Last Tuesday afternoon, our class, CVE05 Christian and Values Education for Adults, discussed Values, Ethics, and the Christian Life: A Reformed Perspective on Nation Building and Human Purpose. This coming Tuesday, our topic will be Financial Agreement taken from Wayne A. Mack's book, Strengthening Your Marriage. I consider the students very fortunate to have this kind of topic. Considering that they are all singles and will be contemplating marriage a few years from now, this lesson serves as a part of their preparation. We did not have such a privilege during our time.

Source

God's Purpose for Marriage

Unity is a clear goal in Genesis 2:24. This is demonstrated not only during marriage ceremony and physical intimacy; this should also apply when it comes to finances. Wayne Mack's introductory statement should be taken seriously:

Scripturally speaking, marriage is a total commitment and a total sharing of your total person with another person until death. Included in the total sharing aspect of marriage is money. As far as our possession of, attitude toward, and use of money are concerned, my wife and I are to be one flesh.

Such unity in finance is easy to say but a struggle when it comes to practice. Wayne Mack mentioned several cases proving that conflict over finances is common among couples. And that is why he argues that in order for a couple to achieve unity in finance, having a mutually agreed biblical philosophy of money is a must. Such biblical philosophy serves as the foundation. Wayne Mack explains its vital importance:

Undoubtedly the foundation of financial unity in marriage is a mutual, sincere commitment to a biblical philosophy of money. A Christian couple should accept a biblical philosophy of money, not merely because it works or because it produces unity, but because that is what God wants. However, they will discover that when they both take the Bible philosophy about money seriously, increasing unity will be a side benefit. Usually people have conflicts because they are operating according to different standards or ideas or value systems. Telling them to be united, making them feel guilty about their disagreements will not produce unity. As a rule, real unity will come only when they adopt a common standard or value system. In my opinion, most financial conflicts in marriage are caused by a lack of understanding of or submission to scriptural principles of money. In my opinion, most financial conflicts can be solved when both individuals really apply the biblical philosophy of money to their own lives (p. 87).

Aspects of the Biblical Philosophy of Money

Wayne Mack provides some aspects of the biblical philosophy of money. He identified eight of them:

• God is the one who gives a man the ability to make money (Deuteronomy 8:18; 1 Chronicles 29:11–12; Proverbs 10:22; 1 Corinthians 4:7).

• Everything we have belongs to God (Psalm 24:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11, 14).

• There are many things that are more valuable than gold. Since I am planning to make this section seatwork for my students, I have to include all the biblical texts below to identify things in life that are more important than money:

  • Matthew 16:26
  • Luke 12:15
  • Proverbs 15:16–17
  • Proverbs 16:8
  • Proverbs 16:16
  • Proverbs 22:1
  • Jeremiah 9:23–24
  • Luke 12:20–21
  • Matthew 6:19–20
  • 1 Timothy 6:6, 9
  • 1 Timothy 6:17–19
  • Philippians 3:7–9
  • Ephesians 3:8
  • Psalm 19:9–10; Psalm 119:72
  • Proverbs 19:1
  • Proverbs 31:10; 19:14
  • Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1–2
  • Psalm 127:3, 5

• Covetousness, discontentment, and worry about material things are sins (Exodus 20:17; Colossians 3:5; Hebrews 13:5; Luke 12:15; Matthew 6:25, 31, 34).

• God expects us to fully use the strength and abilities He has given us in hard, honest work. This is His normal way of supplying our needs. God usually rewards hard work with a measure of prosperity (Exodus 20:9; Proverbs 13:11; Proverbs 6:6, 9, 11; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 14:23; Proverbs 26:14; Ephesians 4:28; Colossians 3:23–24; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; Proverbs 28:22; 21:5; 28:20; 20:21).

• Giving to the Lord and to needy people is a privilege and an investment as well as a responsibility (2 Corinthians 9:7; Luke 6:38; Proverbs 14:21; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 22:9; Ephesians 4:28; Galatians 6:6).

• We ought to plan how we will make and spend our money (Proverbs 20:18; Proverbs 27:23–24; Luke 14:28; Luke 16:9–11).

• We ought to live within our income and not make debts that may be almost impossible to pay (Proverbs 6:1–3; Proverbs 22:7; Romans 13:8).

Note: After 17 years since the time I studied financial literacy, I realized that when it comes to money matters, pastors and theologians are the last persons to listen to. Most pastors and biblical scholars are clueless how the monetary system works. Yes, we have to listen when it comes to biblical principles on finance. However, when it comes to application and in understanding debt, the scarcity of models is deafening, not only from Christian institutions but also from individual spiritual leaders.

Application

Despite the gap in understanding how money works, Wayne Mack is accurate in describing the importance of applying the details of biblical principles to achieve financial unity in marriage:

Likewise, a knowledge of and even mental assent to a biblical philosophy of money will be of little value unless the details are pointedly and specifically applied. A biblical philosophy of money is the foundation of the building and of fundamental importance to financial unity (p. 93).

To supplement the lack in the manual, I added two practical steps to Wayne Mack's list:

• Begin by realistically determining your income.

To determine your income, make a list of all your monthly gains or profits. Include your salary, interest on savings accounts, stock dividends, what you make on side jobs, income from other members of the family, etc. (p. 94).

• Identify your expenses.

• Compare your total monthly income with your monthly expenses. If your financial expenses are greater than your income, you must plan how to bring your income and expenditures into balance. Wayne Mack suggests two common-sense tips:

  • Reduce your expenditures, and ask: Is there anything on the list that is totally unnecessary?

  • Increase your income.

    • Find an extra job or work overtime.
    • Calmly and respectfully talk to your employer about your needs and ask for a raise.
    • Involve the wife or other members of the family in the work force.
    • Make a list of all your assets. Are there items you have that you really do not need? Could you sell them?
    • Become a self-producer.
    • Assuming you are qualified, consider applying for a higher paying job or even changing jobs.
    • Ask the advice of others who have faced similar difficulties and succeeded.
    • Make your need for money and the administration of money a matter of believing prayer.

• Study financial literacy and basic personal money management. In personal money management there is this idea of “money jars,” where you put a certain percentage of your monthly income as your budget.

  • Give - 10%
  • Financial Freedom Account (FFA) - 10%
  • Necessities - 50%
  • Long-Term Savings for Spending (LTSS) - 10%
  • Education - 10%
  • Play - 10%

Another vital piece of information in financial literacy is understanding different types of cash flow and the relationship between the income statement and the balance sheet. I published an article on June 5, 2023, to provide an overview of understanding cash flow: https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@rzc24-nftbbg/the-way-to-financial-freedom-part-4

• If you want to strengthen your financial arsenal as an individual and as a couple, you can also explore the field of financial technology. To give you an overview of what this is all about, you can check the article I published on June 18, 2023: https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@rzc24-nftbbg/the-way-to-financial-freedom-part-5

Let me quote again Genesis 2:24:

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Is oneness really possible in marriage? Wayne's response is positive, provided that the basic biblical truths below are real in the couples' lives and they are willing to commit to biblical standards:

• Jesus Christ has set you free from the penalty and power of your sin. (Compare the conclusion of Unit 1.)

• You will accept and fulfill your respective roles in marriage. (See teaching material in Units 2 and 3.)

• You will develop and maintain a good communication system. (See teaching material in Unit 4.)

• You will adopt and apply the biblical principles of finances presented in the manual.

Check One Flesh, One Future to listen to the AI-generated song version of this article. For Filipino translation, check Pagiging Isa.

Grace and peace!