Biblical Way to Financial Blessings
(From the Book of Proverbs)
With the help of the Holy Spirit, Solomon has given us several of God’s ways and principles for financial blessings in the book of proverbs. I would like to share some of them in this article. As you learn and live by these principles, God will certainly bless you in this new financial year!
1. SERVE God with your finances.
To serve God with your finances means to put God first in your finances. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine (NIV).” The Bible is full of promises that the Lord will provide for you, that he will meet your every need when you put him first in your finance (Ps. 34:10; Phil. 4:19; Matt. 6:33). Acknowledge that God is the source of all blessings. Be faithful in giving your tithes and supporting the Lord’s work (Mal. 3:10; Luke 6:38).
2. SKETCH out a plan
Secondly, plan ahead. You will never get ahead financially unless you plan to get ahead financially. The old saying tells us that if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. Proverbs 21:5 says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” Any good financial plan begins with goals and a good budget. Proverbs 24:27 says, “Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.”
3. STRAIN every nerve
The third financial principle from Proverbs is called hard work. The Bible is clear that the reason for poverty, in many cases, is simply laziness. Proverbs 10:4, “Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.” Isaac toiled and planted the crop. And God gave him an increase (Gen. 26:12). The difference between riches and poverty is the difference between hard work and laziness. You can have all the desire, all the knowledge, and all the skills in the world, but if you’re not a hard worker, you will not receive financial blessings (Read Proverbs 6:6-11; 13:4; 14:23; 18:9; 19:15; 20:4, 13; 21:25, 26; 22:13; 24:20-34; 26:13-17). We need to work hard without becoming workaholics. We must learn to rest and relax. We should work to live and not live to work. The Lord instituted weekly rest for our physical, mental and spiritual health.
4. STEER CLEAR of speculative investments.
The next financial principle is to avoid speculative, shaky investments. Many people end up in financial bondage because they violate these clear, scriptural warnings. What are these speculative investments? 1. Going into debt. You should never go into debt and as a Christian, if you are in debt, you are obligated by God to pay your debts (Pro. 22:7; Ps. 37:21). 2. Co-signing. This is one of the most violated financial principles in the Bible. Co-signing relates to debt. Anytime you co-sign you become legally responsible for the debt of another (Proverbs 22:26-27; 17:18). 3. Get-rich quick schemes. People who want to get rich quickly are susceptible to scams and fraudulent offers. They are invariably cheated and swindled. Stay away from gambling, betting and lottery. Avoid any form of get rich quick schemes (Pro.12:11; 13:11; 23:4, 5; 28:20, 22).
5. SAVE for the future.
One reason many people struggle financially is because they don’t save. Any good financial plan will involve a plan for savings. Proverbs 6:6-11 pertains not only to hard work, but to savings also. If ants are smart enough to gather food for the winter, we should be, too. The best financial advice that I’ve come across goes like this. After taxes and tithes, save 10% and live on the rest (Proverbs 10:16; 21:20)
6. STOP wasteful spending.
Proverbs 10:16 says, “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.” Many people are struggling financially and are missing out on God’s best in their finances because they are squandering their money. To squander is to spend wastefully on things that are worthless. Never buy impulsively anything you do not really need. Do not buy things to impress other people. Many people are in debts and are struggling to make both ends meet, not because they don’t make enough, but because they’re squandering their money.
7. SHARE with those in need.
Proverbs is filled with verses about sharing with those in need. Proverbs 11:24-25 says, “Give freely and become wealthier; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 19:17 and 21:13 make it clear that God’s provision for us is contingent upon us sharing freely with those in need.
8. SEEK God in prayer
Finally, we need to seek God in prayer for our financial blessings. Unless the Lord gives us the strength and wisdom and blesses the work of our hand and keeps us from unnecessary and unexpected expenses, we will not be able to prosper. The Bible says, `the blessing of the Lord makes a person rich and he adds no sorrow with it (Pro. 10:22). He who trusts in the Lord shall prosper (Pro. 28:25). The Lord delights in the prayers of the righteous and answers them with his blessings and riches (Pro. 15:8, 29: 22:4). So let us pray diligently and trust God with all our heart so that he will grant us his strength and wisdom to gain wealth (Pro. 3:5, 6; Deut. 8: 18) and make us a blessing to others (1 Tim. 6:17, 18)!
Dear children of God, God loves you and cares for you. That is why he has given us guidelines in His Word for financial blessings. If we seriously and sincerely put them into practice, we will surely be able to prosper financially in God’s way. May God bless you and prosper you!
