Proverbs 28:11 – ‘A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.’

There will come a time where your financial situation leaves you feeling content and comfortable. You have no debt, you have ample savings, you’re able to give regularly and you’re prepared for your children’s education. In this situation, it can be easy to get proud. After all, you’ve achieved this wonderful financial situation via your own means, right? Wrong!

All opportunities to earn and save come from God. He blesses you with skills – you’re expected to be a good steward and use them wisely as well as develop them over time. He blesses you with opportunities to work and earn – you’re expected to take them. He provides you with more than enough so that you can save and invest.

Never forget where your wealth comes from. Being prideful is a trick of the devil.

Humility and Riches

In your whole financial life, be sure to approach it with humility. Always be thankful about what God has blessed you with and never forget Job – he was incredibly wealthy and he lost it all in the blink of an eye. Whether rich or poor right now we need to be thankful for God’s provision and the fact that he’s watching over us.

Don’t let finances increase the way you see yourself. Let God’s view of you be your compass, not earthly possessions.

If you feel you’re getting too big for your boots, challenge yourself to give some of it away. David as king refused to be given something for free that he wanted to offer to God. He insisted on paying for it – it had to cost him. Likewise, if you give out of your abundance but it’s an amount so mediocre in comparison to the total sum, then what does this say of your generosity? Stay humble and give – even until it hurts.

It’s all God’s anyway.

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will always be thankful for any income that comes your way and the opportunity to bless others with a small portion.
• That you will always recognise your great worth in the eyes of your Creator.
• That the more you earn, the more you will seek to be humble and wise with your finances.

Today’s prayer:
Lord I thank you that you have blessed me not only with the opportunity to earn, but to save as well. As my finances grow to the point that I am feeling comfortable and satisfied, help me not to forget who made all of this possible – You.

Actionable ideas:

Are you paying off a debt – mortgage, car or otherwise? Make sure your repayments are as often as possible – weekly or fortnightly. The more often you make repayments, the quicker you are decreasing the amount you owe someone else and the interest earned on this.

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

Malachi 3:10 – ‘”Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord who rules over all, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all.”’

By now you should have a good picture of what your income looks like. You’ve set up a savings plan. You’ve also looked at your finances in greater detail – you know how much is coming in and how much is going out – and if adjustments need to be made.

As you consider your finances, I want to introduce the concept of the 80 / 20 rule.

That is, live on 80% of what you earn and use the other 20% to give to God and prepare for your future. Plan to give at least a tithe (10%) to your local church and save at least another 10%. If you can live on less, then give and save more!

As a first step, determine what 80% of your take home income is (after tax). Now ask yourself: can I live on this?

If you aren’t currently, but you know you can make it work, then do so! If you cannot meet your needs and service your debts, then it’s time to consider how much you need to earn, to be able to live on 80%. Once you’ve determined this figure, it’s time to work out how you can earn this extra amount! Don’t conclude that you can just give less and save less, this isn’t a wise decision.

The 80/20 Rule

On top of this, God’s word asks that we be obedient to giving back to Him. He even makes a promise that if we are obedient in this, then we will be blessed beyond measure! Read again Malachi 3:10.

The big idea of being a Wealthy Christian is to be able to live life generously. You don’t have to worry about your income because you know it is supporting your lifestyle and then some. You instead get to ‘worry’ about how you can best use it to bless others!

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will find a way to live on 80% or less of your income so that you can give and save regularly.
• That you will be obedient to God’s desire for you to tithe and watch this bless your local church.
• That you will be excited about testing God in His provision after you’re obedient to tithing.

Today’s prayer:

Lord I thank you that you have promised to abundantly provide for me, if only I’ll give a little of what you’ve first blessed me with. Help me to be eager to give into Your Kingdom.

Actionable ideas:

De-clutter. Go through your house (with your spouse if you have one) and find items that you haven’t used in the last 12 months. Decide (together) if you really need them or if they can be given to someone who you know would benefit from them – a church member perhaps – or to an opportunity shop. If they’re not being used by you, they could benefit someone else.

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

Deuteronomy 8:18 – ‘You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth…’

Do you know the statistics of the wealthiest people alive? Are you aware that a person who earns in excess of $32,400 USD ($623 per week) is within the top 1% of income earners on this earth? In fact, according to Oxfam, the top 1% of income earners holds 48% of the world’s wealth. Nearly half!

Consider people who are in the other 99%. The vast majority of people on this earth earn and must live on less than $32,400 a year. Now this figure may be desirable to you – that’s ok! Or perhaps it’s a lot less than you’re used to living on. There’s a challenge to consider!

As you consider your desire to earn more, think about why you want this. As you earn more, you learn to spend more. Don’t be fooled into thinking, ‘if only I earned X amount per week, then I’d be able to save…’.

The key to saving is not earning more; it is instead learning to live on less than you earn. Once you have this established, if in the future you are blessed to earn more, then you can save even more! Your saving isn’t because of the increased earnings, but because you’ve disciplined yourself to make your budget work.

Remember there will always be people who earn more than you. And there will always be people with less money than you. This is irrelevant when it comes to your money, budget and saving. Be thankful for the amount you bring in and work hard to develop a viable budget.

The Bigger Picture

If you’re in that top 1% however, then recognise the blessing God has bestowed on you and make it a priority to help those who aren’t.

Set some priorities right now: give to God’s house, save as much as you can, live on as little as you can, reduce any debts you may have.

