Matthew 25:24-29 – “‘Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, ‘Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.’

But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You think I’m a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn’t plant and gathering crops I didn’t cultivate? Well, you should have at least put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.’” (emphasis added)

It is a simple (and wise) investment to at least put the money we aren’t using into a savings account. In this way, it is working for us by earning interest. Don’t be tempted by fear to do nothing with your finances! This is a mistake, even something that is seen as wicked and lazy! Be a good steward of what God has blessed you with and work to make your money multiply.

You may say, ‘but I need this money to pay bills!’ And it is great that you have assigned finances to pay for upcoming bills. But, in the mean time, what is the money doing? If it is sitting in a normal account for a length of time, waiting for the bill to fall due, then it might as well be sitting in savings, earning interest.

In that regard, if you are organised, you may like to sit your bill money in a savings account until the bill falls due, and then pay it on time. It can be a relief to pay a bill early, but if you let that money instead earn you interest and then use it to pay a bill on time, then you have earned money with the finances put away to pay bills.

Investing and Managing Finances

I know of people who pay all their bills on credit card. They have the money to pay for their bills, but instead they let this sit in a savings account, earning interest for as long as possible. When the credit card falls due, they then transfer this money over to pay off the credit card. In this way, they’ve bought time and earned interest. This is only wise if you know you can consistently pay off your credit card.

At the end of the day, the interest earned in a savings account is a lot less than the interest incurred if you don’t pay your credit card on time. Consider 3% interest earned on $500 as opposed to 17% interest owed on a $500 credit card bill. On top of this, the interest owed on a credit card also accrues its own interest! Ouch.

Think of creative ways you can manage your finances so that they are earning you money before they’re used to pay for food, fuel or an upcoming bill. This is something simple you can do to increase your monthly earnings.

It is my prayer for you:

– That you will recognise the value of accruing that little bit more, consistently.
– That you will find ways to put more money in savings – even for short periods of time.
– That you will be one of those who use well what they’re given and in doing so, you will gain abundance.

Today’s prayer:

Lord I thank you that there are ways I can better manage my money to earn interest on savings, even if I can’t bring in more income through work. Help me to think outside the box so that I can bring in a greater return and in future use it for you.

Actionable ideas:

Keep the majority of your money in a savings account so that it is earning interest. Only leave in your daily account that amount which you need to cover expenses for the upcoming week. If things change, you can always transfer from the savings account into your daily account. Until then, your finances can be working for you.

*these posts are from Wealthy Christians, a 30 day devotional.  You can download it free on Smashwords.

Matthew 25:19-23 – ‘After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, ‘Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master was full of praise, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, ‘Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’’ (emphasis added)

It is important to put your knowledge into action. No action is disobedience if you know that God would have you do something.

Let’s get something straight: any money you have on this earth comes from God. He has provided it to you and He can take it away. Whilst you have it, be sure to use it wisely! If you choose to do nothing with it or even to squander it, then you are not being a wise steward of what He has entrusted to you.

Secondly, wealth is a responsibility. As we learn to invest it wisely and earn returns, God will expect us to use this money in a wise way to benefit His church and His children. With wealth comes responsibility.

Action and Knowledge

God is excited when we invest His finances wisely and earn a return – it means we have increased the value of what He’s given us! We can now do more for Him on this earth. That is a cause for celebration!

It is my prayer for you:

– That you will never forget that all the money you have comes from God.
– That you would recognise wealth as an incredible responsibility.
– That God will celebrate because of you when you invest wisely and are able to impact more for Christ on this earth.

Today’s prayer:

Lord, thank you so much for the responsibility of being wealthy. Thank you that I have the abilities and knowledge to acquire wealth over time. Help me to do this, and then to go on to bless others greatly with my finances.

Actionable ideas:

Learn to give! God will only give it to you, if He can get it through you! Make a list of ways you can give to others and act on it.

*these posts are from Wealthy Christians, a 30 day devotional.  You can download it free on Smashwords.

Matthew 25:16-18 – ‘The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping.’ (emphasis added).

The best time to start investing is 10 years ago. The best time you can invest for your future is now. The servants with their bags of gold show the results of their actions. For the one who was scared of losing the money, he hid it in the ground… and ultimately, it was taken from him.

For the two who were given five and two bags of gold each, they wasted no time in investing the money. They couldn’t make it work fast enough! This should be your attitude with your savings. If you read through the whole parable in Matthew 25, the master returns and is pleased with the two who invested and doubled their efforts. For the servant who hid his money in the ground, the master asks him why he didn’t at least put the money in the bank where it would earn interest.

Investing

Would he ask the same of you? God has entrusted some money into your care. It’s up to you what you do with it. If you want to be a good steward of what He’s blessed you with, then wherever possible, make sure your money is working for you. The easiest way to do this is with a savings account or a term deposit. If you’re willing to take a little more risk, then you can look at other investment opportunities that will offer a greater return.

It is my prayer for you:

– That you will recognise the importance of investing finances – for yourself, your family and ultimately God’s kingdom.
– That you will be motivated to research potential investment opportunities for your savings whilst they are currently earning interest in a savings account.
– That you will desire to be one of the two servants who immediately got to work investing, rather than be led by fear and bury money where it won’t bring a return.

Today’s prayer:

Lord I thank you that you have entrusted money to me. Help me to be guided by you with regards to investing it wisely so that it can generate a return and ultimately be used for You.

Actionable ideas:

Take a look at your bills for the past year. Some annual bills like car registrations and home insurance are cheaper to pay in full, rather than in smaller more frequent amounts. Save in anticipation of these bills – they shouldn’t be a surprise! In doing so, you’ll save yourself money over the longer term to invest elsewhere.

*these posts are from Wealthy Christians, a 30 day devotional.  You can download it free on Smashwords.