Money: Concur or Clash

Money was designed to be our servant, never our master. It’s to be used to build our marriage and family and to honor God. Getting a proper perspective on money is the first step to solving financial conflicts. Gary Chapman

Money can be a cord that bonds you together or a rope that strangles your marriage. Your marriage can move towards oneness as you concur on money or you can clash as you battle about spending.

Solving financial conflicts starts by agreeing on what God wants for us together. We concur on the financial goals and values. Our spending FOLLOWS our goals and values.

It’s not about what I WANT or what you WANT - it’s about what GOD WANTS to provide for the needs of our family.

I want to follow His guidance for my spending. When I shop, I don’t buy things impulsively to make myself happy (temporarily). We make a plan together for our spending. We show honor and respect to each other and God by sticking to His plan. When we believe that God is good, we know His plans are for our best.

For most couples, once they sit down and have accurate figures on the NEEDS of the family, the plan becomes apparent. This process can be emotional when we realize that we can’t have everything that we WANT. 

But when our real satisfaction and joy in life becomes doing the will of God, our “wants” change. We want our lives to honor Him. We want our marriage to be a picture of Christ and the Church. I want what He wants more than I want a bigger house or a newer car or the latest gadget.

The Truth about Spending ….

God owns it all.
The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains…
Psalm 24:1a

We are managers.
‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Matthew 25:21

We cannot serve God and be devoted to money simultaneously.
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 

Matthew 6:24

Stay out of debt.
The borrower is slave to the lender. 

Proverbs 22:7b

Be content with what you have.
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Philippians 4:11

See the next post about The Money Clash and some practical steps.