BIBLICAL FINANCIAL FREEDOM
I aspire to be more financially secure, sound, and wise at this stage of my life, and I think most of us share that aspiration. After reading most of the self-help and investment books, I came to the conclusion that I had not given the Holy Bible, which contains all of the knowledge for life, enough thought. When I did, you know what I discovered? I looked to the Bible to seek understanding about financial wisdom and I found out that the bible served as the foundation for every book I had read about finances.
The Bible contains numerous scriptures that discuss sound money management. Either how to create it, how to maintain it, or how to distribute it to others. The Bible imparts five crucial financial lessons, including 1. Stewardship: This is acknowledging that all of life's resources originate from God and should be used carefully. 2. Contentment: Develop a mindset of satisfaction and recognize that monetary wealth is not the only metric of prosperity. Live within your limits and refrain from taking on excessive debt. 3. Giving: Adopt the idea of generosity and giving. Share your resources with those in need, donate to worthy charities, and give the tithe to your place of worship. 4. Integrity and Honesty: Handle financial concerns with integrity and honesty. Be honest in all of your financial dealings, keep your word, and abstain from unethical behavior. 5. Long-term Planning: Take a long-term outlook while making financial decisions. Think about how your decisions may affect the future, including retirement planning, insurance coverage, and assuring financial security.
When these are taken into consideration, it will go a long way to assist you in your financial well-being. It is about time we step into God’s era of financial freedom. The word of God is definitely our source of wisdom and so whatever you do, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the others will be added unto you. If God is our father and he is the creator and we are the daughters and sons of God then why do we suffer want?
Let’s go into Proverbs 6:6-11
Verse 6, Go to the ant, thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise.
Ants are among the most intelligent creatures ever, therefore as an entomologist who has studied the behavior of most insects, I am not surprised that the Bible utilizes them as a metaphor.
Verse 7: Which having no guide, oversee, or ruler
Ants are self-driven workers; they don't need a friend, sibling, father, or supervisor to tell them what to do. They are aware of their responsibilities and carry them out with diligence. All social insects, like ants, have workers who hunt for food, clean the hive, and ensure that everyone is fed. The workers don't wait for the soldiers to order them to report for duty. They are disciplined and unafraid to pursue their work to make ant-hill safe and secure, nevertheless, all the parties involved contribute to making the place safe for their survival. This indicates to me that self-discipline is crucial when it comes to money. Working hard and wisely, in my opinion, is essential for achieving financial success.
Another thing I've noticed about ants is that, like most insects, when they find food, they produce pheromones to attract other conspecific insects to the location where there is a lot of it. They lack avarice or greed. I realized that it is not a good idea to be the only one in your circle who is financially successful while others around you struggle. Encourage others to join you on the ladder. Make every effort to help others up rather than dragging them to the ground.
Verse 8 Provide her meat in the Summer, and gathered her food in the harvest
This verse tells me about savings and spending. Consider whether your expenditure is outpacing your savings. Are you able to survive in hard times or days with no harvest? Live within your means and save money. Instead of declaring you are broke, try to adopt an attitude of excess since whatever you say, your subconscious takes in and holds onto. Instead, declare your own success and financial independence. Speak life and money into your pocket even if you truly have nothing, and it will materialize.
Verse 9-10: How long wilt though sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of they sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of arms to sleep: So shall poverty come to come as one that travels and thy want as an armed man,
They don't just wait around for food to come to them; instead, they actively seek it out by foraging for it, which teaches us to "take action." Don't let opportunities pass you by as you wait around. They take initiative, look for guidance, find their way through the trenches, and transport food back to their homes. Why do we, as humans, let opportunities, favors, and dreams pass us by? Let's return to the ant's lessons.
Laziness is something we need to take out of our life. The devil have a way of distracting us when we are about to reach a breakthrough, he brings laziness, procrastination, and wondering excuses. Pray but work and do your part because God always meets us halfway. And when you diligently seek Him, you will be surprised by what follows. God promises us prosperity.
These are other points I want to stress on
Success comes from diligence and hard work. In order to understand your ideas and make them a reality, ask God for knowledge. Once you allow yourself to move in that direction, money will flow to you in great plenty. Scarcity is not always your share as a child of God. He is God of abundance so are His children.
Colossians 3:23 - And whatsoever you do, do it heartily to the Lord, and not unto man.
Work: Work as if you were doing it for God. Consider yours as a form of devotion rather than a way to be paid. Recognize that God is honored by the work you do. Respect and place God before your job, as well as your duties to other people and your family.
Budgeting: Leave room for budgeting and leave some money for emergencies. Your savings and investments are not your emergency accounts. Try to forgo instant gratification, something I am working on myself. The plans of diligence lead to abundance but everyone who is hasty comes to poverty (Proverbs 21:5). Planning is biblical and requires diligence and wisdom to stick to your plan. Know the various sources of your income and determine which expenses are one-time and which are recurring. Subtract those and see what is left and save or invest with it.
Four questions to ask before making a big purchase:
Have you prayed about it?
Can you pay cash for it?
What is the long-term cost?
Will it benefit God’s kingdom?
Debt: Be careful with debt. Do not borrow money to buy an item that depreciates. Make sure if you are making any big purchases, you pray to God and make due diligence. Avoid all irresponsible debt and create a plan to pay back your debt.
Giving: Be generous. The principle of giving is everywhere in the bible and I believe by giving, you allow yourself to gain more. So if you do not like to give, then you are blocking yourself from your blessings. There is power in giving. Just as gratitude opens doors for you, so is being generous. Any time I give, God always provides and multiplies it in folds for me.
Luke 12:33-34 -Because your heart is where your treasure is, Jesus commanded the rich young man to sell everything he owned and give to the needy.
When we give to God, we exchange temporary possession for external treasure. It is important to view everything as God’s and not yours. Train your eyes to see the kingdom's needs and not earthly wants and so give to the poor and charity.
Let us practice these to help us to succeed financially and enjoy breakthroughs,.
Xo,
Naomi.
