FINANCIAL OR ECONOMIC HEALTH IN MARRIAGES

Some people who have studied marriage but not under biblical principles
have determined that the three great conflicts in marriage are: sex,
parenting and money.
The question is why do husbands and wives fight about money? How can
we avoid fighting over money and learn to make the financial area of our
marriage a joy and not a burden?
That's a little bit of what we want to reflect on today, as we consider the
topic of marriage. onium and money.
What should we know?
Money is a spiritual matter:
In a materialistic society, we can sometimes worry about money and its
common issues.
How much do we invest? Can Christians have debts? If we are allowed
to have debt, how much is too much?

What we don't want to do is a division or a separation between the

money and the spiritual side.
The financial or economic side is thought to be a practical and
reasonable matter but not necessarily biblical.
But in light of God's word our entire life must be under the sovereignty
of God, including our finances.

Furthermore Jesus states in Matthew 6:24. To understand it we must

know the term “serve” connotes someone being a slave to someone or
something.
A disciple of Christ cannot have two loyalties.
Money cannot and should not be the master of a believer. Only God is
served.
God is first in all things, which means that our Christian priorities
should guide and influence our money management.
 How to manage money is essentially a spiritual matter.
Money must be used for personal and kingdom sanctification purposes
or it can be a burden and obstacle to our relationship with God.
As husbands and fathers we are responsible for providing for our
families, so we need to have a certain level of security, planning,
investing and saving in the world. But the challenge is not to put our
ultimate hope and security in these things. As the word of God says in
Proverbs 11:28 “he who trusts in riches will fall.” Paul also writes to
Timothy in 1 ti. 6:17-18. Instead of trusting in riches, which is uncertain,
we need to put our hope in God, who “richly gives us all things for our
enjoyment.”

Let's consider having a family budget

We ask what do you value? Money in itself is nothing. Money is an
indicator of value. So when we fight about our money, we fight about
what we value.

Where are these values learned? You learn from different places:
family, church, education, etc.

Practical examples: some like to buy what they want, others what they
really need. Some plan their expenses, others don't just spend without
first making a budget.

What would be the solution to this reality of learned family patterns?

The first thing is to create a set of values, a system of common values.
Husband and wife need to operate in mutual agreement on financial values.
The question would be: how can they obtain a common value system?
Establishing a family budget.
When setting a family budget, your intuitive values are examined,
questioned and agreed upon. When a husband and wife work and form a
budget together, you answer the question: What do we value each other?
Your family budget is a primary way to give expression to what is important
to both of you.
The second thing: let's remember one of the objectives of marriage is to be:
ONE FLESH. Ge. 2:24. , which we said is synonymous with union, harmony
and unity.
One way a husband and wife find harmony and unity in marriage is by
considering a harmony of understanding.
Having a budget is creating a mutual agreement on a set of values that
guide your savings and spending habits in marriage. A budget, properly
managed, can promote unity and harmony within a marriage.
Is the budget a tool or a weapon?
A family budget is not intended to be a weapon to do our will or hurt your
spouse.
For self-protection (it may be that you lose your job or leave me or divorce,
etc.) or to be in control (for your own pleasures and deny the wife or
husband to harm you).
If a budget is not meant to be a weapon then what should it be? There are
four ways the family budget can be a tool to strengthen your marriage and
family.
1. The family budget is a tool to build trust in a marriage.
Luke 14:28-30.
2. The family budget is a tool for communication within marriage.
If there is a budget, the couple needs to communicate regularly with
each other about family finances.
3. A family budget is a tool for saving and managing debt
- Savings tool:
 Proverbs 21:20 “The wise have riches and luxury, but fools spend
everything they can.”
They get". Pr. 6:6-8 You lazy person, learn a lesson from the ants.
Learn from what they do and become wise! Even though they have no
prince or governor or leader to make them work, they work hard all
summer, gathering food for the winter.
As someone said regarding finances, “lack of planning invites poverty.”

- Debt management tool:

We are prone to getting into debt, in our culture it is something very
common.
However, the Bible clearly tells us specifically that there are
Christians who are slaves to debt. Proverbs 22:7 “Just as the rich
rule over the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.”
Debt in itself does not seem like a sin.
You have to make a difference in debts:
1. Responsible debt , that is, when you have accumulated a debt
usually to pay it responsibly over time. Ex. Education, a necessity
at home.
2. Irresponsible debt , that is, accumulating credit card debt with
high interest rates, or taking out mortgage loans or to buy
unnecessary things which you cannot responsibly pay because
your income does not really cover the loan.

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES TO HAVE FINANCIAL HEALTH IN

MARRIAGE

1- Haggai 2:8: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of
hosts.” Understanding that God is the owner and Lord of everything
created, and specifically of gold and silver, which the Haggai verse
speaks of, we see that we are not owners, but rather stewards or
administrators of what God provides for our home.
2- Hebrews 13:5: “Let your habits be without covetousness, content with
what you have now; for he said, “I will not forsake you, nor forsake
you.” It is very easy to turn money into a god, and idols lead homes to
decay; Therefore we must give it its rightful place and understand that
God, as Father, gives us the promise of never abandoning us.
3- Ephesians 6:5-9: “Servants, obey your earthly masters with fear and
trembling, in simplicity of heart, as Christ; not serving the eye, like
those who want to please men, but as servants of Christ, from the
heart doing the will of God; serving with good will, as the Lord and not
men, knowing that the good that each one does, that will be received
from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the
same with them, leaving behind threats, knowing that their Lord and
yours is in heaven, and that with him there is no partiality.”
God teaches us that we must work for man as if we worked for God,
not wanting to please man but God.
Work is a blessing from God and we must do it for God.

4- Proverbs 22:7: “The rich lord it over the poor, and the borrower is
servant to the lender.”
When we have debts we become slaves to our creditors. God wants
us free and for this reason we must pay our debts.
5- Proverbs 21:20: “There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the
wise; But a foolish man swallows it up."
“The wise have riches and luxuries, but the fools spend everything
they have.”
They get".
This verse tells us about the importance of savings.
6- Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the
firstfruits of all your fruits; and your barns will be filled with plenty, your
winepresses will overflow with new wine.”
We must give our tithe and offering, God blesses obedience and also
promises provision for our home.