Money and Marriage – What is God’s Way of Doing Things?

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More and more newlyweds look for God’s way of approaching marriage and money. The reason is simple – religion is something that persevered centuries and numerous social and political regimes. All changes, but religious principles remain the same, although made increasingly approachable to the general public. Why? Because religion bears values that are universal and absolute, and no fashion can change them. So

Here’s God’s way of doing things in marriage when it comes to money

How problems arise?

Our wedding vows do state the “for richer, for poorer” part, and while standing at the altar all dressed up in a romantic mood, you surely profoundly believe that this will be the case. And for many married couples, it is. But, it is also human to expect that thousands of dollars of debts will take their toll on your relationship.

For the majority of newlyweds, the problems arise because of their poor planning. Most people assume a stand that all will be sorted out, somehow. And although this attitude is guaranteed to decrease stress levels (at first), it will come back and bite you eventually. Because finances don’t sort themselves out, and debts have a nasty habit of becoming bigger and bigger until you sit down and do the math.

Another source of troubles in marriage when it comes to money are notably different spending and earning philosophies of the spouses. One might be a big spender, an impulsive spender, or just indifferent towards the value of money, while the other usually has a meticulous approach and believes in accumulating finances.

What does the bible say about money and family?

And this is precisely where we can consult the Scriptures to help us out. Both in our general attitude towards money, and in our mutual relationship, when affected by money problems. As the Bible clearly says: “A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.” (Proverbs 11:28)

In other words, accumulation of wealth is a path to ruins. God intended us to have what we need, but not to be greedy and lose ourselves and our loved ones in the chase of wealth. “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10, NIV).

And if we dedicate ourselves to God, who desires us to put our families first, Jesus in Matthew 6:33 assures us: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” That is, we are not to pursue money, and we should always revisit our motives and look at them objectively to be sure that we aren’t swallowed by our greed.

Be informed and think ahead

But, if we are not to live a life in asceticism, we should not fear the material side of life either. Yes, we shouldn’t be guided by our desire to get money and wealth, but we should also ensure that our family has what it needs. In addition, it is in the spirit of religion to be generous and to help others, and we can do this if we manage to own enough to share.

So, how do we do that in God’s way? First, you need to be informed about everything regarding money, loans, debts, credits, etc. “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps” (Proverbs 14:15). Know your finances through and through, and, most importantly – think ahead. Plan for your future. Make calculations, and find the right path towards your goals.

Keep track of your finances

And now that you understand how to treat money, and you understand the financial and economical clockwork, you should get familiarized with financial recordkeeping. Many married couples just get by, not being aware of how to balance their accounts. They don’t know even the basics of recordkeeping.

“By wisdom, a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches” (Proverbs 24:3-4). In other words, couples should work together to put their finances in order, and should always be wise with earnings and spending. In such way, there will be enough time and energy for our loved ones, which is God’s way of marriage.