Habits of Financial Freedom

Rev. David Bennett
Director of Mission & Development
Growing Healthy Churches

www.growinghealthychurches.org

In the last 14 years, I have consulted with individuals and couples who have made some very wise decisions with their money and some who have made some devastating ones. Many have over $40,000 of credit card debt, car payments and mortgage debt that steals too much of their income, making it difficult to afford food. Because these people are financially broke, money overwhelms them and comprises a majority of their thoughts. All of this has caused me to wonder how I can teach my children habits of financial freedom so that they won’t make the same mistakes, reaping the same miserable results.

Others have become very wealthy by the time they are 35 years old and some older. They have earned a large income, saved a portion of their income and generated a large net worth. Because of this, they spend a large portion of their time managing their resources and are concerned with the economy and losing what they’ve accumulated.

As a result, I’ve been concerned that my children would have financial troubles and then focus too much on money. I’ve also been concerned that my children would have too much money and focus too much on money. How can I be assured that money does not control them? What lessons do they need to learn? How can I communicate these lessons to a 12 and 14 year old so that they will accept them?

Years ago when I managed money at Merrill Lynch, I asked one of my affluent clients what the greatest struggles Christian men have. He said, “Girls, glory and gold.” Women can tempt men to not follow God’s ways. Glory from people affects our ego’s causing us to rely on our own abilities instead of God. “Gold” seduces us to change our focus from God to money. Then I asked, “How I could make sure money did not have its grip on me?” My client said, “Give it away and be willing to give God all of it if He asks you to.”

This is a lesson I can teach my children, the most important money management lesson – giving. When we give, we release the hold of money in our lives. When we give, we honor God. When we give, we become a blessing. When we give, we serve others as Christ did. When we give, God blesses us.

To teach giving to my children, I give them jobs to do, pay them and give them the opportunity to give at least 10% of their earnings to the ministry of their local church, so they can honor God, bless and serve others. Giving is the best way to unleash the power and hold of money in our lives.