Is it time to rethink your financial plan? Finances won't resolve themselves, and a loving couple won't magically align their financial priorities without some good thought, planning, and communication.
As you approach finances, allow the principles of scripture to shape your plan. First things should always be first, and for the Christian, the kingdom of God should be first. The promise of Matthew 6:33 is practical: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." We tend to distort our priorities, placing food, clothing, shelter, and pleasure first and giving leftovers, if any, to the church. How contrary to the biblical pattern. God demanded (and deserved) the firstfruits from Israel - their first and best part - not their paltry leftovers. Solomon sagely said, "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine" (Proverbs 3:9-10). Do you ever wonder why the barn feels empty? Could it be that you have concentrated on the barn itself instead of on the kingdom of God?
From the very beginning of your marriage (or if you are already married, from today going forward, set your budget to allocate the first 10 percent of your income for a thank offering to the Lord. After all, civil government insists that income tax be taken out even before you receive your check. Jesus was not opposed to such taxation but insisted that we should also "give to God what belongs to God." (Matthew 22:21). On occasion, you may wish to give offerings beyond the tithe, but the tithe should be considered a minimal standard of giving for those couples who take biblical principles seriously.
Take time to pray asking God to reshape your financial priorities so they align with His; to give you the courage and vision to give Him the first and best part of your income; to fill your barns, pouring out blessing on you and your loved one in some form.
Take time to discuss together or reflect on these questions:
What portion of your income do you give as tithes and offerings?
Schedule a time to review (or set) your budget, shaping it with new priorities. How do you think you should allocate your finances?
Read these passages for further study on Tithing:
Leviticus 27:30 And all the atithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord. 31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
Malachi 3:8-10
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Matthew 6:24-34
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
I feel blessed I am able to review my finances weekly with someone I trust that helps me in the direction I am looking for. See the training I have received and see if this will help you review and go in the direction you need as well. See more here.
Comment below sharing your goals of your financial plans to encourage and inspire others.