Biblical Financial Principle #14 - Be Patient and Wait On God

Be patient – God does things in His timing – Do not act hastily:

In our culture of "instant gratification" we may be tempted in interact with God as if He was a "Designer Diety." We pray as if to "our butler in Heaven." But this approach does not work in God's economy. Let's see what God's Word has to say.

Prov. 13:3b – "…he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." Proverbs 19:11 - "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense."

David was a great example of patience. He was annointed as the new king of Israel as a teenager but did not actually gain the throne for more than a decade. Psalm 37:7 tells us - "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."

Solomon got impatient and decided to try every possible road "under the sun" to find happiness and satisfaction. Here is some of his inspired, sage advice from Eccl.7:8 - "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

Proverbs 14:15 - "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps." Proverbs 21:5 - "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." So we need to give thought to our steps, not rush into financial decisions and if we are diligent we are apt to be lead to profit but if we are hasty we are very likely heading towards poverty.

Paul includes patience as part of the fruit of the spirit - the evidences of true conversion: Gal. 5:22 - "…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…" When we exhibit patience it is one of the outward signs that our heart has been changed through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

How about you? Are you a patient person? Do you wait on God's timing? Do you have a personal relationship with God? CLICK HERE to discover more.

Biblical Financial Principle #13 - Don't Worry - Be Content

Be content with what you have – Do not worry:

God’s Word is chock full of admonitions about being content ... Prov. 15:16 - "Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil." Eccl. 5:19 - "Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God." Heb. 13:5 - "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Phil. 4:11b - Paul tells us: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

Jesus was clear in His teachings that we should not worry. Luke 12:22-23 - "Then Jesus said to his disciples: 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.'" Luke 12:29 - "And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it."

Most of the things we worry about never happen anyway. We need to start our day with prayer and continue to talk to God throughout our day. As God leads us we must take responsible action to follow His directions. He will meet our needs.

Paul provides us with some great counsel: 1 Timothy 6:6 - "…godliness with contentment is great gain." Phil. 4:19 - "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Our biggest problem with this concept is that we fail to separate “needs” from “wants.” We continue to try and do things our way instead of trusting God and His plan.

God has a plan and purpose for your life. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Biblical Financial Principle #12 - Do not be envious or greedy

Do not be envious or greedy:

Many years ago I read an article in the Readers' Digest that made a lasting impression on me. I believe the title was "Keeping Up With The Jones." The writer's main point was that we really do not know how others are spending their resources.

One family might be putting 4 kids through college. Another might have a motorhome and their friends might take a trip to Europe each year. Someone else might have a Harley and their next door neighbor might spend a good deal of money on insurance policies.

There is no way we can even begin to keep up with everything that everyone we know is doing so don't even bother to try. Be content with what God has given you and be a good steward of what you have. Here are a few Scripture verses that bear on this topic:

Proverbs 14:30 - "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

Proverbs 23:17 - ":Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord."

Job 5:2 - "Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple."

Luke 12:15 - "Then he (Jesus) said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'"

As Christians our inheritance is the Lord and we have been blessed with access to all of His many resources. We need to keep Him at the very top of our priority list. If you would like to discover how to begin a relationship with God - CLICK HERE. For information and video seminars on the economy, resume writing and job interview tips visit: Life Navigation In Turnbulent Times

Biblical Financial Principle #11 - Treat Other Christians Well

According to Jesus the “acid test” of our faith is how we treat other Christians:

Jesus gave a very telling illustration about end times events: "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Mat. 25:34-40)

Jesus said: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

The Apostle John asks us: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" (1 John 3:17)

Review your checkbook or whatever record you keep of how you spend your financial resources. What have you spent on assisting other Christians who are in need?

Biblical Financial Principles - A Note Of Caution

Warning about false financial teaching:

Recently in this blog we have set forth ten Biblical Financial Principles. Now it's time for a note of caution. In our "something for nothing," "immediate gratification" culture we are often looking for quick fixes. Even in the community of so-called "Christian" teachings there are issues with improper Biblical interpretation.

When reading, studying and applying Biblical Principles:
1) We must be certain that we understand who is speaking. The Bible quotes Jesus and also quotes Judas and Satan.
2) We also need to know who the writer is speaking to. For example some Biblical injunctions apply specifically to the nation of Israel.
3) We need to keep everything in context of the full counsel of the word of God (the entire spectrum of Biblical teaching).
4) We must recognize figures of speech, parables, prophecy, poetry and other literary and cultural features in Scripture.
5) We need to compare Scripture with Scripture before applying Biblical teachings to our lives.
6) We must to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide our study and show us how to discern the truth.
7) We can also use conservative, evangelical commentaries to make certain we are not going off on an incorrect tangent.

