A few basic principles that guide us in the Christian life will also serve us well in this area.
First - pray for those who are in authority. Pray for their wisdom but also their sense of morality and ethics.
Second - take responsibility for any part you have in accumulating debt or being unwise in your spending.
Third - and most important, seek God’s heart and guidance on finances.
Fourth - Be involved in the culture. Share your perspective with your government representatives. Find out who might need help in your sphere of influence. Share what you have learned about finances in a way that honors God but gives grace to the listener.
Fifth - Don’t panic. Your reaction to the economic climate today is a barometer of your trust in God. Is your security in money or in the government or the political system or in Wall Street or is in God, our Father, our Creator, and our Sustainer?
Managing money is not rocket science.
Three practices will take care of most decisions in regards to money:
1. God owns it all. Seek Him about what to do with His money. Use His plan.
2, Spend less than you earn. Do not go into debt. If you are in debt, make it a priority to get out.
3, Save first, before spending for your wants of the day. A dollar spent today precludes how it can be spent in the future.
The Bible and Money
"Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid" Hebrews 13:5-6
“The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2
"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever" 1 Timothy 5:8
"The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets" Proverbs 21:20, LB
