Many believers in the modern world experience financial suffering on a daily basis. Setting aside rampant poverty and the millions of people living on, or below, the bread-line, many middle-class Christians in the first world live hand-to-mouth or paycheck to paycheck each month. In fact, statistics show that even the majority of pastors have zero savings, believe they are grossly underpaid and have experienced financial struggle in their families.
So what’s the secret? How can believers break free from financial suffering in their lives once and for all?
Like so many things in life, the truth is beautiful in its simplicity but extremely difficult to live out in practise.
A Christian Overcoming Financial Stress
The truth is this; the only way to break free from the bonds of financial struggle is to:
- Consume less than we earn
- Eradicate debt
- Invest savings for future harvest and
- Do this consistently over time
There are many different ways to say this but they all boil down to the steps above. Some call this building wealth. Others call it common sense. Some see this as a means to acquire riches but most would be more than satisfied if they could just break free from the constant cycle of debt and the financial worry they experience on a daily basis.
I will say it again; in truth, the only way to break free from the bonds of financial struggle is to:
- Consume less than we earn
- Eradicate debt
- Invest savings for future harvest and
- Do this consistently over time
Here are some corollary truths:
- Building wealth this way takes time
- Building wealth this way is boring
Actually, boring is a good thing in this context. When things get exciting, you will generally find that the Love of Money has entered the equation… and that is when things start to go awry. First, and foremost, our spiritual compass goes off-course and we lose our way spiritually. As a result, our relationship with God begins to suffer.
Second, we usually end up losing money. Bear in mind, the Love of Money is sin — and Satan always tempts us with a poisoned chalice. That is his modus operandi. First, he lures us away from the truth with the promise of a short-term gain; in this case, riches. Then, once we have fallen prey to the temptation and our relationship with God is damaged, he takes away the very thing he tempted us with in the first place. The result is a broken believer who has turned their face from God and also lost the very thing that diverted their attention in the first place. Still, there Satan lurks with the next temptation…
As believers, we need to break this cycle. In the context of financial struggle, the way to do this is to repent from the love of money that landed us in our current financial predicament. Then we need to turn our face back to God and his word. After that, we can begin to seek a way out of our financial bondage by seeking God and his word.
Consume Less Than You Earn
The first step out of financial suffering is to ensure that we spend less than we earn. We do this by learning to be content.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
1 Timothy 6:6-8
When we learn to be content with what we have, we can finally learn to spend less than we earn, and so begin our journey on the road to recovery. The promise at that destination is…
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.
Proverbs 21:20
Eradicate Debt
Debt is a snare that entangles and chokes its victims. As the proverb says;
Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.
Proverbs 22:26-27
Of course, this is a warning against succumbing to debt in the first place. This does not necessarily help believers who already find themselves drowning in consumer debt.
However, if you have achieved the first step, above, and are now consuming less than you earn, you are in a position to eradicate debt once and for all. Simply use those extra funds to reduce your debt until you have none left. There are great resources available to assist with this, like Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover.
Invest Savings for Future Harvest
The book of Proverbs is full of great advice for managing money in our day-to-day lives. And so is Ecclesiastes. Surprisingly, this book in the Bible includes several verses related to investment and managing money. For instance;
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
Ecclesiastes 11:2
There is much to glean from this verse but, in the context of this article, our main take-away should be this; invest!
It is not a sin to plant your savings as seed in order to reap a future harvest. Nor is it the love of money to plan for the future. In fact, over the long term, it is the one sure way to protect ourselves from financial struggle. Remember, the goal here is not to chase after riches but, rather, to break free from the bonds of financial suffering.
Do This Consistently Over Time
This is the toughest pill to swallow. Unfortunately, just as there are no get-rich-quick solutions, so there are no quick fixes to escape financial struggle. It takes discipline and time. But God’s word is there to guide us through the process.
Dishonest money dwindles away but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow
Proverbs 13:11
None of the first three steps will result in financial freedom on their own. Rather, the diligent and consistent application of those principles and Bible verses is what will bring the breakthrough.
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Proverbs 12:27
As the proverb says so clearly, diligence brings the breakthrough. This is why I said earlier that building wealth this way takes time and is boring. There is nothing exciting about doing the same thing over and over. There is nothing exhilarating about making small sacrifices day after day for what appear to be insignificant short-term gains.
It is boring. On the plus side, it is also the surefire way to eschew the love of money. You simply cannot walk this path to financial freedom if you love money. It’s just too slow — and the love of money always seeks instant gratification.
But for those who have the courage to believe God’s word and the strength of character to dig deep when it matters. For those who are prepared to press on and walk this journey…
There lies the promise in God’s word; the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt!