Biblical Finance (Part 1)

“Too many people spend money they earned...to buy things they don’t want..to impress people that they don’t like.”
Will Rogers

“Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.”
Warren Buffett

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

There are few areas in life where the grip of fear and uncertainty can be felt as tangibly as in matters of finances. The world teaches us to build security through material gain, positioning money as the solution to most problems. Yet, time and again, we are reminded that no amount of wealth can truly insulate us from the storms that come. The economy shifts, jobs are lost, unexpected expenses arise, and with them, anxiety over how to stay afloat. But for those of us in Christ, financial struggles take on a deeper meaning. They become opportunities to look at where our trust has been placed, and whether we are relying on the world’s fragile security or on the eternal provision of God. Christ made it plain when He said, “No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24, ESV). It is an unsettling thought for many because it challenges the reflexive patterns we have adopted, often without question. We may say our trust is in God, but when financial stress strikes, where does our heart flee? Who, or what, is truly our master?

Recognizing the Source of All Things
At the root of financial tension is often a misunderstanding of ownership. There is a cultural insistence on possession—that we earn, we keep, and we control. But Scripture calls us to a more humbling realization: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1, ESV). Everything belongs to God. Every resource we manage, every opportunity, every cent is part of His creation, and we are but stewards for a brief time. Once this reality takes hold in our hearts, our grip on material things begins to loosen. We are reminded that our resources are not ours to clutch, nor is our provision in our hands to guarantee. This shift is foundational. It changes how we view scarcity and abundance alike. When money is low, we are not abandoned, because our source is not a paycheck or a bank account. When money is plentiful, we do not become proud, because it is not by our effort alone that we have received. In both situations, we are free to hold everything loosely, trusting in the One who provides daily bread (Matthew 6:11) and not storing up treasures on earth that will one day pass away (Matthew 6:19-20). Jesus, continuing His teaching on money, exhorts us to freedom from financial anxiety: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-
26, ESV). By crystallizing this mindset of total dependence on our Provider, our finances become a means to glorify the Giver rather than gratify selfish desires.

Contentment: A Rare Virtue in a Greedy World
We are told, from every direction, that we should want more. It is a subtle indoctrination that whispers—just one more raise, one more purchase, one more buffer in the savings account—and then, finally, we will have peace. Yet this cycle of consumption and accumulation never satisfies. If anything, it breeds a deeper hunger, a sense that no amount will ever be enough. But Scripture calls us into a life that runs counter to the current of endless striving. Paul’s words in Philippians challenge our restlessness with piercing clarity: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV). Notice what Paul emphasizes—he learned contentment. It was not his natural state and it is not ours either. But it is through dependence on Christ that this quiet assurance takes root. Contentment is less about having what you need and more about knowing that Christ is sufficient, regardless of what you lack. It is the deep-seated trust that, whether in plenty or in need, your true treasure is not something that can be deposited into an account but a relationship with the living God. How far removed this is from the world’s thinking, and yet how much more freeing! Contentment disarms the power that financial storms can have over our hearts, because we are no longer captive to the lie that “more” is what will finally bring peace. Instead, we find our peace in the unchanging faithfulness of Christ. Amid the raging storms of a financial crisis, we fix our gaze on the unshakable rock of Christ’s all-sufficiency. By embracing contentment in Him, we shine as beacons of hope to a watching world and our lives become living testimonies that true satisfaction stems not from material abundance, but from the priceless treasure of intimacy with Jesus.

The Quiet Chains of Debt
In modern life, debt is normalized and offered as the default path to acquiring what we want now, with little thought given to the long-term consequences. Debt often begins unnoticed. We justify it as a necessary step or something we will deal with later. But later does not always come, does it? The weight of debt builds quietly until it suffocates us, pulling us into a cycle that feels impossible to escape. Paul says in Romans 13:8 (ESV): “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Proverbs tells us, “the borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7, ESV). We cannot underestimate the spiritual implications of debt. It is not just about finances; it is about the heart. Debt subtly shifts our focus from trusting God as our provider to worrying about what we owe. And that worry turns into bondage, distracting us from fully serving God with the freedom He has given us in Christ. Our focus shifts from the eternal to the temporary and our hands are no longer open to God’s purposes because they are shackled by the demands of debt. This does not mean that all debt is inherently sinful, (realistically, who can purchase a home in cash?) but it does call for careful discernment. Before stepping into debt, ask yourself: Is this necessary, or is it born from impatience or discontent? Will it serve to further the Kingdom of God in my life, or will it distract me from His call? These are not easy questions, but they are vital. In His grace, even if debt has already ensnared us, God offers a path out, starting not with financial strategies, but with a heart willing to submit every area, including finances, to His care.

Living with Open Hands
We live in a world that tells us to hold tightly to what we have, to grasp at security through our possessions and savings. But Jesus calls us to something radically different. He asks us to live with open hands, trusting that our Father knows what we need before we even ask (Matthew 6:8). Holding on too tightly to material things reveals where our true security lies, and Jesus warns us of this: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, ESV). King Solomon reminded us, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered” (Proverbs 11:24-25, ESV). How can giving lead to greater richness? The answer lies in the heart of what it means to trust God. Generosity is not about waiting until we have enough, then giving out of our surplus. It is about recognizing that our giving is an act of worship, a declaration of trust in the God who provides. It is a posture of open hands, willing to release what we have, believing that our source is never depleted when we rely on the God who “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17, ESV). Generosity is also a reflection of the character of God, who “so loved the world, that He gave” (John 3:16, ESV). When we give, we reflect His heart to a watching world. To live with open hands is not about rejecting the value of money; it is about releasing the control it has over us. But this is not easy is it? Especially when the bills are piling up, and the paycheck does not seem to stretch far enough. Yet Jesus invites us into this trust, promising that He is enough. When we stop clinging to what we think we need and instead trust in His provision, we find a peace that is not tied to our bank account balance. It is about recognizing that we are stewards, not owners. When we live in this mindset, we are free to give generously, free to respond to needs without hesitation, and free to seek first the Kingdom, knowing our Father will provide (Matthew 6:33).

Dear reader, facing financial struggles can feel isolating, but God never intended us to face them alone. “Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul tells us, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, ESV). This is not a passive prayer, it is a surrender of our burdens, financial or otherwise, into the hands of the One who is able to carry them. Prayer must be our first response, not our last resort. When we bring our financial concerns to God, we experience a peace that transcends our circumstances. It does not always mean the problems are immediately solved, but it does mean we are no longer bearing the weight of them alone.

Next week, in Part 2 of Biblical Finance, we will focus on some practical steps to overcoming financial struggles with wisdom and grace.