Having healthy finances is something that helps make life easier and fulfilling.
The Bible speaks extensively about money and its correct use.
In his love, God is interested in teaching us how to have healthy finances.
We often go through more adverse economic circumstances than we might be going through and ask ourselves why?
Perhaps at some point you enjoyed robust finances, and now the landscape has changed significantly.
Maybe you enjoy healthy finances and want to keep growing in this aspect, which brought you here.
On the contrary, maybe your economy has always been a disaster, and you’d like that to change.
I’d like to share with you a possible reason why we go through financial problems and how to improve, if you want.
One of the topics that one would least expect to encounter in the Bible is the topic of personal finance.
However, it is in God’s interest that you live an abundant and healthy life in these matters as well.
For this reason, not only in the book of proverbs, but throughout the entire writing, we can find principles related to this matter.
Throughout his life and through the expression of his personality and character, Jesus also presented precious principles related to finance.
In days gone by, we reflected on the event of the multiplication of loaves and fishes.
Today’s biblical story continues in this same account.
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
| John 6:10-13
Several things I find interesting about this story.
Ask God to help you have better finances
The first is that it is not wrong to ask God to help us in our needs.
This includes physical and economic needs.
The story goes:
(…) and after giving thanks (…)
That is to say, before anything, Jesus asked and thanked the father for the blessing received.
How much more we should, don’t you think?
Sometimes we don’t receive simply because we don’t ask, we can also stop receiving for not being grateful.
To have healthy finances, we must understand that God is the one who provides for us in that area as well, and we must not be afraid to come to Him and tell Him our needs and longings.
Be a channel of blessing
On the other hand, as second learning, if you think about it, you will see the precious character of Jesus.
He didn’t ask for himself, he probably had to eat.
He did not use the blessings selfishly.
He asked to attend to the needs of others.
Does that tell us something important about how God wants to guide us to be a channel of blessing?
If we only care about ourselves, the Lord is going to have to find another channel through which to bless those in need, and believe me that’s not going to sit well with your financial health.
Well, maybe it’s not sitting well anymore, and you need to change that urgently.
The apostle Paul in scripture says:
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
| Acts 20:35
Giving is better than receiving.
To have healthy finances, the Bible teaches us that we must be willing to share with others and not just think about ourselves.
So God can entrust us with his blessings knowing that we will be wise and diligent stewards with them.
Manage financial blessings without waste or misuse
Now, the third thing I think we can learn from this story, and which I honestly find quite interesting, is this: Jesus had just done a miracle that allowed them to have unlimited food!
Unlimited!
Yes.
Unlimited!
Moreover, Jesus could at any time perform another miracle equal to or greater than this one and produce more and more food.
Then, why was he interested in saying ‘Pick up the pieces that were left over, so that nothing is lost’?
Sometimes we think that because we are going to receive more blessings in the future, we don’t have to worry about honoring the Lord with those of the present, and Jesus makes it clear that this is a mistake.
The issue was not the ease with which blessings occurred, the issue was an interest in not dishonoring God by being ungrateful and disregarding the blessing he had provided by discarding the resource provided.
How about we revisit that point in our lives?
In what ways are we discarding the blessings received?
In the story, the consumption that people made of the food produced by the miracle does not seem to be a problem either, because the biblical account expresses:
(…) and he gave them what they wanted. When they were satiated(…)
It is clear, then, that the Lord is not bothered that you enjoy with modesty the blessing he provides.
However, in order to have healthy finances, the Bible teaches us that we need to manage without waste or misuse the economic blessings we receive from God.
Do the math
A fourth element that we can learn from this story, and that I would like to introduce, even in an allegorical way, is the following:
(…) they lay down like five thousand men. (…) and with them they filled twelve baskets.
For some reason, the Lord wanted to make the numbers clear in this story and I like to think that in addition to showing his power and glory, it is also to invite us to do the math.
Yes.
Do the math.
We don’t all like numbers, I know.
But it’s important that you quantify and measure what you do with the blessings you receive.
So that we can see how God works miracles and be more effective in the way you manage your finances.
To have healthy finances, the Bible teaches us that we must be clear about our accounting.
To have budgets, to be clear on what we spend and that we waste money.
Conclusion
Before closing, it is important that we understand that our priority in life should not be money.
The Lord Jesus said:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
| Matthew 6:19-21
As Christians, we are not called to love money, but to love God above all things.
To love our neighbor as ourselves, to love our spouse, family, friends, and enemies.
While it is important to honor the Lord even with our economy, this should never be the only reason we seek Him.
On the contrary, the Lord calls us to seek Him, to love Him, and to trust that God takes care of our needs:
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
| Matthew 6:31-33
Wrapping up:
- Don’t put your love in money or seek Jesus solely as a means of getting economic blessings.
- Don’t be afraid to ask the Lord for your needs.
- Share the blessings received with others who also need it. Be a channel of blessing.
- Be grateful and honor God with the blessings you receive. Many or few. Even more so when they seem to be limitless.
- Ask the Lord for wisdom to enjoy them in ways and purposes that honor him.
- Ask the Lord for wisdom so as not to waste your money on things that do not build you but destroy you and end up being as if you threw loaves and fishes in the trash.
- And well, even if we don’t like it, let’s do accounting, even in a simple way.
What if you tell us the financial moment you’re going through or share with us some other principles of God’s economy, with which we can be edified. There are the comments.
Blessings and a hug.
