God’s ways are not our ways, neither are his thoughts. The God book(the bible) has been known to unapologetically challenge many of our thinking processes. It is no different in the area of finances. God, through his spirit instructed holy men of old on some principles that guide financial prosperity, many of which are pencilled down in the holy book. Going through some bible passages, one is sure to nod in agreement to some principles. Some others seem so parallel to our normal thinking pattern that if they hadn’t been proven to be true in the lives of as many that dared to act on them, we would have had cause to say that God is a scam!
‘Give and it shall be given to you, good measures, pressed down, and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.’(Luke 6:38) This is one of the most popular teachings of the Lord Jesus, taught at the same instance with the beatitudes according to Luke’s account. Many lessons can be drawn from this famous saying among which are that; foremost, the extent of our financial prosperity is largely a direct proportion of how much we are able to bless others with it. The wealthiest men around are known to be great givers, with some giving as much as 90% of their riches. Granted, a number of these people do not believe in God. Nonetheless, God has so set the earth’s principles that it would yield results regardless of who operates them. Secondly, it is important to note how Jesus teaches that the returns on our giving would come, through MEN! (‘…shall MEN give into your bosom,’ emphasis mine). There is a popular quote, ’God is the source, men are the channels.’ The point here is that God is very unlikely to come down from heaven to put money in your pocket. He always blesses through people, in the form of a gift( which we all want) or as a reward for a service rendered or a good sold. Whichever the case, it is then important that each of us deliberately maintains the relationships in our lives. Who knows where the next financial blessing is lurking?
A look at Prov. 11:24,’There is he that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is due and it tendeth to poverty.’ King Solomon, the writer of the book both buttresses what the Lord taught about giving, at the same time establishing some contrast to it. Closely considering the scripture, it appears that he proscribes that with-holding( a time of not giving) is a smart financial move. It should however not be the more dominant resolve. The Good News Bible puts it this way,’ Some people spend their money freely and still grow richer. Others are cautious and grow poorer.’ Examining this from a stand point of making investments, we know that it is often said that the wealthiest of investors are those who are not afraid to take necessary risks with their money. The very cautious investors are frequently either barely surviving or are belonging to the middle class.
Saving! Saving! Saving! This, probably for many was the very first financial principle taught them by their parents or guardian. As basic and cliché as saving sounds, it appears to be one of the greatest pitfalls on the road to financial freedom for a lot of persons. Financial experts describe saving as the most fundamental step on the path of financial success. The percentage of one’s income to be saved depends on the individual’s financial goals and how fast he intends to achieve them. Notwithstanding, the 50:20:30 personal finance rule of thumb recommends that a minimum of 20% of every monthly income should be saved. Interestingly, this is in agreement with what Joseph advised Pharaoh to do after he(Joseph) interpreted the king’s dreams (consider reading Gen 41: 1-45).’Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land of Egypt to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.’(v33-34; emphasis mine). One-fifth is equivalent to 20%, so we see that the principle holds true. Another quick lesson to learn from this story is the fact that things will not always be financially rosy. There will come seasons of plenty when everything seems to be working out fine, contracts are coming in and people are blessing you from every corner. We are grateful for such times. However, seasons like that are followed many times by periods when things aren’t as smooth. The bible recommends that we deal wisely in our seasons of plenty in such a way that prepares us for hard times. Hard times are surely coming. The earth isn’t a perfect place.
I believe God intentional answered a lot of financial questions through various pages of the scriptures. It is left for us to search them out. God wants us financially blessed and He left us the hows!