Are you financially free to live a generous life?

If you’ve read my previous post where I’ve shared a bit of the journey I’ve been on since moving to New Zealand, you will understand that we often are busy with simultaneous journeys because our lives are complex. It’s like a tree with many branches.

Another journey I’ve been taking these past 5 years, would be a financial one. I can go further back, but when I truly consider it, I only submitted to true guidance from the Holy Spirit in 2019. Before then, I prayed for guidance but was still trying to work everything out on my own. Sure, there were unctions that I followed, without really knowing what they were, but I only truly started to focus on handling my finances in a manner that would please the Lord in 2019.

That said, let’s get to it!

In 2019 I was in a privileged position of having savings, enough money to pay the bills and live a fairly unburdened life. Yet I felt that I wasn’t handling the money given to me in a way that was truly pleasing to the Lord. I’ve always had a budget. I’ve started to tithe in 2016 (a journey for another day). I’ve never been a spendthrift. But something was lacking. I was alone at home one morning and started to look up budgeting the Christian way. I compared my existing budget to the one they suggested and saw that there were definitely areas where I could improve.

As 2019 moved along and our move to New Zealand became a reality, I must admit that I didn’t give it much further thought. I was too busy trying to get everything ready for the move. In 2020 with the pandemic and lockdowns, it took a while for me to get back into gear.

Fast forward to 2021. I’ve started to give lessons and soon found out that I needed to sharpen my budgeting skills again. Our church at the time started a series on personal finances. My husband and I listened attentively and made some changes to our budget, but still our financial situation were not where we would’ve like it to be. Then came another move and we had to start all over again.

Changing your mindset from one where you were getting a monthly income to one where your income is dependent on the amount of clients you have, proved to be a challenge. Since leaving school in 2000, I’ve only been without a regular job for 4 months. So needles to say, I needed a huge mind shift. With the series we did in 2021, we were gifted with a book on how to be a custodian of your money. In 2022 I was trying to figure out how to manage my income so that I can become a better custodian of it, but also to be able to sow back into the Kingdom. I saw the book “God Money & Me” by Paul de Jong and instantly felt the urge to start reading it. I started to read one chapter a day and soon realised all the places I let money control me instead of me being a custodian and using it to benefit others.

I sat down with my budget and applied the principles I have read. Almost immediately I felt freedom. This wasn’t the end of my training, though. The Holy Spirit guided me to other godly teachers and soon I could apply better business principles as well as biblical principals of how to manage money better.

Here are some of the principals I learned on this journey. It is my hope that it would benefit you also:

1. God is the giver of all good things and he wants us to prosper. (Jeremiah 29:11)
2. Money is not evil, but the love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)
3. Tithing is a biblical principal that believers cannot live without. It is honouring God, placing your trust in him for your provision, and giving him your best. (Malachi 3:10 – 11)
4. What we sow, we will reap. If we give sparingly, we will receive sparingly. Giving to others by sowing financial seed (or other types of seed like clothing, etc.) with a joyful heart, will bless you in many ways. Not only will the Lord provide the seed you need to sow, you will also grow in your love for others and will turn from a selfish mindset to a Kingdom mindset. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)
5. Being thankful for what you have and focusing on the good things God has done in your life, keeps your focus healthy in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18)
6. Do everything you do as a service to God, and he will bless the work of your hands. (Psalm 128:2)
7. There is a difference between saving and hording. Live generously, but also wisely. (Proverbs 21:20)
8. Practice delayed gratification. If you have to make a purchase, ask yourself the following questions: Do I need it? Do I need it now? Do I have the funds for it, or should I save money for it? Oftentimes, I find that I didn’t need the item immediately, and after saving for it, I didn’t even want it.
9. Separate business income from your own. For almost 3 years, I didn’t give myself a portion of the earnings. I put everything at the disposal of teaching expenses and household expenses. This year, I have a small percentage that I give to myself. Calculate what a liveable earning would be for you and put that money into a separate bank account. This ensures you feel you are being rewarded for your work.
10. Make the decision to have a prosperous mindset. No matter how small your income may be, in God’s hands it can be multiplied.
11. Create a budget that will honour God and stick to it unless you see that you have missed something. I use a zero budget principal, where every cent has a purpose.

I trust that you will find this helpful and inspiring on your own financial journey. Trust in the Holy Spirit’s guidance; He will never fail you.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

Catherina