Christian money management is a way of handling money that is designed to focus on God’s glory

and purposes.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ… (Philippians 1:27)

Christian money management is more comprehensive than how you invest your assets or staying out
of debt. It’s about how you think about and handle all of the money that flows through your hands.
Christian money management involves a thought process that results in capturing all of the financial
decisions you make so you can live a life that aligns with God’s purpose for you and is worthy of the
gospel. So, here are four elements you should consider:

1. Develop a money management mission statement

Many stumble through life and simply react to their circumstances. They make money decisions as
needs or wants show up, and they have no real guidelines or overarching plan. So, how might biblical
money management look at this differently? Well, if your heart’s purpose is to glorify God as you
follow Jesus in everything (living a life worthy of the gospel), the way you think about and handle
money will reflect that. And this will involve discipline and not always taking the easiest path – like
using debt – as we move forward.

So, the first step is to think through what your money-life should look like as you keep Jesus first. This
first step should involve writing down your mission and convictions (what you will and what you
won’t do). It might look something like this:

GENERAL MISSION – I desire, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to live my life focused on Jesus. I
want to be a true disciple that cares about what Jesus cares about. I want to live a selfless life of faith
and mission – a life worthy of the gospel.

FINANCIAL MISSION – I will, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, be a steward of the money God has
entrusted to me. My finances will reflect my faith in Jesus and a commitment to his mission of saving
the lost. I will Invest in heavenly riches that do not fade away (Matt 6:20)

SPECIFIC FINANCIAL AFFIRMATIONS – Here are six biblical principals or values that can connect
directly to Christian money management:
All things – including money – are from God and to be used for God’s purposes and glory (Romans
11:36).

The best and smartest investment I can make is eternal (permanent) (Matt 6:20).

Greed is idolatry (Eph 5:5).

God will give me all I need (Phil 4:19).

I can be content with whatever God gives me because he will never leave me (Heb 13:5).

Happiness is to be found in fellowship with God and not in money (Ps 16:11; Ps 144:15)

For more info on developing a mission statement, you can read our article HERE.

2. In light of your mission, prayerfully work through your priorities

The priorities we embrace is a defining issue. What we want determines where our money goes.
When we have complicated, critical, and often conflicting decisions to make, we must be careful. And
since for most of us there are more needs and wants than there is money, this can present real
danger. If we’re not thinking with clarity, we will likely make bad decisions that could have long-term
impact.

A Christian money management plan will help you align with God's priorities.

Often the timing of these commitments can create stress. For example, while it seems as though we
can afford that new house or that car, we might fail to anticipate the increased expenses that an
arriving child or college costs might bring. Things like housing, transportation, giving, college costs,
retirement, vacations, Christmas, and all-things-children become essential to think about as we
develop our money management agenda.

Intentionally thinking through our priorities can help us understand what’s coming, and it can inform
the way we prioritize our spending. Most folks will work through this along with a general
understanding of their financial capabilities.

Here’s another article on Christian financial priorities

3. Create/Analyze your budget

A budget not only helps us understand how much money is coming in and where it’s going, it also
helps us make spending decisions. When we have this down on “paper” we can better understand it,
communicate it, and make changes. While the thought of budgeting can create stress, this critical if
we are going to have a financial structure that compels us to think about our choices.

If you’re a detailed person, you might love budgeting, but most people don’t. The good news is that
it doesn’t need to be laborious or complicated or time-consuming. While some folks love the detail,
most do not – I don’t. I don’t want to spend hours accounting for each expense. So, for many, it’s
essential to have an easy way to approach budgeting (see our method and video HERE).

4. Create action steps

Specific action steps can be far-reaching, difficult and faith dependent. Essential things to address
might be simplifying your lifestyle, eliminating consumer debt, reducing insurance costs, reducing
the entertainment/eating out expense, and creating a reserve.

Here’s an article you might like called Learning Money Management from Jesus.

Questions about Christian money management

Is Christian money management about investing?

Yes and no. While your management plan should include how you invest your money, that is just a
small element. Biblical money management contains all aspects that determine your financial
decisions. When we constrict biblical money management to investment decisions we leave critical
financial choices up for grabs.

How do I manage money when everything is changing?

While it’s true that our lives and our spending dynamics can change regularly, it’s essential to review
our money management plan frequently. By making many small adjustments (and sometimes big
adjustments) we can keep moving in the right direction.

What is the foundation of Christian money management?

The foundation for everyone (Christian or not) is the priorities you are moving toward. Money
management doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There is always an overriding goal and purpose. Make
sure you write this out clearly – what you want and why. Here’s our article on a personal mission
statement.
How do I balance all of this?

Making the many changing decisions in front of us is not about balance. It’s not about doing a little
bit of everything and hoping you will get where you want to go. It’s all about following Jesus in our
money choices. We must pray for guidance and guard against serving money.

How does a budget fit into this?

While budgeting is not the only tool in a money management toolkit, it is very important. See our
article and video on a simple budgeting method.

