Building Strong Financially

Proverbs 27:23–27 NKJV

23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; 24 For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. 25 When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, 26 The lambs will provide your clothing, And the goats the price of a field; 27 You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, For the food of your household, And the nourishment of your maidservants.

I want to talk to you today about building a strong foundation in your finances.

If you turn to the news, you are no stranger to the constant barrage of messages that speak of economic pressure and supply chain woes. And according to experts we are facing some hard times ahead.

And, as Christians, we understand that everyone will give an account to God for their lives and how they managed the gifts of God for their good and His glory (1 Peter 4:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 9:27).

All of these things, of course, can bring anxiety and worry about how we are going to take care of ourselves and our families and our futures, much less how we can bless others and walk in generosity.

To begin to develop confidence in our financial future, we need to adjust our approach to finances and wealth through understanding and applying biblical principles.

And when we do this, we can discover a life of contentment in all things and have a sense of financial peace (Philippians 4:11).

Controlling What We Can Control

There is so much out of our control. The economy is complex and affected by so many variables. And we have seen that as much as they try the government has not been able to solve our economic problems. Trusting in government programs, get-rich-quick schemes, or even just working harder is not going to work to put us on stable footing.

We need to approach wealth God’s way and build our finances on proven biblical principles.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

God is the one who gives the strength and ability to obtain wealth so if we will follow His word and His way we will succeed.

Proverbs 10:22 NKJV

The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

Building Wealth God’s Way

When we build wealth God’s way we will find blessing without guilt or shame. We will discover that we have more than enough for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).

We can get started building a strong financial life by focusing on three key ideas.

Stewardship

Psalm 50:12 NKJV

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

The first big idea when it comes to building financially is remembering that God owns it all. The earth and everything in it belongs to Him (Psalm 24:1).

He gives us power to get wealth and we are managers or stewards of that wealth to use in such a way as to bring God glory.

Jesus spoke about building with the end in mind by counting the cost so that it could be completed (Luke 14:28). In order to build well we need to understand that we are not building only for ourselves.

We are not owners but stewards. And successful stewards are those who have been found faithful in managing what they have been given (1 Corinthians 4:2).

If you are going to build strong financially you need to recognize that wealth is a tool that you manage not something to serve.

Matthew 6:24 NKJV

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Illustration: Being trusted with someone else’s valuables.

When you begin approaching money as a tool that you steward and not as something you possess you will find that it doesn’t drive you and the decisions and choices you make.

Storehouses

The second key area of building strong financially revolves around the storehouse. Specifically, there are two important storehouses we need to focus on.

Malachi 3:10 NKJV

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.

The first storehouse that we have to acknowledge is God’s storehouse. God’s storehouse is the house where He is worshipped. Historically it was the Tabernacle, and then the Temple, and now it is the church.

Deuteronomy 28:8 NKJV

“The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

The second storehouse is your own. In biblical times it would be the place where grain would be stored. In our times, this would be represented by a bank account or even a safe in our home. It is a place where we store our valuables.

Put God first. Honor Him with your giving. Bring all the tithe into the storehouse and He then commands the blessing on yours.

In order for you to receive the blessing on your storehouse you have to have one.

Do you have a storehouse? Are you saving money or are you spending everything? Are you giving or are you borrowing (Proverbs 22:7)?

Put God first by returning the tithe and honoring Him with the finances He has given you. But then put yourself in position to prosper by having a storehouse and sowing into yourself and your family’s future.

Remember that Joseph leveraged the storehouses of Egypt to provide for the nation, and his family, in the face of famine (Genesis 41:25-36). This not only led to provision for his family as well as investment opportunities (property).

Putting God first is what every Christian does. Putting God first financially is simply an extension of that.

After that, it is important that we position ourselves for success by establishing and giving into our own storehouse. Have some resources for future use or as a buffer from lack or opportunity for investment.

Illustration: Honoring God, being blessed and provided for

Strategy

The last area we need to focus on when it comes to building strong financially is strategy.

Proverbs 24:3–4 NKJV

Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

We need to be intentional and have a plan when it comes to our finances.

Another word for financial plan is budget.

I recommend a zero-based budget. Honor God, emergency fund, meet needs, attack debt, build savings, invest in future, enjoy.

Illustration: FPU; fast food; A/C

Proverbs 21:5 NKJV

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

Have a plan to prosper. Honor God. Don’t spend more than you earn. Save money. Invest. Position yourself for plenty.

Conclusion

By focusing on these three areas your feelings about money will begin to change. Money won’t be something we chase or something that makes us anxious but a tool we use to prosper.

By choosing to approach money according to God’s way we will begin to prosper in new ways and experience contentment and blessing.

Remember that we are stewards of the wealth that God puts into our hands.

Make sure that you honor God at His storehouse and you position yourself for blessing in your own storehouse.

And then develop a strategy for financial success. Plan to prosper by aligning yourself with God’s word as it relates to how you manage your finances.

As you do these things you will come to know what it means to be blessed and to abound. As you are blessed you will be in position to be a blessing to others and leave an inheritance for your family (Genesis 12:2, Proverbs 13:22).