Christian perspective.

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

Matthew 25:14

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We are stewards of God’s creation. All economic activity we perform must be understood in the light of the role God has created us to play.

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In order for us to steward our resources well, we require:

• Sound understanding of Scripture
• Right attitude towards money
• Good financial management

All 3 attributes are necessary for us to function effectively as good stewards. Together, these form the basics of Christian financial stewardship.

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1. Sound Understanding of Scripture

The Bible contains over 2000 verses relating to wealth and the stewardship of money. It is one of the topics Jesus talked about most during His time on earth. That is because the way we live out our faith is closely tied to our handling of wealth.

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Our beliefs are shaped by our understanding of Scripture. In turn, they inform the way we handle money. If our understanding of Scripture is sound, we possess well-grounded beliefs that guide our actions in the correct direction.

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Of the passages speaking about wealth and material possessions and the Bible verses about money management, they can be grouped into the following categories:

• God’s instructions on handling money
• Narratives of how Biblical characters and communities handled their money
• Stories of miraculous provisions
• Financial wisdom
• Promises associated with various uses of money
• Prayers for God’s provision
• Descriptions of how the world works

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A proper understanding of Christian financial stewardship starts with an understanding of the nature of God’s providence and our role in His creation.

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a. Everything Belongs to God

It starts in Genesis 1:1, when ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’  God’s sovereign ownership over everything in creation flows from His role as Creator. Throughout Scripture, this important concept is reiterated:

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To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.

Deuteronomy 10:14

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2

For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:16-17

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b. We are Stewards of God’s Creation

It follows with an understanding of our role within God’s creation, where mankind was created to tend the garden, and to have dominion over God’s creation.

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God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 1:28

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Genesis 2:15

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c. We Have to Use Our God-Given Abilities to Produce Wealth

Ever since the fall of man, the ground no longer yields its fruit freely. Instead, mankind has to put his God-given ability to produce wealth to work, so that by the sweat of his brow he may eat.

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Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:17b

But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…

Deuteronomy 8:18a

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This describes the natural order of the world today. By understanding how the world works, we can direct our efforts appropriately. So that the ground yields its fruit. And so that we optimize our efforts.

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d. The Importance of a Sound Understanding of Biblical Financial Stewardship

Biblical financial stewardship principles which underlie Christian money management derive from a sound understanding of Scripture. If our understanding is in line with Scripture, our actions will be founded on the rock. We will grow spiritually as we bless our neighbours with the prosperity that good financial stewardship brings.

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If our understanding is defective, our beliefs will be built on sand; when the storm comes, they will be revealed for what they are, with painful consequences.

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Such serious misunderstandings arise when we misinterpret Biblical passages. For example, misinterpreting passages on miraculous provisions as descriptions of how the world normally works can lead to ungrounded expectations that result in severe disappointment. Mistaking narratives of how individual Biblical characters and specific communities handled their money as God’s instructions on managing money can lead to financial practices that are grossly out of place in the modern context.

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In view of the potentially severe consequences, we must weed out beliefs that undermine good financial stewardship.

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2. Right Attitude towards Money

A good financial steward does not merely possess knowledge of what Scripture has to say about wealth. He internalises the teachings, reflecting them in his attitude towards money, bearing them out in his actions.

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What our attitude towards money should be is best summarised by the 2 greatest commandments Jesus highlighted in Matthew 22: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and to love our neighbours as ourselves. All laws flow from these 2 commandments, including those pertaining to money.

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a. Recognising God as Master

What our attitude towards money should be derives from our relationship with God. He is our Creator who gave us the ability to produce wealth. He is our Saviour who redeemed us from slavery to sin and death.

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The way we manage our financial resources flows from our reverence, love, fear and gratefulness towards Him. It is an act of worship built on an eternal perspective, aimed at glorifying God and fulfilling His purposes on earth.

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

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As we are sanctified and moulded into the likeness of Christ, our lives, of which our stewardship of finances is a part, should bear the fruit of the Spirit.

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b. Not Motivated by Greed

With God as our Master, we are not to be motivated by greed or caught up by the love of money, for it is root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). In this light, there are many bible verses about money and greed that serve to warn us of its dangers.

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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.

Matthew 6:24

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We are to avoid selfish ambition, as those who lust after money stir up conflict (Proverbs 28:25), bringing ruin on themselves and those around them (Proverbs 15:27). No greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:5).

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c. Content

Instead, we are to be content with what God has given us, appreciating the blessings He has graciously showered upon us. This means avoiding all forms of covetousness, or comparing ourselves with one another in a way that stirs up envy.

