Saving money and making the most out of it is something we should all learn to do. Money is a very powerful object that causes fights and quarrels among people, either small- or large-scale. Good thing we have the Bible to tell us how to handle it.
The Bible presents to us various ways to handle our finances. But unlike other money-management tips that only focus on teaching us how to save, where to spend our money, and how to earn more, the Bible's instructions teach us how to have the right heart and attitude towards money, so that we could spend it with much joy.
After all, "The blessing of the Lord brings [true] riches, and He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God]." (Proverbs 10:22, AMP)
Here are some of the Bible's tips to saving and managing your money.
1. Prioritise the things of God
We should check our heart using our money. Apparently, money is a great indicator of our character. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
Check yourself. Where do you spend your hard-earned cash on? If you keep spending your money on unnecessary or non-essential things, or if you spend more for extravagance rather than necessity, then realise that you need to change your mind.
Colossians 3:2 tells us, "Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth." Better do that in our finances as well.
2. Spend it on things that will help you grow in God
Have you ever experienced earning your wage and receiving an additional bonus, only to ask yourself after a while, "where did all my money go?" If you did, you need to keep track of your expenses.
A certain Christian businessman goes around my country, teaching people how to manage their finances. One of the tips he gives is that people should not spend it on unnecessary extravagance. For example, if that new iPhone 7 won't help in earning more income, and I would add growing in Christ-likeness, then choose not to spend for it.
Proverbs 10:16 tells us, "The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin." Don't spend money on useless, sinful things, or to just 'keep up with the latest fashions.'
3. Give your tithes
No, I'm not pushing you to give your tithes to the church. The Bible does. God said in Malachi 3:10 that when we give our tithes, He will bless us beyond our capacity to contain it. Wouldn't you want that?
"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts. "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."
