Let's Talk About Money (Part 2)

As you may have noticed, the principles I outlined in the previous post spoke more to character and the posture of one’s heart – that foundation is precisely what enables lasting wealth.

True wealth is built by cultivating a heart that is not centered on money, as this creates a buffer against the love of money. It seems paradoxical, but the truth is, the less money owns your heart, the more capable you are of stewarding it well, without “piercing yourself with [the] many griefs” that come from lusting after money (1 Timothy 6:10). Let's delve into the last three principles:

4. Lead with integrity 🧭

When it comes to interacting with money or any other financial resource, integrity is a key moral asset because it preserves your reputation, not only with God but with others well. In fact, the Bible esteems reputation above financial success, stating that “a good name is more desirable than riches” and that to be “esteemed is better than gold or silver” (Proverbs 22:1). Therefore, we need to lead with (love and) faithfulness in all that we do, so that we may “win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:3-4). What this means in practice is any venture that promises financial gains but requires the compromise of your values and belief system, must be forfeited. The obvious would be avoiding anything that requires fraud, bribery, cheating and the like, for these are the quickest ways to destroy our reputation. However, I would like to take it a step further.

As Christians, the foundation of our moral compass and values is obedience to God; in all that we do, we strive to obey and submit to His will. Therefore, when we find ourselves at a crossroads and must choose between His will and a lucrative financial venture, obedience to Him must take priority. This remains true even if the financial venture is logically sound and reasonable; for we do not serve money but serve and trust in Him through whom we have a delightful and secure inheritance (Psalms 16: 5-6; 1 Peter 1:4). That is what is means to be integrous as a child of God – it is a position of unyielding faith in the fact that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, including the very wealth that we are amassing, therefore He remains our principal guide.

5. Let generosity abide in the seat of your heart 🤍🌿

Oftentimes, conversations around financial generosity feels uncomfortable and awkward because there is an implicit expectation about who should be the giver and who should be the receiver in society. However, the truth is we all at some point become the receiver, and we all should, often times than not, be the giver. Scripture tells us that “one person gives freely, yet grows all the richer; however, another withholds unduly but comes to poverty” (Proverbs 11:24). The key word here is “freely”, suggesting void of compulsion or reluctance, for we must be cheerful in our giving (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Depending on your background (e.g., cultural norms and economic security) or how strongly you hold onto self-preservation instincts (e.g., fear of scarcity), being cheerful in giving may require intentional cultivation and time, because you may be inherently inclined to hold on to every cent you have, out of the fear of never having enough. However, in Christ, we are no longer slaves to fear, therefore fear of scarcity and losing it all is an indication of a heart and soul that need healing. We must prioritize this journey of healing, because generosity is a worthy pursuit, as it is a humble acknowledgement that we too want to be cheerfully refreshed when we need it as well. Moreover, generosity is a beautiful gift which God returns to us in “good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over” (Luke 6:38). If you know the disappointment of discovering that the bag of popcorn at the cinema is not as full as it appeared to be after shaking the spices in, then you will appreciate the abundance promised to us in this verse; not only will be it shaken but also pressed down, and to top it off, there will be an overflow.

6. The priceless gift of time ⏳✨

The invaluable role of time in wealth-building cannot be overstated, it is the one resource that you must not waste. This is why the actionable advice financial literacy experts emphasize most is to apply the knowledge you gain from their materials to your finances as soon as possible. Great returns require time – the more time you can give your investments to grow and compound, the better. In his book, “The Psychology of Money”, Morgan Housel writes that “good investing… is about earning pretty good returns that you can stick with, and which can be repeated for the longest period of time”. Therefore, quick, and effortless schemes to get rich are the enemy from which you much flee, as not only do they carry a high risk of failure but also cultivate the dangerous illusion that reckless financial living can be sustained by effortless gain. This is the reason why a high proportion of lottery winners end up going broke a few years down the line. Without the character, discipline, and patience required to steward wealth, sudden gains rarely endure (Proverbs 13:11). The principles I have outlined so far are valuable in helping you yield the patience you will need to give your investments the time they need:

• Being knowledgeable will enlighten you on the best ventures into which you can invest your money.

• Being content will help in structuring your life such that you are able to regularly save and invest a portion of your earnings.

• Honoring God with your earnings and living an integrous life will invite the favor and blessings that come with this way of living

• Cheerful generosity will be key in remaining humble, and knowing that times of trouble will come during which we will need to be poured into by others.

I sincerely hope that this short series on wealth-building has blessed you, as much as writing it has blessed me.

|Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23).

Moreover, remember that money is a resource that should not have your heart, but should have your respect, because it influences every area of our lives. Thus, having money comes with the responsibility not only to use it wisely, but also to steward and grow it faithfully. As Jesus reminds us in Luke 16:11 “if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”

References:

• Niv bible

• The psychology of money (Morgan housel)