Possibly you are committing at least one of the 7 mistakes that are preventing you from having a blessed financial life. The worrying thing about this is that each one of them can ruin your financial, spiritual, emotional, and marital life.
Therefore, it is of fundamental importance that we know what the Bible says about our finances. This knowledge can free you from financial problems, organize your financial life and allow you to adopt good financial habits.
So, if you want to avoid falling into financial mistakes (which happen to a large part of the population), get out of the red, or improve your financial health, keep reading this article and learn about 7 big financial mistakes according to the Bible.
1 . Believing that money is not important
Believing that money is not important is one of the most famous biblical myths about money.
Unfortunately… chances are you’ve already said or heard, phrases like:
- money is not important
- Money is trouble
- Money is the root of all evils
The truth is, thoughts like that contradict God’s financial plan for you as revealed in Holy Scripture. God considers money very important. And that’s why the Bible is full of teachings and principles related to finance.
To believe that money is not important is to deceive yourself. After all, it is involved in our daily lives and practically everything we do is related to money.
Neglecting the relevance of finances in our life opens the door to many problems. After all, research indicates that an unstructured financial life motivates 56% of divorces (research carried out by the University of Kansas). In addition, debts can lead to insomnia, lack of appetite, stress, and low self-esteem, among others.
This is certainly not God’s purpose for you.
Now think with me…
- If you told your spouse or a friend that they are not important to you, would they stay with you?
- Would you have a car or a dog if he wasn’t important to you?
The answer is no!
This principle also works for money. To the extent that we consider it unimportant, it moves away from us. Thinking like this, you will never have a blessed financial life.
In that sense, I want you to remember everyone who says that money is not important and reflect on their financial life. When I did this, I realized that everyone I know who has this thought had an unbalanced financial life and full of debt.
Money is not the most important thing in the world, but it affects all the things that are important.
According to Robert Kiyosaki:
“A serious quest for self-knowledge and personal development requires knowing the meaning that money has for us. Understanding the importance of money and your relationship with it is one of the main pillars of personal knowledge”. Jesus already said:
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” Jesus
It is essential to recognize the due importance of money so that it is neither more nor less than what it actually is. Yes, money is important, but there are many things more important than money.
2. Believing that money is evil
“Money is the root of all evil”.
This thinking is based on a misinterpretation of the Bible. Look:
Because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil; and in their longings, some have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many pains.
1 Timothy 6:10
The verse does not say that money is evil, but the love of money. The same money that can be used to bribe a policeman can also be used to help someone in need.
Being good or bad is not in the money, but in what we do with it.
What have you been doing with yours?
3. Not knowing the source
You were born with no money and when you die, no money will take you and the acquired goods will stay.
Thinking from this perspective helps us to understand that nothing is ours, everything is God’s. Your house is His, your car is His, and you are His.
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18
By understanding that everything comes from God, we move to a new level of life. We realize that the source of our money is not our work or our income. Deep down, these are just channels that the source, God, uses to leave, what is his, in our care.
This is one of the strongest biblical principles out there: We are stewards.
In other words, we are stewards of God’s possessions. Therefore, it is necessary to manage with zeal, without indifference, because God himself entrusted this task to us.
4. Treating work as a punishment
Many treat work as divine punishment for the sin committed by Adam. But this is a mistake.
The text of Genesis 3:17 says that after the fall, Adam had to work, in the sweat of his face, to acquire his sustenance. However, Adam already worked before that event, and more: he worked by God’s determination, as it is written in Genesis 2:15: “And the Lord God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it “.
Just as it was determined that Adam should work, so did Jesus: “My Father works to this day, and I work” (John 5:17). How could Jesus do what would be a punishment?
Make no mistake, it was God who created work and His desire is that you take pleasure in your activities. So, work with pleasure.
The Bible recommends, “He who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes should thresh in hope of being a partaker” (1 Corinthians 9:10). Believe in your work and do it with faith, because without faith it is impossible to accomplish something of value.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the LORD and not to men, knowing that from the LORD you will receive the reward of the inheritance, because you serve Christ the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24
5. Get attached to the money
Is the biggest priority in your life to have money? Is what you have never enough?
If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, watch out! This could be an indication of your love of money.
But why is loving money a bad thing?
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil; and in their longings, some have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many pains.” (1st Timothy 6:10)
For the love of money we see corruption spreading in our country, we see crime knocking on our doors, and relationships being destroyed.
Money is worth nothing by itself. Think, he’s just a paper or a bank record. He is the consequence of a life and not the end. When you take the focus off money and put it on people, the chance of being financially prosperous increases.
Check it out…
Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world and also one of the most helpful people in today’s society. If you are using Windows, you are being helped by it.
Remember the story of Solomon? He was the richest man in the world but all that wealth started from his desire for wisdom in order to help his people.
The true measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money: J H Jowett
6. Not preparing for crises
The world is cyclical, good times come and go, companies open and close and jobs are not for life.
We are all subject to difficult times that put our financial life at risk: the illness of a loved one, unemployment, or an economic crisis… the Bible itself says that we will have afflictions. And what can we do in the face of this scenario?
The answer is: prepare ourselves!
It is possible to go through unforeseen financial difficulties without experiencing needs. It is possible to go through unemployment without despair.
For this, saving is necessary.
We have in the Bible a fantastic story of how providential the act of saving can be. Do you remember who Joseph of Egypt was? Of the 7 years of prosperity followed by 7 of scarcity experienced by Egypt?
The solution given by God at that time was to save 20% of everything that was produced so that, when the drought arrived, there would be resources.
We see that this attitude had far greater consequences than the simple provision in bad weather. This put Egypt in a prominent place in the world. Imagine… all the countries experiencing great scarcity and having Egypt as the solution to famine.
This is also the case with us. When we save, in addition to having earnings in adverse situations, we become more prosperous and also manage to provide for our fellow people.
8. Do not make donations
Look what Proverbs 11:25 says “The generous soul will prosper and he who answers will also be answered”.
Simple and clear, to receive you must learn to give. To be served, it is important to serve. This is the teaching of Christ.
Interestingly, giving is recommended by many non-Christian financial experts, such as T. Harv Eker, author of “The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.”
Donating is one of the 5 pillars of financial education, which are: make money, save money, spend money, invest money, and donate money.
Many men are left empty-handed because they don’t know the art of sharing
C H Spurgeon
Many spend their whole lives chasing money and in this race, they forget the real motivation for their search. The act of donating helps us to take the focus off the money and focus on what really matters.
Conclusion
The Bible presents us with many inputs to have a blessed financial life. For this, it is necessary to know God’s plan for our finances and deviate from the mistakes made by many.
It’s critical to know that God is interested in our finances and how we handle them reveals a lot about who we are and what we prioritize.
At the end of this reading, I hope you are more prepared to avoid mistakes in the financial area.
