Financial Authority Series Introduction: Are you a Christian? Take your rightful financial place!

For those of us that have truly accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we individually asked for this acceptance and made a commitment to make lifestyle changes to live as a Christian is instructed to do in the Holy Bible.

Sustaining the level of financial positioning as the bible instructs us to do requires that we operate with financial purpose.    How do we do this?  The answer starts with the word NO.  

• No personal financial ignorance.
• No living beyond our means. 
• No empty savings accounts. 
• No debt or payday loans. 
• No FICO credit scores below 700. 
• No slack in giving to the poor. 
• No slack in giving to build God’s kingdom. 
• No questionable plans for retirement. 
• No individuals without plans to be carried out in the time of our inevitable demise.

For those of you that know me well, I know that you are simply shocked that I'm using the word no.  I'm a negotiator deep in my heart and for that reason when I hear the word no spoken to me, I usually work to introduce cases for exceptions, later accommodations or just flat out fight the power.  In this case we all will need to speak the word no to ourselves.  No compromise, no exceptions.

The word no is the most aggressive two letter word in our English vocabulary.   It is a statement of forbidding, rejection and notice that something is quite the opposite of what was specified.  For the purpose of this series, I won't fight the opposition.  I will let the word no stand on it's own merits in this case....

In this series, I'm going to take each of the earlier "NO" statements and detail an actionable plan to tackle each stumbling block.  As is customary, I will also detail the biblical scriptures associated with the recommended practices in addition to sharing more of my personal accounts in each of these areas.  

Ready to take your rightful place in the area of finances and be who He has called you to be?  Ready to claim the financial authority in the earth of which you are entitled?  I am!  Come and walk it out in your life as you follow this series.

Not a Christian?  Want to elevate your financial position?  Stay with me.  The Christian financial principles that I will outline will work for everyone that will work them.

A "must-listen" for this occasion is a song from a project that I own and love.  The song is titled Get Up by Tasha Cobbs.  The words and rhythm of this song motivates me to motivate you every time I hear it.  Take a listen via the supplied link.

Link to the song is provided by Gospel Innovation.  Gospel Innovation  is a Global Gospel Media Website/Company that is all about lifting up Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel in music, dance, websites and visual wallpaper designs on their website.  Enjoy the music and much more there.  I do!!
  
Ready to take your rightful financial place?   Let's do it!  Stay tuned!


Carolyn
 

Click here for the next post in this series!

        

Should you give to the building of God's kingdom or save money? #FinLit

The answer is Yes!   Do both - Give and Save!

And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.                                                                     Acts 20:35 KJV

There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.                                                                    Proverbs 21:20  KJV

You are reading this correctly. Giving and saving is a single best step that we should take in preparation for expanding our financial territory.  This is not an oxymoron - as the biblical scriptures show, we are expected to give and save.

The principle to be gleaned here is that we should purposely take resources that we could use to sustain ourselves and make a conscious effort to give to the building of God’s kingdom, give to the poor and give to take care of family while also setting aside a portion in our house for later.  This is stewardship sacrifice.  

Here's Christian biblical scripture that reference these financial practices.

Giving to the building of God's kingdom...

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,

“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing

That there will not be room enough to receive it."                                                        

                                                                           Malachi 3:10 NKJV

Giving to the poor...

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 

Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily,

And your righteousness shall go before you;

The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

9 

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

                                                   Isaiah 58:7-9 NKJV

Taking care of your family...

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8 NKJV

There is wisdom in saving...

There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.                                                                    Proverbs 21:20  KJV

We’re pleasing to the Lord when we put His financial principles into action.   

How do you do this?  Here’s three practical starting points:

• Tithe (giving 10% of your increase) and give offerings to building of God’s Kingdom

• Give to the poor through an avenue that touches your heart.  This can be though a charity or by helping someone on the street.  God knows your heart and counts every  act of giving even if the IRS does not.

• Save a portion of your increase each month.  Save for those unplanned expenses that we know will surface.  There’s no such thing as saving too little unless you’re not saving at all!  Include this in your spending plan so that you can track it and hold yourself accountable.

Principles for managing financial resources in the Christian Holy Bible are designed for our best interests today, tomorrow and in eternity.  I'm asking you, are you giving and saving?  

I am!! 

Carolyn