Proverbs 11:10 – 11 – ‘The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the godless die. Upright citizens bless a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.’

If you are comfortably living within what you currently earn, is it wrong to desire to earn more? I think not! You are a blessing to so many when you are able to earn more. Why?

When you earn more:
1. You can tithe more, further blessing your church and God
2. You may pay more taxes, benefiting your government
3. You may purchase more, blessing your local community
4. You can give more, blessing those in need
5. You can save more, preparing for your future

If you have put into practice the first actionable idea (start saving today) then already you are earning more. Do you disagree? Think about this. Your money in savings is earning interest daily. So technically, you are earning more than before you set up that savings plan. Exciting!

Earning More

You may have a job that earns you more than enough and so you’re already saving and perhaps even investing. Have you considered looking into other ways you can earn? An example may be purchasing an investment property. The rent that you earn from this is a consistent increased earning. As long as the rent is covering the cost of the mortgage for the property and then some, it is earning you more money.

At a stage when I was working two jobs that kept me busy 5 and a half days a week, I was also looking into other ways to earn money online. I was able to do this through writing about my profession as both a horse studies teacher and a stable hand at the racetrack. I didn’t need to learn any more about these topics – I was employed in both of them! It meant that I was able to generate content that I could write once, but then earn from on a consistent basis. I invested my time in creating content that would earn me money more than once – this I felt was a wise way to use my time and earn more.

I am not suggesting the need to find time for another job. Instead, I am suggesting developing a hobby or investing in something that can generate a consistent return for you.

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will be excited about the idea of earning more, not stressed by it.
• That you will find researching ways to earn more money – without picking up another job – an exciting task.
• That you will find another way to earn money that requires minimal input from you once the decision is made.

Today’s prayer:
Lord I thank you that I can consider ways I might be able to earn more money without having to work longer hours. Help me to be excited about opportunities to earn more because of what it can do for You.

Actionable ideas:
Research investment opportunities online or other ways to generate money through a hobby such as a website on your favourite topic. You may find that you can earn money from a topic you’re passionate about and already spending time on.

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

Want to be kept in the loop about Wealthy Christians updates? Sign up to the Wealth in the Bible mailing list.

Proverbs 13:18 – ‘He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honoured.’

It’s quite possible that some people can turn their finances around simply by cutting back on what they spend. There are many people who fall into debt because they spend more than they earn. The simple math is that if you consistently spend $500 a week, but only bring home $400, then you are short $100 a week. In a year, you’ve accumulated more than $5,000 in debt. This is huge when you consider the inability to repay it!

Our budget is one tool we can greatly use to determine where we can cut back on spending. Other tools we can use are our weekly/fortnightly/monthly shopping dockets or a spending diary. In this, the idea is that you list every item you purchase over a 30 day period and how much it costs.

It is quite possible that you’re spending a sum of money where you felt you were only spending a small amount. For example, a $3.00 coffee at work results in $15 for the week or $720 for a 48 week working year. (I don’t know about you, but $720 would cover more than one of my fortnightly mortgage repayments!) I’m not saying that you should forfeit the coffee, but when you consider the annual amount you spend on it, you may question if you would like to spend that money elsewhere. And until you do make use of it, it can be sitting in savings. (Are you suddenly thinking you can save an extra $15/week? Great!)

Cutting Back on Spending

Seeing how much you spend and on what can help you make informed decisions. Firstly, you could total the amount you spend on things that you don’t need. Examples of things that you may buy that aren’t necessary include desserts, takeaway food, jewellery, extra clothes or shoes, books. If they are things that are for your sole enjoyment or entertainment, then perhaps you can consider cutting back or forfeiting them for a set period of time. Then, invest this money elsewhere where it’ll generate a return.

Some items that you buy, it may be possible to get them cheaper. Are there things on your monthly list that you bought more than once? Can you buy these in bulk to save? Try this and see how much your spending is decreased by.

It is a good challenge to assess your budget and determine if there are areas where you can decrease spending. If you are able to do this, it means you can save more, give more, pay off any debt/s quicker and potentially invest more. Over the long term, this can put you in a much better financial situation where you can consider spending more on things you want rather than need.

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will truly appreciate the difference between wants and needs, but that you won’t feel guilty about buying things that you enjoy but don’t need.
• That you will recognise areas where you can decrease your spending and so improve your financial situation.
• That you will be diligent in cutting back so that you can invest your finances in another area that will benefit your future wealth.

Today’s prayer:
Lord I thank you that you have provided me with tools to assess my finances wisely. Help me to be diligent in assessing where I utilise my money and to recognise areas where I can implement change for the better.

Actionable ideas:
Create a spending diary. Find a notepad or book that you can write in for a 30 day period. Make a note of every thing that you buy and how much it has cost you. At the end of this period, highlight the items you feel you can cut back on or purchase cheaper elsewhere. Do it!

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

Want to be kept in the loop about Wealthy Christians updates? Sign up to the Wealth in the Bible mailing list.

Luke 14:28 – ‘But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?’

It’s time to take a closer look at your budget. At the end of the day, most people have goals in life. We can make better choices and more informed decisions if we use our budget to guide us.

Perhaps we want to save more. Our budget shows us where all our money is currently being spent. We may be able to make adjustments – buying a cheaper brand, buying in bulk or paying with cash to get a discount.

Maybe we would like to give more at church. Our budget shows us how much we are currently giving and if there’s room to increase our offering to God and how much by.

Perhaps we want to organise a family holiday or invest in a house. The budget we have can indicate how much we’re currently saving and on what basis, i.e. $100/week. This can help us to calculate what amount of savings we can anticipate after a 12 month period.

Informed Budgeting

Now that you’ve filled in your budget, don’t just leave it. Perhaps every quarter, or at least once a year, reassess. Living costs can increase over time; this may mean you need to put aside that little bit more for expected bills the following year. Your typical costs over the years will change too. For example, when you have young ones, nappies and wipes are consistent needs. As kids grow older, the focus will turn to education, text books and uniforms.

Your family income is bound to change, too. As you learn how to save more, interest earned gradually increases. A raise or a new job may result in higher earnings.

Whenever you desire to make a big investment in your life, go first to God about it. Following this, assess your budget and see if any sacrifices need to be made to increase your capacity to earn or save. Be sure to count the cost before you invest for the long term. After all, buying a house often results in an ongoing debt for a 30 year term – it shouldn’t be taken lightly! Likewise, renting a house will be a consistent cost to your budget.

It is my prayer for you:

• That you will consider the costs before buying or investing. Be wise about the debt you acquire.
• That you will consistently seek God’s guidance about how to best utilise your finances.
• That you will be willing to assess your budget and adjust it as time passes.

Today’s prayer:
Lord I thank you that you have provided me with tools to get a snapshot of my finances. Help me to open my eyes to unique ways I can cut back on spending, increase earnings and save more for my future.

Actionable ideas:
Set yourself financial goals; be sure to list steps to achieve these (e.g. go on a family holiday in 12 months time. This will require saving $100/week on top of my usual savings). Share your goal with one or two trusted friends who will keep you accountable so that you’re working towards the goal regularly.

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

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.