Budgeting with Purpose: Simple Strategies for Faith-filled Financial Management

Hello and welcome to this week's newsletter where we'll be diving into the world of biblically based family oriented financial management. We'll be exploring simple strategies to help you budget with purpose and align your financial decisions with God's intentions.

Audit Your Finances

The first step in financial management is realizing what your current financial situation is. This involves understanding your current spending trends, your financial goals, and your non-negotionable items. God calls us to be good stewards over our lives. Part of this is having awareness of how you are living them. Today, you need to take a deep dive into how you have been spending money. Start small - look at last month's spending by grabbing your bank statements and credit cards and familiarizing yourself with what money you earned and what money you directed out. This information alone can bring peace and contentment, knowing that your decisions are something you have control over. Immediately as you go through you are likely to spot a few items that maybe were not necessary. Think of those dollar amounts as future cost savings. I go into more detail on this in my free three months to saving course if you are interested or want more guidance.

Aligning Faith and Finances

The second step in financial management is aligning your financial decisions with God's direction. This involves understanding your financial goals and God's teachings, two maybe more difficult tasks. Write down your top 5 goals. Then, check to see if it aligns with the core of God's teachings, if you are unsure of what those are, see my discussion of that in my free three months to saving course. Next, you are going to bring the two together. For example, if one of your goals is to have financial freedom, and one of God's teaching is to be debt free (see Romans 13:8 below), then you are on the right track. If your goal is to be rich, but God's goal is to build wealth (see Proverbs 28:19 below), then you may need to adjust to a goal of building reasonable wealth over time while generously giving.  Share your thoughts and experiences with us!

Budgeting with Purpose

Budgeting with purpose means making intentional financial decisions that reflect your faith values. This can be as simple as setting aside a portion of your income for charity or investing in businesses that align with your faith. By budgeting with purpose, you can ensure your money is used in a way that honors God (see 1 Timothy 6:18 below). Let me know if you'd like me to send you a free budget planner below!

Overcoming Financial Challenges

Financial challenges are inevitable, but they can be overcome with faith and a solid financial plan. No one will say they have always had enough money and financial security (if they are being honest). However, many people will share that their dilligence with what they have has benefitted them. Remember, it's not about how much you earn, but how well you manage what you have. By sticking to your faith-filled budget, you can navigate these challenges and come out stronger. We'd love to hear about the financial challenges you've overcome. Your story could inspire others!

Thank you for being part of our community and for sharing your journey with us. Until next time, grace and peace be with you. 

Breann Mayforth

Verses:

Romans 13:8 - "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law."

Proverbs 28:19 - "Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty."

1 Timothy 6:18 - "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."