Written by Renate McDonald

Money is a part of our everyday lives. Christian or not, it's used to transact business on a daily basis. We earn it, save it, invest it, spend it...and more often than not, we seek to make more of it. 

The challenge is that sometimes we are embattled about wanting to improve our financial standing because of some lies that we have believed about money. 

I'm here to help expose those lies and get you on the path to overcoming the myths and stepping into the fullness of what God intends for you to steward.

And believe me when I say, I had to overcome these very things...and every now and then, the temptation returns for me to fall back into the wrong beliefs. It will be a journey of overcoming but I want you to understand that you are not alone and "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

Myth #1: Money is Evil

1 Timothy 6:9-10 warns us of the love of money being a root of all kinds of evil however, never are we told that money itself is evil. For me, early life experiences with unkind wealthy people reinforced the idea that money/wealth makes people evil. 

But the truth is, it is the heart that determines how people use their money. Stay submitted to Christ and you will use money for good. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 says:

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

 (I encourage you to Read 1 Timothy 6 in full).

Myth #2: Faith Ignores Finance

Have you ever heard, "God will work it out" used as an excuse for reckless spending? It can be easy to mistake God's grace and mercy for a blank cheque to do as we please.

But the truth is, stewardship honours God. He is pleased when we take the time to manage well what He has entrusted to us. (Read The Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30).

In this parable, we see that the wise stewards are celebrated and welcomed into the joy of the Master, while the one who hid his talent out of fear was reprimanded. We want to be able to give a good account for the money entrusted to us in this life, handling it in a way that honours God. 

Myth #3: Wealth and Faith Don't Mix

Many persons equate poverty to faithfulness, whether consciously or unconsciously. It may be coming from the misunderstanding of Jesus's words in Matthew 5:3 when He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" or from personal experiences.

But the truth is, wealth in the right hands can be used to build the kingdom of God here on earth and be a blessing to others. (Read Acts 4:32-35 and Acts 2:43-47).   

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need." (Acts 4:32-35 NIV)

These are 3 common areas that hinder us from moving forward with building wealth. While there are other wrong beliefs that may impact your approach to finances, addressing these three will help you on your way to uprooting the wrong beliefs and replacing them with right ones.

I encourage you to assess these with the Holy Spirit and see if there are areas for you that need work as you continue on your journey to true financial freedom in the Lord.