Basics of Biblical Finance

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Money's tight all over right now! Everyone is having some money issues of some kind, no matter who you are a little more money would be nice, for some, let's be honest a lot more would be nice. Now I'm not talking about being in love with money, I'm talking about the Basics of Biblical Finance! This blog is from a study we had at our church from Dave Ramsey. So I've made sure to add a few extra things to ensure you have all the tools needed to make this work. Money is the number one reason for divorce in America and also the number one reason why couples fight, so you might want to get all the info you can! What you're about to receive is 20% head knowledge and 80% action. This means that you must take action! Some of this we already know, I mean, it is in the Bible, so we have read it before, we just aren't doing it. So get ready to take action in you finances!

1) Get Out of Debt!

I owe, I owe, I owe, so off to work I go, is NOT a motto you should have in your life! Where there is debt there is always risk involved! Did you know that all foreclosures were only done on home that carried a mortgage? OK, now think about that! That's the risk! If you don't have a mortgage than you have no risk of losing your home! Just Sayin! Stop being a slave, you know you work just so you can pay your debt! Slaves don't get to make choices in life, they are told what to do! Imagine what you could do if you didn't have payments?

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. Proverbs 22:7

 2) Act Your Wage.

You need to learn to live off less than you make! You don't work for congress! lol

A foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20

If you spend everything you make, according to scripture you’re a fool! Don’t get mad at me, God said it! This is where 1Timothy 6:6 comes to good use! But godliness with contentment is great gain. You need to work with what you have, don't spend more than you make!

3) Get on a Budget!

If you owned a company and you had someone handling the finances the way you do... Would you fire you! I know I would fire me! This is one that we all know we need, but just don't do it! We need a plan of action, you wouldn't let a contractor build you a house who had no plans or blue prints! If you would than you have bigger problems than I thought!

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it? Luke 14:20

 4) Save and Invest!
What do you need to save for? LIFE! Life is coming at you much quicker than you could ever imagine and when it happens, we're never ready! Here's three reasons to save!

• Emergency Fund, there's an emergency coming! Water heater, transmission, injury, etc... Life is coming, are you prepared? Dave Ramsey says we should have three to six months in savings! This would protect us in many cases and give us some piece of mind!

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil. Proverbs 21:20

Debt is not a sin, but it is Biblically stupid! Just sayin! That's what I just read! Come on, don't be mad at the messenger!

• To Spend Cash, Studies show that if you spend cash for stuff, you spend less! You ever carried a few 100 dollar bills around? You get attached to them boys! When you go to pay for something and you have to break that 100 dollar bill, it hurts!

McDonalds did a study and found that those paying with a credit card spent 40% more than those using cash! Hey we love our cash; credit lets us make payments that are smaller! With credit card we pay for others lunch as well as ours, but with cash, we hit the dollar menu and everyone pays for their own! lol Studies show that people spend 12-15% less when using cash!

• To Invest, did you know if you invested just the amount of money you spend on pizza and coffee, until you retired you would have over a million dollars? Invest for your Kids College, for your future! If you don’t learn to save you can’t invest! Invest in your future, no one else is going to do that for you!

 5) Give!

Giving is fun! Of course you already know about the tithe!

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Malachi 3:10

I’m talking about something broke folks can’t do! We like to pay for people we’ve never met and leave some big tips at times. We have paid for people at restaurants, and then left! We would talk about how supprised they must have been to have that done for them. We have had it done for us and it feels great! We pay for folks stuff at convenience stores, gas stations, wherever God directs us! 

If you follow these plans, you can set money aside for just such things. When you become a giver, that's when it all starts to come together and really begin to be about God! God gave for us on the cross and for us to truly be like Him we need to learn to give! God has all this in His Word because He cares about you and loves you, you are that important to Him!

God Bless and take care