A marriage can stand or fall on the way finances are handled. Although the Bible places the responsibility for provision on the husband, the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31, though primarily a homemaker, had an income and contributed to the family purse. New husbands and wives need to quickly learn the art of fiscal responsibility, for those who spend, spend, and spend with no accountability can end up shipwrecked. To be in debt is endless misery.
God: Our Source ( James 1: 17)
God, not our salary, is our source. He can provide even when there is no salary, as we have often proved. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. Prayer for provision (or even better, thanksgiving for provision) should always be our first option.
The God who fed Elijah with the ravens ‘’will send his angel ahead of you to prepare” housing, food, clothing, good schools for your children and indeed everything that you need which pertains to life and godliness; He will gladly give you what you need and more (See Exodus 23:20 and 2 Peter 1:3).
When you walk with God and learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, He will give you good business ideas. He will lead you to key people, those who can help you. Strange “co-incidences” will happen which are God-incidences.
God Is an Abundant Provider (Proverbs 18:20)
Husbands, part of that “favour” is financial prosperity. The Lord who called you into marriage knows that you now have a huge increase in financial responsibility – a wife and children to support and bills to pay. Remember, marriage brings new status. “Adam” became “Ish!”
He was LOADED! Our Heavenly Father does not want us to be in poverty. If we follow His precepts He will give us the power to get wealth. (Deuteronomy 6:11).
Why? He loved them as His peculiar treasure. He loves you too and will do the same for you. Let us now look at some principles for financial success for the home: Deuteronomy 28: 8-13
Be Transparent
Part of the pleasure and pain of marriage is learning how to be “naked”, that is, utterly transparent with one another. All sources of income and any debts should be declared. There should be no hidden agendas, no secret bank accounts, and no secret spending. Frankly, those who have secrets will not prosper.
Should you have a joint account or a separate account? That is for you to decide. Some couples opt for both, putting all their money into one account and then paying out of that into two separate accounts.
The joint account takes care of all major expenses while the two joint accounts provide “pocket money.” I have observed in the classes that I have thought that couples that operate joint accounts and understand the principles of prayer become extraordinarily prosperous in a relatively short period.
Work Out a Budget
Sit down together and write down your debits and credits. How many bills will come in each month and what needs to be paid and when? Then write down your financial goals for your life together.
Set boundaries: Do not buy what you cannot pay for”.
Some couples refuse to buy on credit; others set limits. They pay every month only that which they can clear every month. Still, others buy on credit with no idea how they will pay.
They are extremely foolish and end up in a cycle of debt, paying vast amounts of interest on something that was not a necessity.
Work out a budget and stick to it. One of you should be in charge; it may either be the husband or the wife, whoever is more gifted at money management. Hold each other accountable. Always aim to be on credit and never in debt.
The Tithes
The first thing that should be on your budget is the tithe. Read (Malachi 3:10)
All our money belongs to God, not simply one-tenth. Some choose to give a fifth and guess what? Their income has doubled. There was a well-known manufacturer who started giving God a tenth of his income.
By the time he was sixty, God had prospered him so much he was giving God ninety percent and living very comfortably off the remaining ten.
Should we tithe gross or net? That is up to you. You can’t out-give God.
Where should your tithe go? To the church you attend, where you receive spiritual nourishment. If you want to give to a Tele-evangelist, give something extra.
Have Goals and Plans
When my husband and I got married, our goal was very simple. It was to win souls. Thirty-eight years on that goal has not changed, however, it has enlarged and expanded to include planting churches and making disciples. As for money, our goals were few. We followed the precept that if we were to work in God’s vineyard,
He would give us ‘’whatever is right’’ (Matthew 20:4). So has it been. We can say with the apostle Paul, ‘’I know how to be abased and I know how to abound’’ (Philippians 4:12). There is no such thing as a ‘’full-time Christian’’ or a ‘’part-time Christian or those ‘’in the ministry,’’ and ‘’those who are secular.’’(Matthew 7:31-33) We are ALL full-time for God whether we are bankers, bricklayers, or church workers.
Therefore, we can confidently expect that God Himself WILL supply all our needs. Put God first and financial blessings will chase you. There is absolutely nothing wrong in having financial goals too if that is your focus. Opportunities for wealth are all around us. Our God is creative. Make Him your number-one Business Partner.
Agree
The agreement is such a powerful force. You are no longer two but one! Never embark on any project if the two of you are not convinced about it. It is better to wait until you both agree, either to go ahead or to ditch it completely. Realize that you complement each other. One will be the saver and one will be the spender. Spiritually you complement each other too.
There was an American businessman who heard about a ‘’foolproof’’ way of making money fast. He became exasperated when his wife would not agree to the scheme that required investing thousands of dollars. ‘’Give me a good reason why not?’’ he kept asking. To which she always replied, ‘’Honey I don’t feel easy in my spirit.’’ ‘’There is no logic to that, he concluded and went ahead.
It was a scam. He lost every dime. Now he always listens to his wife! Sadly those who embark on secret spending always regret it. Terrible stories abound of one partner running up horrendous debts by bad investments, secret spending sprees, or unauthorized gifts to family members. It is better to rid oneself of all credit cards than to get into debt.
Those in debt who will not ‘’come clean’’ resort to more subterfuge because they are ashamed and cannot bear to be found out. It is a vicious circle. Make it a rule to always agree before spending. Your spouse is your protection.
Pray
To agree and pray is doubly powerful. More prayers mean less shopping. So many times we have said, ‘’We would love to have so-and-so,’’ only to be asked ‘’Would you like so and so!’’ (Philippians 4:6,19)
Save
It is only wise to save. No matter how little you feel you have, make it a habit to put some aside each month then when a major project or a good business opportunity comes up, you are ready. Some people agree to tithe a tenth and save a tenth each month.
A Prayer
Heavenly Father, we commit our finances to you. Help us to live under an open heaven. We acknowledge you as our Source. Thank you for supplying all our needs. Show us creative ways to prosper and be in surplus. Please be our Financial Director and help us to agree on whatever you show us, in Jesus’ name, amen.