Mastering Money

“Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” - Hebrews 13:5

Did you know there are more than 2,350 verses in the Bible on how to handle money? Why do you think God has so much to say on this topic? Perhaps because how you view and manage money affects your relationship with God, your family, your friends, and even your own personal happiness. Mishandling money can have devastating consequences. The number one reason people listed for needing financial counseling in 2015 was poor money management, not lack of income. Most people think their money problems come from not having enough money, but that is not necessarily true. The majority of money problems exist because people have never learned to manage the money they already have. 

There is an important prerequisite for managing money with godly wisdom. You will never be able to manage your money until you learn to master your money. What do I mean by that? There is a strong emotional attachment to money. The emotional pull to money is so strong and so dangerous that the Apostle Paul actually said, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” (1 Timothy 6:10). This love for money is a trap and can even become a prison. This is why Hebrews 13:5 exhorts us to, “keep our lives free” from it. 

So how can you know if you are too emotionally attached to money? Ponder these questions: How much do I think about money? Am I always thinking about how I can make more money? Do I want to make more money just so I can spend more money to buy a newer car or that bigger house? The answers to these questions can help you to know if you are mastering money, or if it is mastering you. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money,” (Matthew 6:24).

The bottom line is this: You cannot manage what you do not master. So how do you break the emotional bond to money? By learning to be content with the gifts God has already given you. There are two ways to be rich…in what you have, or in how little you want. Notice the source of contentment in Hebrews 13:5, “For God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” The goodness and sufficiency of our Heavenly Father give us every reason to be content. And once we learn to trust that He is enough, we can finally be free from the love of money.  

Father, search my heart and reveal to me any emotional attachment I may have to money. I want to honor You with the money You have entrusted to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.