At all costs we must avoid "cut and paste" theology. One of the best examples I know of to illustrate this point is to take Judges 7:17 and combine it with Matthew 27:5b. If you do this you get a paragraph that reads: "'Watch me,' he told them. 'Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.' Then he went away and hanged himself."

We should be cautiously optimistic when listening to Bible teaching messages. Everything we hear and read must be seen through the lens of Scripture. Since God does not contradict Himself we should not accept teaching that conflicts with God's written word, the Bible. This applies even if someone claims a Divine revelation or a specific message to them from God or an angel.

When listening to secular advice (whether in person, on radio, on television or from the newspaper, books, etc.) we must be firmly grounded in Scripture and be certain to sort out truth from fiction. There is a story (perhaps an urban legend) that the way banks train tellers to recognize counterfeit bills is to instruct them primarily about the characteristics of the "the real deal." By knowing what an actual $100 bill looks and feels like, the teller is quickly able to detect a fake one.

So let's get specific, who should we listen to for sound, Biblical financial advice? Visit the Life Navigation website for some good leads. Also, Glass House Ministries and Crown Financial Ministries offer excellent resources.

Whom should we avoid? Stay away from TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) and from touted advice peddlers like Suze Orman and Oprah Winfrey. The Bible tells us that we should evaluate individuals like a fruit inspector. If you investigate the life styles, values and teachings of Suze and Oprah you will discover that they are outside the boundaries set by Scripture.

In addition steer clear of any teaching that claims to be Biblical and yet promises a formula for success. This would include teachings that might be described as word-faith, word of faith, seed faith, name it and claim it, health and wealth, the prosperity doctrine and/or positive confession. God is not "our butler in heaven." He is sovereign and that means that He is not obligated to (for example) give you a million dollars just because you gave a seed faith gift of $1,000 to help fill some television preacher's coffers.

In the final analysis all of our efforts to gain wisdom and manage our finances are fruitless unless we are basing everything we do on the foundation of a correct personal relationship with our Lord, our God and our Creator, Jesus Christ.

Here are some suggested books you may wish to consider adding to your library:

Basic Bible Interpretation - Roy B. Zuck

How to Study Your Bible: The Lasting Rewards of the Inductive Method - Kay Arthur

Biblical Financial Study, Collegiate Edition - Crown Financial Ministries

Here are some suggested web site links:

Life Navigation (a ministry of Cypress Church)

Manage Your Money God’s Way

The Life Changing Message Of Jesus

Biblical Financial Principle #10 - Put Yourself In Position For God's Blessings

Obedience to God puts you in a position where you are ready to receive God's blessings:

Obedience does not come automatically. We have choices to make all day long. These choices determine our character and our destiny. Jude writes: "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." (Jude 1:21)

Proverbs 2:7-8 – (The Lord) "...holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 3:9-10 - "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

Proverbs 10:6 - "Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." Proverbs 15:29 - "The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous."

But God’s blessings are not “automatic” and He may choose not to bless in the way we might have expected. Paul asked God three times to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” God’s response: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Cor. 12:9)

Jesus taught: "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (Luke 6:35)

The writer of Hebrews reminds believers: "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Heb. 13:16)

God does bless everyone on earth every day with sunshine and air to breath. He has special blessings in store only for His children. But God doesn’t necessarily reward His followers with material things that “moth and rust corrupt.” Our blessings from God may include the material but He has much better spiritual treasures reserved for us.

Discover the first step you must take to become a child of God and experience all the richness He has in store for you. CLICK HERE

Biblical Financial Pinciple #9 - Do Not Limit God's Blessings

Do not limit God’s blessings:

God desires to bless us. He promised blessings to Abraham: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:2) The Aaronic priestly blessing begins with these words: "The Lord bless you and keep you..." (Numbers 6:24)

When King Balak asked the prophet Balaam to curse Israel all he could do was bless them: "Balak said to Balaam, 'What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!'" (Num. 23:11)

The history of the nation Israel is "typical" history and provides spiritual lessons for us today. Israel tested God ten times (Num. 14:22) during the wilderness wanderings: "How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland! Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed (NKJV – limited) the Holy One of Israel." (Psalm 78:40-41)
They limited God’s desired blessing by their disobedience and their lack of faith.

Jesus taught us how we can be blessed by God: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (Luke 11:28b) If we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ then our lives (our actions) will give evidence of our faith. We cannot just "talk the talk" and call ourselves true Christians. We read in the book of James: "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:17)

Put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Discover "The Life Changing Message Of Jesus."