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 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:6

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d. Honest in Financial Dealings

Having embraced contentment and set aside greed, good stewards are honest in their financial dealings. We are to steer clear of temptations, and display godly character in all that we do.

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Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Exodus 20:15-16

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e. Generous

Once we recognise God’s sovereign ownership over everything in creation, and that we are but stewards of His riches, we will be openhanded towards God, and towards our neighbours as we put our own affairs in order.

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Our generosity should crystalise in a regular pattern of giving, which flows from a heart that is touched by the grace of God and filled with love.

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And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Hebrews 13:16

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3. Good Financial Management

Good financial stewardship requires more than proper understanding of Scripture and benevolent intentions. It requires robust financial management.

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Good financial management starts with financial knowledge but does not end there. It is multi-faceted, involving good financial knowledge weaved into functional strategies, emotional control and disciplined action..

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a. Diligence

Scripture commends us to be diligent in whatever we do, including our stewardship of earthly wealth.

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Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.

Proverbs 19:15

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

Colossians 3:23-24

And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

Luke 16:12

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As with every other craft in life, be it farming, fishing, shepherding, running a business or working in government, diligence involves learning the ropes and being adept at what we do.

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In The Basics of Personal Finance, we explore in greater depth what good financial management involves on an individual level.

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b. Bad Financial Management Leads to Debt

Debt comes about for a variety of reasons. It may come about because of genuine hardship, or it may come about because of poor financial management. As in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, the status of the unmerciful servant and the magnitude of his debts suggest that they were incurred due to poor stewardship.

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As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.

Matthew 18:24

The borrower is slave to the lender.

Proverbs 22:7b

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Scripture likens indebtedness to slavery. It brings with it worry and anxiety, limits our ability to provide for ourselves and our family, as well as our ability to give to the needy. As good stewards, we must heed the many verses warning us about debts owed.

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c. Good Financial Management Supports Giving

We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14). In serving as God’s channel of blessing to the world, we are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and look after the sick (Matthew 25).

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We do so out of hard work and diligent financial stewardship, so that we can give rather than receive.

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In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Acts 20:35

One person gives freely, yet gains even more.

Proverbs 11:24a

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In practicing the acts of generosity, we must be clear about the relationship between giving and gaining wealth, or between tithing and the prosperity of the individual Israelite in the Hebrew Bible. When we come across bible verses on money blessings, we must not put the cart before the horse in thinking that giving is the direct cause of financial increase. And this goes back to having a sound understanding of Scripture.

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Rather, it is robust financial stewardship that drives one’s ability to give freely as he gains even more. Hence, we must strive to manage our finances well, so that we can be effective channels of God’s blessing to the world.

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4. Discerning Counsel Offered by Christian Experts

The subject of financial management is a very broad field involving many domains which themselves are of substantial depth. Combine that with a Christian perspective, and the field is far wider.

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When we encounter articles and teachings offered by various experts concerning the topic of financial stewardship, be they authors, speakers, lecturers or pastors, it is important to discern which of the 3 elements of financial stewardship they are focusing on. Then we will be aware of the area in which we have grown, and also the areas we require growth in. It will be careless if we hear in part and go away thinking that we have grasped the whole.

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Whether in the form of a sermon on financial management, a financial stewardship devotional, or a Christian money management book, it is important to take a broad perspective and consider if the teachings are coherent across all 3 elements and are livable.

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There are worldly teachings that are financially effective, but do not align with a proper understanding of Scripture or right attitude towards money. For example, a common adage on Wall Street is that greed is good. While many have benefitted financially from the practical implementation of this mantra, it clearly runs against the grain of Scripture.

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Likewise, there are well-intentioned pious sounding teachings that appear to align with Scripture, but are financially ineffective or even outrightly detrimental.

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The Christian faith is not a dead one. It is full of wisdom. It is philosophically deep. It is also immensely practical. For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.

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Christian financial stewardship is immensely practical. And it is powerful. We should not accept anything less than that.

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5. Learn More

This website contains many articles that are useful in deepening your financial knowledge. Once you have grasped the basics of Christian financial stewardship, read more on:

The Financial Machine is a proprietary personal financial model built on Christian principles. Focused on equipping individuals to handle the practicalities of personal finance, it is simple but powerful. To learn more, reach out to us if you wish to arrange for a talk with your church or Christian group, visit our Facebook page or obtain a copy of The Financial Machine.

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