Can we talk about money?
Personally, I never considered personal finance to be a hobby. I just wanted “enough” in the bank account to be comfortable making a Starbucks run and a spontaneous trip to Target.
But the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me settle for that, and I’m so glad His gentle conviction changed the way I view money.
Everything we have is from the Lord, so it’s our job to use it wisely and intentionally to serve Him and the Kingdom, instead of just serving our late afternoon desire for an iced coffee.
When we’re intentional to serve God in our finances, He entrusts us with more. Who doesn’t want that?
My CPA & CFP husband will talk your ear off about a “back door roth IRA strategy” (I literally don’t know what that is I’ve just heard him say it) but I like to keep things simple and easy.
The easiest ways to honor God with your finances all start with automation.
Because we can set up an automation with intention, and then it automatically puts our finances in a position to honor and glorify God.
Here’s what to automate:
Automate Giving
“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Malachi 3:8-10
The Bible is clear about giving.
Giving isn’t an optional thing we do when we have abundance, it’s actually how we activate abundance.
The easiest way to honor and glorify God in your finances is to simply give. Give back to God what is already His. Personally, I believe we should give at least ten percent of our income to the local church. (Now you know the base number of what we give!)
To make this easy and straightforward to track, most churches have an option to set up automatic payments. When doing this, you’re consistently contributing to building and blessing the house of God, and you can trust Him to continue to build and bless your house.
Just like the passage above urges you to “bring the full tithe” I urge you to do the same, and make it easy on yourself to stay consistent and faithful in your giving by setting up automatic payments. You can always give above and beyond in special circumstances when you feel called to.
Automate Saving
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5
Saving for the future is an easy way to honor and glorify God with our finances. We glorify God as we use wisdom, and when we choose to be good stewards of what He has already given us.
Automating saving is as simple and easy as knowing what is coming in as income, and taking a portion of it to set aside automatically when your paycheck hits the bank, to accumulate savings over time.
This is not being selfish, or worshipping money, or not trusting God to provide.
Instead, it’s recognizing that God is providing and trusting Him with what He is giving, and being diligent in honoring Him through saving.
This proverb tells us diligence leads to abundance. We have to plan to save. To become a diligent saver, start automating savings and watch as it grows. Plan for the future, be diligent in working towards your financial goals, and watch as God blesses them.
Automate Investing for Retirement
“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.” 1 Corinthians 16:2
Investing for retirement isn’t just about financial gain, hoping to take time off from working when we’re older, or getting that dream vacation home.
We invest so that we can support ourselves, support others, and leave a godly legacy.
We invest so that we can invest even more into the Kingdom of God.
Investing our money allows us to responsibly handle what God has entrusted us with, and prepare for our future needs as well as the future needs of our families.
Even beyond that, when we’re good stewards with what God gives us, we are able to intentionally multiply it through investing so we can go back to point number one, and give even more generously!
Don't think that you have to start with a huge amount in each category, instead, get in the habit of being faithful and diligent in managing your money by starting automatic payments of even just $5 in each category.
Creating the habit to give, save, and invest by setting up automatic payments or transfers will allow you to honor and glorify God in your finances! It's easy - I promise!