Financial Discipline is Biblical

Many times, we focus on the topic of tithing and giving, which is a crucial aspect of our Christian walk, but we don’t consider the aspect of managing our material wealth. God cares how we handle our money. If we do not order our money according to God’s word, then we are not in line with God’s will for our lives.

There are two types of wealth: spiritual/eternal and material/temporary. We know that spiritual is more important than material, but that does not mean material wealth is unimportant. The bible makes it clear that how we manage our money has a lot to do with our spiritual success. There is a misconception that money is evil, but it is not. The love of money is evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

In Revelation 5:11-12, we see a picture of Christ glorified. Seven good things are listed that Christ is worthy to receive, and one of them is riches. It would be illogical to believe that riches were not good if all the others on the list are good. It tells us that riches are essentially good, though they can be misused, just like other things on the list, like strength to oppress people, and wisdom to cheat people. The fact that those can be misused doesn’t mean they are inherently bad. It is a snare of Satan to make us believe that money itself is evil, that we should always be poor. You are not wicked for having money in your wallet or your bank account. 

Financial discipline and good stewardship is important. It means thinking ahead and spending wisely. Haggai 2:8 says the silver and gold belong to him. If we shift our perspective to consider that it is his and not ours, it changes things. Stewardship is taking care of something that is not ours, and the bible says good stewards must be found faithful.

God tests the handling of our money before committing spiritual riches to us. Read the parable of the unjust steward in Luke chapter 16. If we are faithful in the little things, God will trust us with his true, eternal riches. If we can’t be trusted with the less important material things, why would he trust is with the more important eternal things? Financial discipline is not just about saving money or avoiding debt; it is about honoring God with all our resources. By applying biblical principles, we can develop habits that lead to spiritual growth and financial stability.