biblically, money and finance are a hot topic throughout the scriptures. one of the reasons for so many lessons would be the controlling aspect of material goods. we can utilize several references to manage our money and become good stewards of God’s provision. i will be discussing the origins of wealth and how we are to organize the blessings of God for the most significant potential. all scripture cited is from the King James Version (Tyndale, 1987).
the Bible does not fall short when mentioning blessings. we serve a mighty God and His desired role in our life is of a Father, depending on Him for our every need and, sometimes, our wants. Matthew 7:9-11 states, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Jesus wants us to prosper and accomplish great things, as any father that wishes “good gifts” for their child.
our responsibility comes in avoiding pitfalls and responsibly managing finances to provide a living and be a blessing to the Kingdom of God and to others. to use God’s provision wisely is to demonstrate ability to handle an increase. in the parable of the talents, Jesus taught, “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:” (Matthew 25:29-30b). the greatest aspect of fiscal responsibility is tithing. tithing is the first fruit and the minimum blessing that we can return to God. the most excellent way to show the Master you respect the abilities and opportunities that He has provided to you is through faithful giving of our tithes. since the establishment of the first covenant with Abraham, tithes has been a means by which the ministry was supported. ministry costs, whether it’s time or money, and ministry is the heartbeat of God. what an amazing Savior that He would provide for our needs and reward a faithful covenant relationship with eternal life!
with all our needs met, what are we to accomplish with any surplus? God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” we can offer financial assistance to others and support church-sponsored works. these offerings can be given to missions, a widow fund, or even provided for a young person to attend a special conference. wherever you “Cast your bread upon the waters”, it shall not return unto you “void”. Malachi 3:10 challenges us to give and, God promises that if we do, He will pour out a blessing that we don’t have room to contain! this blessing is not for us to horde, but “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8).
in conclusion, this writing is nowhere near long enough to cover all of the Scriptures and principles of financial stewardship. i have fallen victim to my misconceptions and debt traps in the past and i am currently working on walking in fiscal responsibility. the deeper you dive into the Word, the more evident stewardship surfaces as one of the basic principles for the Christian life, free from the bonds of selfishness and materialism. I appreciate these lessons and hope to share what I am learning with my children.