Written by Bob Barber
Biblical Financial Principles are timeless, true, and transcendent. I’ve never met anyone who has been harmed by following them, but I have seen the financial destruction of many who haven’t.
With over 2000 scriptures on biblical stewardship, picking only 10 subjects to cover in this month’s newsletter is challenging. But, from my experience of teaching Biblical Financial Principles for over 30 years, here are some of the best ones.
Biblical Financial Principle #6 – Paying Taxes Fairly
Matthew 22:19-21 “’Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’”
We should never cheat by taking cash for services and not reporting it as income. Paying taxes is a part of God’s provision.
Biblical Financial Principle #7 – Honesty
Proverbs 10:9 “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”
Exodus 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
Just one dishonest act always requires another dishonest act. Just one lie requires another lie to try and cover it up. Never get caught in the vicious cycle of dishonesty and lies that can destroy you. It’s always eventually exposed.
Biblical Financial Principle #8 – Freedom from Coveting
Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Someone will always have more, and comparing brings frustration, disappointment, sadness, and misery. Learn to be content with the things you have, NOT with what you don’t have.
Biblical Financial Principle #9 – Freedom From Hoarding
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
A life built on constantly accumulating more things will never find contentment. A question to ponder throughout life is, “How much is enough”? If the answer is always “just a little bit more” it will never be enough.
Biblical Financial Principle #10 – Investing With Wisdom and Integrity
Ecclesiastes 11:2 “Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.”
2 Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’”
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
God greatly cares about how we invest HIS RESOURCES and requires us to do so with wisdom, diversification, integrity, purity, and freedom from the love of money and returns at any cost. We should never invest God’s money to support companies that we knowingly violate biblical principles, no matter what the return is. 1 Timothy 6:10 indeed warns us of the love of returns and greed