The Bible and your money

Money is talked about in the Bible almost as much as heaven and hell combined. The reason being is that we have to learn how to handle it well and be good stewards of what God gives us.

The Scripture reference: Luke 16:1-13 - "He who is faithful in little will be given much."

1. Use WISELY!
In Gen. 1:27-30, we read that Adam was given dominion over the Earth. Dominion means "to take care of". He had to work! Work is what we were made to do. The more productive the better, and if it helps others, even more so.
Prov. 13:4 and Commandments 4, 8, 9, and 10 in Ex. 20. are good, solid, foundational principles to hold onto. The Proverbs verse talks about not being a sluggard, not being lazy. The 4th Commandment reminds us not to overwork, but to take a rest day. Commandments 8, 9, and 10 are don't steal, don't lie, and don't covet; the first two are usually a little easier to control, but the last one everyone needs to work on. Those three, when broken, are almost always seen together.
Mt. 6:19-21; 25-34 and Prov. 11:28
Don't love money. Doing so would get your focus away from what God wants for you and He wants to bless you beyond anything you can imagine. He will definitely give you what you need. Do not worry about it! When you trust in Christ, you become joint-heirs with Him, and since God owns all, you have inherited eternal life and all the wealth you can imagine. Just because I only have a few thousand in the bank, it doesn't mean I only have a few thousand. The bank statement is not the measure my wealth. The world sees it as such, but by being an inheritor, I have everything. I'm not just talking about spiritual ideas/blessings; this is material as well. Does that mean I can go out and buy a Ferrari now? No, that's out of God's will because I wouldn't be using my money wisely. I may be able to have one down the road, but that's not important. Things do not identify who I am.
Because I am an heir, I can simply ask God to provide something, and I know He will provide. It may not be in my timing and it may not be the amount I ask for, but He provides. There are many accounts of people with this strong trust in God and God providing in just the right time with just the right amount. Sometimes it was more. But it is all given to bring glory to Him.

2) Save well.
Prov. 21:20 - This is part of using your money wisely but I think it's important enough to have it as a separate item. Some Christians think that saving money is selfish and not helping the kingdom. No, I'd have to disagree, saving money is helpful to the kingdom. It's always good to follow all the Biblical principles of money, not just part of it. One way to see how it will help is through interest. Saving money in a bank will help it grow and then use it for a time when you can help someone with it, if you decide to do so.

3) Tithe consistently.
Mal. 3:10 - This is the only time God allows people to challenge Him. This shouldn't be an issue. He gives you everything, He only asks for ten percent back. It's a matter of trust. Once that trust is established, He promises to bless you greatly and in many ways, not just materially. And this isn't to be confused with giving. Tithing is ten percent of your gross pay no matter what. Giving is above and beyond that. One Bible teacher taught that you tithe what is in your heart to tithe. No, this isn't Biblical, tithing is ten percent no matter how you feel about it. It's preferable that you have a good attitude about it because God did give that promise of showers of blessings. He didn't put it in His word for nothing.

4) Give cheerfully.
II Cor. 9:7 - Be cheerful about giving. Paul reminds us to be cheerful because this is already past the ten percent. It's tough enough to let go of a good chunk of your money, so a change of attitude and perspective is necessary. Also, we're reminded in the previous verse of the Law of the Harvest, that what we sow, we reap. We sow a lot, we will reap a lot. That should be ample reason to give with a huge smile in our heart and on our face.

An easy way to remember these principles is to think of the acrostic:
Give
Use
Tithe
Save
As in "it takes GUTS to handle money well"
or TUGS, as in "God TUGS at your heart to be a good steward".