All of us have questions about the will of God in our lives—whom should I marry, what school should I go to, how should I raise my children, etc.? Hopefully, those questions stem from an earnest desire to please God in every aspect of our lives. Of course, oftentimes, God doesn’t give us direct answers to those questions, but calls us to live out Biblical principles that can apply to every situation—also known as wisdom. When it comes to our finances, God gives us both direct injunctions as well as general principles that help to guide us in using money according to His will. The first and foremost principle, without which none of the others is genuinely possible, is to simply, and radically, recognize that your money is not your money. It all belongs to God.
“The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” (Psalm 24:1)
“Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.” (1Ch.29:12-14)
“What do you have that you did not receive?” (2 Cor.4:7)
In other words, these verses, and many others throughout the Bible, affirm that God created all things, rules over all things, and owns all things. Everything that we have flows out of His abundance. The more we recognize this fact and embrace it, the more we will assess how we use our money. We will see our money as a resource we can use for His kingdom purposes before our own desires.
