It was a sunny Saturday morning when John woke up, stretched, and smiled. He glanced at the calendar on his bedroom wall. February 24, 2024.
A red circle marked the special date – the 5th anniversary since he achieved financial freedom.
John looked back on the long journey it took to get there. He grew up in a family that struggled to make ends meet.
They always seemed to live paycheck to paycheck. He vowed early on that financial freedom would be his goal.
After college, John found a decent job but still found himself drowning in debt. He knew something had to change for him to live the life he dreamed of. That’s when he discovered biblical principles of management and stewardship.
Applying these timeless keys completely transformed his finances. Within a few short years, he was out of debt and his income started to far surpass his expenses.
For John, financial freedom meant having passive income streams to cover all of his needs.
Now he spent his days giving back and helping others work toward financial freedom. The biblical principles he learned put him on the path and he was committed to paying it forward.
As John got up to start his day, he whispered a prayer of thanks for the blessings along the journey.
God’s Purpose in Creating Mankind Was Management
In the creation story, God did not allow anything to grow or progress on the earth at first.
Why? Because there were no humans around yet to cultivate and manage the planet as stewards.
Genesis 2:5 says, “There was no man to work the ground”.
“When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground.”
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Work translates the Hebrew word ‘abad’ which means to serve, labor, and cultivate.
God was waiting for a manager before launching growth and development on the earth.
Management of resources is the primary reason God created us. We are called first and foremost to be faithful stewards, delegated to multiply what God provides.
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Genesis 1:28 (NLT)
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Tithing and offerings were instituted by God to train us in management, not provide money to Him.
God already owns everything on earth, He doesn’t need your paltry ten percent.
Tithing builds the muscles of accountability, self-control, diligence, and honesty in handling resources. It prepares you for greater responsibility.
Are you being developed into a Kingdom manager through your giving and stewardship? Or do you still view tithing as just funding the church budget?
Management Attracts Resources
The Book of Proverbs teaches:
“Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow”
Proverbs 13:11 (NIV)
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The diligent and disciplined accumulate wealth through steady savings and wise investing.
We want God to drop bundles of cash into our laps but more often He provides ideas and opportunities to manage, not instant money.
You have to take those ideas and run with them using wise administration and stewardship. Release your inner manager and watch resources multiply.
Financial freedom comes from consistently investing portions of income into savings accounts, mutual funds, stocks, real estate, and retirement plans.
Building an emergency fund and avoiding debt through frugal budgeting leads to financial independence.
Rather than chasing get-rich-quick schemes, implement proven strategies of spending less and saving more.
Compound interest builds substantial investment portfolios over time through faithful stewardship of finances.
Be Faithful in Small Things
Jesus told the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 to illustrate that we must be faithful with a few small resources before God entrusts us with more.
The servant who buried his talent and didn’t invest was called wicked and useless. Don’t be like him!
Manage little resources wisely first. Pay your tithes on that minimum wage job. Save $20 a week while you’re a poor college student.
God watches your stewardship before unlocking the vaults of heaven.
Treat your employer’s property and time as if it’s your own. Give your company full energy and don’t waste supplies or tools.
This attitude seeds a future harvest where God grants you your own property and business.
Maximize and value the little that you have now through diligent administration. Then you’ll qualify for the promotion to far greater things.
Learn Management from Successful Worldly People
Though zealous in faith, Christians often lack practical application and wisdom compared to secular professionals.
Jesus essentially said, “Worldly people are smarter than you in applying management principles” (Luke 16:8). Ouch!
“And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.”
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Here’s the advice Christ gave:
“Go and make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”
Luke 16:9 (ESV)
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Make friends with financially savvy unbelievers to discover their management secrets!
Observe how executives invest. Learn from wealthy entrepreneurs. Rub shoulders with wise business professionals.
Gain worldly wealth using biblical wisdom. Then channel that overflow to gain eternal rewards.
Crisis Exposes Good and Bad Managers
Hard times reveal who really has the Midas touch when managing money and assets.
Storms separate the wise builder whose house stands from the foolish one whose collapses.
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)
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Those who prepare through proper management prosper in times of crisis.
Generating multiple income streams, avoiding debt, living below your means, and saving for a rainy day pays off hugely.
On the other hand, hardship exposes negligent and wasteful stewards.
If foundations weren’t laid through discipline, the winds and waves would be your undoing. Don’t get caught unprepared!
Build your financial house on the rock of biblical management principles. Then you’ll weather any storm and come out better on the other side.
Key Takeaways
- God is looking for faithful managers. Develop stewardship capacities.
- Management develops through small acts of diligence and consistency. Master the little things.
- Learn profitable strategies from world-class businesspeople. Humbly apply insights.
- Hard times reward the prepared. Live below your means and store up savings.
- Ideas must be managed well to bear fruit. Execute and administer plans wisely.
In Summary
God cares immensely about how we manage and steward the resources He blesses us with.
Apply these biblical keys to financial management and watch your harvest multiply exponentially.
Let excellence and diligence in small matters open the door to greater influence, and upgrade your money mindsets and skills continuously.
Model the best strategies from those wise in business.
And always remember – true wealth consists of having enough to generously share with others. Manage with a spirit of open-handedness.
God will fill your storehouses to overflowing as He finds you faithful!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does the Bible teach about financial management?
A. The Bible contains many principles for managing money and resources wisely.
Concepts like tithing, avoiding debt, working diligently, and generous giving train us to become skilled stewards.
Applying biblical financial wisdom leads to prosperity.
Q. Why do many Christians struggle financially?
A. Christians often prioritize worship and knowledge of scripture but lack the application of biblical management principles.
Stewarding resources wisely takes sacrifice and discipline many avoid. Simply trusting God to provide won’t pay the bills. Actively managing finances is essential.
Q. What financial habits can help me gain financial freedom?
A. To achieve financial independence, make a budget and stick to it, spend less than you earn, build an emergency fund, consistently save and invest money, limit the use of credit cards, and diversify income streams.
Living frugally and below your means is key to gaining financial freedom long term.
Q. How can I improve my money management skills?
A. Read books and take courses on personal finance, work with a financial advisor, start budgeting and tracking all expenses, automate saving and bill payments, avoid unnecessary impulse purchases, pay down high-interest debt, and audit how you currently spend money to cut waste.
Build new money management habits over time.
Q. Why is investing important?
A. Investing allows your money to grow through compound interest over many years into a substantial sum. The earlier you start investing, the more time your money has to grow.
Regularly investing even small amounts toward retirement in mutual funds and the stock market helps achieve financial independence through passive income.