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will be able to look at your earnings and recognise how truly blessed you are.
• You will be further motivated to adjust your budget and make it work so that you can live, give and save.
• That you will see the bigger picture in regards to income around the world.

Today’s prayer:

Lord I thank you that you have blessed me with an income. I thank you that it is so much more than some people are forced to live on. I pray that you would help me to be a good steward with the money I bring in; help me to stretch it so that it not only provides for me, but is able to be used in building Your Kingdom, too.

Actionable ideas:

Pray to God about your financial situation regularly. Pray for Him to guide you on your giving, how much to save and ways to invest your finances.

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

Proverbs 22:9 – ‘A generous person will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.’

It is my firm belief that God will get it to you if he can get it through you. He will give it to you if you will use it for Him.

God places importance on being generous. Whenever it is possible, we should be generous. We should give of our time, our finances, kind words, and our food.

Wealthy Christians need to have a great grasp of the concept of blessing others.

They need to recognise opportunities to bless a fellow Christian or a complete stranger. And then they need to act on it.

As you are able to generate wealth, your desire to bless others shouldn’t be only a desire. It should be even more possible! As you find yourself with more money than you need, you can focus on regularly using it to bless others.

You may choose to give more than you need to at church; you may choose to give to local causes or even internationally. Or perhaps you’ll invest your extra finances in buying supplies to cook up a storm and invite lonely locals over for a meal and some company! At the end of the day, how you bless others is between you and God.

Having wealth just opens up your opportunities to do so.

Blessing Others

You can also bless others by helping them to be in a good financial situation. Maybe  you can open a savings account for your children – or even your siblings or parents.

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will be able to bless others with your finances, because you are generating more than enough.
• You will recognise the value of giving to God’s children when you can.
• That you will understand that blessing can come in many forms: listening,
  giving of your time, praying for others, offering a meal, doing something for
  someone or providing a lift somewhere – it is not limited to financial help!

Today’s prayer:

Lord I thank you that you have provided me with the opportunity to bless others. As my finances increase, please help me to see where I can best make an impact for you by being generous with my money.

Actionable ideas:

Find a cause that you’re passionate about and look into ways you can make a difference. This could be through giving a regular amount or through donating your time and skills. Another way you can actively help is by covering the organisation with regular prayer.

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

Proverbs 11:24 – 25 – ‘It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything. The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.’

There are many people in this world who desire wealth. One question that I think needs to be answered before we go seeking it, is this: why? Why do you want to be wealthy? In what way will it benefit you? In what way will it benefit others?

If as a Christian person you desire wealth solely for your benefit, then I challenge you to change your priorities. God has generously blessed all of us! In turn, he encourages us to bless others with our abundance. That which he has given us so freely, he wants us to give to others.

In fact, his word indicates that the more we give, the more we’ll be in a position to receive. Many people will argue that the best way to acquire wealth is to hold onto as much money as possible and let it accumulate. But of what value is this?

The Reason for Wealth

When God blesses us with finances, he expects us to be good stewards of this money!

We can be good stewards by using it to support ourselves and our family as well as investing in our local church, giving back to God and using it to provide for those in need.

Be sure to keep your perspective on wealth: it isn’t for you. It is for God. It is for you to impact the world for God. The more you earn, the more you can give – this should be your desire for wealth!

It is my prayer for you:

• That you would recognise how God would have you best use your finances on this earth.
• To be able to recognise how a group of committed wealthy Christians could positively impact this world for God’s benefit.
• That you would understand the importance of giving out of your abundance.

Today’s prayer:
Lord I thank you that you have blessed me with finances. I pray that you would guide me where to invest my money. Help me to manage it so that I am able to live comfortably, save and invest in your kingdom on this earth.

Actionable ideas:
List items that you buy on a regular basis. Determine which can be bought in bulk to
save money. Start to shop around for places that allow you to buy these products in bulk and purchase here if it will save you money.

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

Proverbs 28:19 – 20 – ‘He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.’

Work comes about early in the bible. In fact, it is introduced in the first book, Genesis (Genesis 2:15)! It is my belief that we were all made to work and are able to in some capacity or another.

Paul talks about not being a burden to others and even as he worked so hard to spread the Good News, he worked as a tentmaker!

You should have a desire to work and to provide for yourself, at least. If you have a family to support, then this should be an aim, too. As a Christian, you should also desire to work so that you can positively help others in need. The above verse in Proverbs indicates for the person who works, that they will have abundant food. Note that it isn’t just enough for yourself, but it is instead more than you need – abundance! Working is a good thing.

The Introduction of Work

I am aware that some people cannot work for varying reasons. Perhaps the loss of a job or the loss of physical or mental capabilities – I was unable to work for a length of time as I recovered from being kicked in the head by a horse. This does not mean that we shouldn’t find other things we can do to be productive or strive to get back into shape to be able to work. It also doesn’t mean we should give ourselves a hard time if we’re not working – that’s not necessary!

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will recognise work as a good thing.
• That you are able to carry out some form of work that allows you to earn an income.
• That if you are currently not working, that you are able to feel productive and contribute in other ways – perhaps by volunteering your time in an area of need you recognise.

Today’s prayer:
Lord I thank you that you have provided me with skills and knowledge that I can use in an area of work. I pray that you would help me to work at any job I do as if working for You. Thank you for the opportunity to earn an income.

Actionable ideas:
Make use of the provided budget template and fill in the variables. Determine how much you earn each month and how much you spend. Work out your financial situation and see if anything needs to change. Determine if you can save more or need to cut back on spending. Remember to include your new savings plan from Day 1!

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