Relationships are essential to our lives. They are crucial to our development, growth, and existence. They are so crucial that the Ten Commandments show us how we are to protect our relationship with God and our relationships with others. Jesus takes it a step further by instructing us “to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Today, however, we will talk about OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY.

There are some of us who have healthy relationships with money and some of us who do not. Let us talk about the unhealthy relationships with money some of us have. Money controls some of us. Money leads us toward making poor decisions. Money runs away from us and it spends all of its time with our bills and/or bad habits. Money makes us feel good–until it goes away.

Okay, let’s not put all the blame on money and make this one-sided. We are at fault for having money control the relationship. Moreover, we don’t see its worth. We don’t value it. We don’t get to know it. We either have unrealistic expectations, too little expectations, or too high expectations of our money. And we don’t tell our money what we expect it to accomplish. We don’t see our money’s potential. We don’t invest in it. We don’t let it rest. We don’t even let it just sit and catch its breath sometimes. We don’t use wisdom and care when handling it. Then we expect it to do what we need it to do and be what we need it to be.

What about our management of someone else’s money (credit cards). We pretend its fully ours until its time to pay it back. Then we get stressed and our finances look even more a mess.

Stats: Pew Charitable Trusts reports that 80% of Americans are with debt. (www.pewtrusts.org)

But God desires for our relationship with money to not be a stressful, debilitating one, but a healthy one. He desires that money not master us and that we trust in Him, the One who supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Today’s Scriptures:

Mark 12:30-31 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord, please help us to have a healthy relationship with money. We desire to serve You and not money. Break the yokes of poor stewardship and debt in our lives. Forgive us for building such a dependence on earthly things and for our love of money. Help us to trust and depend on You and to love You with all of our hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Disclaimer

We, at Fruitful & Fabulous, are not certified financial planners or financial advisors. We do research and reference the sources that we use within our writing. The information provided should not be used as financial advice; it is used to promote financial literacy, financial literacy based from the Bible as well as discussion. The views, some of the experiences, and opinions on this site are that of the authors. Any suggestions or investment advice should be reviewed by a financial professional before acting on them.

This website will never share your email address or any of your personal information with a third party for any reason. We are excited to encourage financial literacy and health but it is your choice whether or not you use the information provided and at your own risk.

Originally Posted February 3, 2018 via fruitfulandfabulous.wordpress.com

Throw The Whole Mindset Away

“Out with the old, in with the new” is a popular saying. When a new year touches down, you want to leave behind in the past year everything old and weighty that caused you so much grief, frustation, and disappointment. So why can’t we leave behind old habits and mindsets that keep us weighed down and pennyless?

Tight

This January, if our financial part of our lives were rooms, they would be an empty room of compact four walls closing in on us, or is that just mine. After Christmas and an unexpected bill, I knew it would be tight and I expected to make it through with some sweat. However, with getting back into debt and having credit card balances again, I have been sweating a lot. Nonetheless, I am expecting to recover or at least stop the walls from closing in on me with prayer and planning.

But what about families or individuals who have to bury loved ones. It is much difficult for them to recover. One of my former students was faced with burying her beloved mom with no monies available for a funeral and burial. How disheartening it is to not only be grieving the loss of a loved one, but also stress over coming up with the money to take care of their beloved’s burial.

Don’t Just Talk The Talk

January was a tough month, and not just financially, but it has also left me to realize I carried into 2018 some old habits and ideologies that I did not fully nip in the bud, which have hindered me from truly rectifying my financial situations. I merely did on the surface work.

And for one, I can’t talk a good walk financially, get free from debt once minus student loans, clear up credit card debt twice, and save emergency fund technically twice only to keep the same habits and go down the same halls I know not to take. So, in actuality I am going around in circles. Now, I must say this. We are not perfect and will make mistakes, but we must admit our habits and ways that are hindering us from making true progress. “I want to create wealth” I heard myself telling the bank rep and “be debt free” but I needed a temporary short loan. Ludicrous. A loan to pay a bill and if honest to spend to add to more debt. For my situation, it was a no-go. I got denied the loan but am thankful because I have to trust God and put away old habits and actually walk the walk of what it is I am learning and sharing with others.

Father God, create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. Let us see money the way You do and let us get our financial affairs in order. We don’t know what the future holds, and Lord, we want to trust You and depend on You. Help us to seek You for wisdom to be prepared as well as help us to become better and godly stewards over all You have blessed us with. Let us be blessed to be a blessing too knowing that You have entrusted us to gifts, talents, time, and financial resources not just for ourselves but for others and Your kingdom. Let us owe no man nothing except love. Let us also have a heart of gratitude and be content in any situation. In Jesus’ name, amen!

So what’s our top 10 financial things we need to work towards in 2018.

1. Pray and meditate on the Word of God and His principles on money, tithing, giving, etc.

2. Seek the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance on when and how to give to others, how to sow and reap, how to invest, how to be a blessing to others, and just how to steward over what God has given us.

3. Start Saving. I don’t care if it is a jar of change. Or just dollars. Start and stay consistent. Put money in a bank account rarely used and assign those savings with a purpose.

4. Start an emergency fund. Unexpectedly, the car breaks down, the furnace goes out, your property taxes go up, we need to travel or want to bless someone, boom. We have something to work with.

5. Budget and cut some stuff out or down. Do we need to eat at a restaurant every day, do we need that other channel subscription alongside of Netflix? Do we need a new pair of shoes or a new pair of jeans every month? Do we want to just have stuff or do we want memories and moments?

6. Declutter our house. Sell or give away that stuff to others in need. I am a firm believer, that in order to make room for the new, we have to make space for it. So if we do want a new dress, check the closet for dresses we may have not worn in awhile and either embrace them again, give them away, or sell them. Their are avenues like the thrift store and Ebay who will buy or take and allow us to sell these things.

7. Invest. Research investing, stocks, and talk to professionals on such. And then start somewhere. We can even invest in pennystocks. Robinhood is a great investment source especially for beginners and pennystocks.

8. Talk about finances with the family, expectations, teamwork, goals, and create a financial plan.

9. Get life insurance. Point blank and period.

10. Stay consistent. Keep pressing. Be patient. Don’t give up.

M.I.A

The M.I.A (Most Important Accessory) that a Christian should have in their possession is GODLY STEWARDSHIP. It is something we don’t hang up or sport from time to time, but something we must wear daily, second by second, minute by minute. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce. And seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Contributing Writer: Tannika Moore