FINANCIAL WELLNESS

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth...” – Deuteronomy 8:18a

Of paramount and practical relevance to overall wellness in life is FINANCIAL WELLNESS: “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you POWER to GET WEALTH, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers as it is this day” (Dt.8:18). Financial or Material Wellness involves submitting our finances to the Source of all Wealth, and nurturing a healthy relationship between our personal and family goals and our financial commitments or obligations. Financial Wellness can also be referred to as Financial Fulfilment or Financial Freedom. Essentially, this infers possessing riches without regrets, and success without sorrow: “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Pro.10:22).

Like every other Blessing that we received by faith in Christ Jesus, Financial Wellness is appropriated through correct knowledge. Keys open doors into discoveries; and knowledge is the Key to Freedom in all aspects of Life: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jh.8:32). The more of God’s Mind we know about money, wealth, and material provisions and prosperity, the greater financial fulfilment we’ll enjoy. Financial Wellness can also be described as: Prosperity without pollution or pain; wealth without worries; and treasures without tension or troubles: “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble… Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble” (Pro.15: 6,16).

The opposite of Financial Wellness is Financial Bondage. When someone is struggling financially, virtually all other aspects of his or her wellness are affected. The symptoms of Financial Bondage include: Idleness or lack of desire for gainful employment: money worries; careless spending; overdue bills; accumulation of unmet needs; greed and covetousness; deceitfulness and dishonesty in financial matters; and mental bondage to money issue. Proverbs 28:20 warns against the “get-rich-quick” syndrome: “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” Our Lord Jesus warns against covetousness: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of what he possesses” (Lk.12:15).

Financial Wellness depends a great deal on our beliefs and attitudes. Here are Six Truths that can enhance Financial Wellness:

Money Matters! Money is important: “For Wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it” (Ecc.7:12). Money counts. And Money talks, but money remains subservient to Wisdom.

Money is NOT the root of all evil – “the love of money is the root of all evil” (2Tim.6: 9-11). We are not meant to “love” – idolize or worship – money! Rather, money is meant to serve God’s purposes in our lives. Money is our servant to be sent on errands.

Money “answers everything” (Ecc.10:19b) – all THINGS pertaining to material existence, but has no answer to issues of eternity. Money can buy: a sofa, not comfort; a water bed, not sleep; entertainment, not joy; medicines, not health; a title, not true honour; freedom from prison, not from guilt; physical security, not divine defence; and a front pew in some churches, not mansion in heaven.

Believers need not be afraid to possess money or become materially prosperous: “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psa.35:27). We can possess money, but money must never possess us!

God teaches us to make profit: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you the way you should go” (Isa.48:17b). He empowers us with skills to create wealth (Deut.8:18). Everyone can believe, work for, and experience Financial Wellness: “He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding” (Pro.12:11).

Money and Wealth belong to God. They are held as a Trust from God: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (Psa.24:1a). The starting point of Financial Wellness is to understand that we are Stewards of God’s resources!