Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (NLT). Since all money belongs to God, you are only a steward (manager) of His property.

You do not own it; He does. You are provided the privilege and responsibility to manage some of His money.

We will have to give account to God for what we do with His money. We need to think of money management as looking out for His interests. God’s values should determine what we do with His money.

We men focus a lot on money. We often think that if a person has a lot of wealth that he is either really important and/or God must favor him.

This is a normal human reaction, but it isn’t right. We need to reject this worldly thinking and believe the truth. We have to transform our minds to believe two truths:

Money Does Not Determine Your Worth
Your worth is not determined by how rich you are; your worth was determined at the Cross. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life…but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (NASB).

What You Do with Money is a Mirror into Your Soul
Your money habits are a reflection of your heart. Jesus said that our heart goes where our treasure is (Matthew 6:21). Don’t say you love God and man when you are stingy with others and lavish on yourself.

So, men of valor, in light of these truths, it’s important that we aren’t disorganized with money. We need to be good stewards with God’s money so that we’ll enjoy giving an account to Him. What should you do?

1. Prepare a Personal Budget

I recognize that some men may have an uneven money flow because they don’t get a consistent paycheck. That’s all the more important reason to plan! We are not in control―God is―so we plan budgets in humility and faith (with a pencil), recognizing that our circumstances may change, and that God will give us what we need to make the necessary changes.

2. Divide the Budget into Three Areas

Give
First in our budget, we should give to invest in eternity – helping the needy, giving to our churches, donating to Christian ministries. We should give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7) and regularly (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Proverbs 3:27: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them” (NLT).

Save
After giving, set aside some savings for unforeseen emergencies. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we should be prepared. God told Joseph to do this in Genesis 41. While Scripture does not forbid going into debt, it is clear that the wise man limits his debt: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7, ESV). So, save to put money aside.

Spend
Spending should be buying what you need, such as food, rent, utilities, etc. If you desire to spend money on yourself when your family does not have enough food to eat, God will hold you accountable for that. He has made you―the man―as the provider and leader of your home and He will hold you accountable. You are there to see that the family eats and survives and has all its needs met. Spending money for fun things or unnecessary items is not necessarily a sin, but we need to be careful to first provide what is really needed.

Honor God

God asks us to be wise. Honor God and your family by thinking of other’s needs first. Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (ESV).

Be faithful to God as you spend money! 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful [trustworthy]” (ESV). Everything we have is God’s; we are simply stewards. The best way to be a steward is to become a planner. Plan to give; to save; and to spend wisely, carefully, and fearfully―all the while acknowledging that God is the boss, and you serve and honor Him.