Verses about money are often consulted when we are trying to answer questions about money.
Those verses, however, are not the most important. Having a heart to handle money the way we
should will only make sense if we believe the foundation on which those verses stand. In fact, if our
foundation is reliable many of the answers to our money questions become self-evident. So, here are
five principals and foundation-verses that can help us think about money.

Live for Jesus, not self

…[Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for
their sake died and was raised. – 2 Cor 5:15

For all believers, Jesus’ victory at the cross was and is our victory. In his death we have died to the
penalty and power of sin (in significant part, sin is the focus on self) and can now live for Jesus.
Through him we have been forgiven and have been put on a new, everything-for-the-King, path.

The Money Application – We all live with purpose. The question is, what is my purpose? Our money-
decisions must move away from a focus on self to a focus on Jesus and his glory. It’s been my
experience that this is one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life – thinking about money-
decisions with God’s glory as primary.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Cor 10:31,

…everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. –
Isaiah 43:7
…so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God; – Colossians 1:10

Love your neighbor

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. – Matt 22:39

As we move our focus away from ourselves and onto Jesus, we will also find a call to love others
sacrificially – like Jesus loved us. While we must care for believers (Jn 13:35; 1 Jn 3:4, 5:2-3), it’s clear
that we should also love those who don’t believe (Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27; Rm 13:9).

This was the big lesson for the religious leaders of Jesus’ day in his parable of the Good Samaritan
(Luke 10:25-38). The Samaritan made a real and ongoing commitment – money included – to
someone in need. And then, Jesus told the religious leaders to go and do likewise. This call to
generosity is a massive change. This is what Jesus did, and this is what his disciples do.

The Money Application – Loving others as we love ourselves will have an impact on our wealth. If we
live as disciples, caring for others will be tied to our purpose and not be a burdensome obligation.
Greed should vanish because life is about God and others, and not about hoarding for ourselves.

…give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will
be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. – Luke 6:38

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, – 1 Timothy 6:18

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him,
how does God’s love abide in him? – 1 John 3:17

(Also see Ps 112:5, 112:9; Prov 19:17, 21:13, 22:9, 28:27; Luke 12:33; Acts 20:35; Heb 12:16; 2 Cor
9:11)

Here’s an article about loving your neighbor

Don’t be distracted

No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. – 2
Timothy 2:4
Our salvation means a complete reorientation. This is difficult because we are immersed in a broken
world with a life-system that is addicting and leads to death. Through the leading and power of the
Holy Spirit, our call is to turn around, focus, and not be distracted. We are to live as Jesus lived.

It’s easy to fill up our lives with so many things that we’re distracted from the mission. And all those
things have a massive ongoing cost – time, emotional reserve, money, etc. In a very real way, our
need/desire toward materialism displays our priorities and our spiritual condition.

The Money Application – Materialism is a central component of the great deception and money
connects to most of this worlds temptations that are so attractive. Sex, status, power, pleasure, toys,
and more can either be acquired with money or enhanced by money.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. – 1 John 2:15

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry. – Col 3:5

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. – Col 3:2

(Also see Matt 6:25; Mark 4:19; Ps 119:37)

Here’s an article about living a focused lifestyle

Grow the Kingdom

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I
am with you always, to the end of the age. – Matthew 28:19–20

Being rescued by King Jesus naturally leads to the important work of sharing the good news with
others. While we should always be looking to share the gospel personally, there are many important
ways to do this. We need to translate the Bible into many languages so everyone can read it, train
church leaders, support missionaries, etc.
The Money Application – If we are to take Kingdom-growing seriously, it will take more than verses
about money. Global evangelism and equipping leaders must be our heartbeat. And, if we believe
we’re called to spread the truth of the gospel, we’ll invest there.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray
earnestly TO the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” – Matthew 9:37–38

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may
bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” – Acts 13:47

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” – Mark
16:15

(Also see Psalm 105:1; Isaiah 12:4; Ezekiel 38:23; Malachi 1:11; John 15:8)

Live by faith

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. –
Galatians 2:20

Paul said that the life he lives he lives by faith in Jesus. That’s something easily said but difficult to do.
Living by faith means that we continually trust in and act on all that Jesus promised and
accomplished for us. This means we take every thought captive in order to make it obey Christ (2 Cor
10:5).

On the cross, Jesus made you a child of God. In that he gave Jesus to absorb the judgment that we
deserve, will he not be everything for you (Rom 8:32)? Of course he will. You can trust him. Set aside
earthly ambition and dedicate yourself to King and Kingdom.

The Money Application – Those who live by faith will not be living the ordinary life. It will be a life of
fellowship with God, fighting sin, and pursuing Kingdom work. How we view money will be different
for us as well. We will see our money as a gift to be aligned with God’s vision.

…for we walk by faith, not by sight. – 2 Corinthians 5:7

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has
overcome the world—our faith. – 1 John 5:4
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall
live by faith.” – Romans 1:17

(also see Mark 10:52; Phil 4:19; 1 Tim 6:12; Heb 11:8)

So, there are many core and vital principals that will guide us as we think about money:

Live for Jesus, not for self

Love your neighbor

Don’t be distracted

Grow the Kingdom

Live by faith