FamilySunday

Every second Sunday of the month at Victory Church is Family Sunday, in which my wife Debbie and I share the stage and speak on marriage, parenting, and finances.

This month we spoke of the subject of Financial Oneness in marriage. This blog posts shares some of the items we covered. We hope this is a blessing to you and your family.

“Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it.” Proverbs 21:20 (GNT)

The number one reason couples get a divorce isn’t adultery. It isn’t abuse. It’s debt! At one time, 54% of the divorces in the U.S. were related to financial pressures.

That shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible makes it clear that it’s just plain foolishness or stupid not to manage your money well. And foolishness never ends well.

So often our culture convinces us to buy now and pay later. The average American puts $1,300 on his credit card for every $1,000 he makes. That leads straight to debt, and God calls that stupid!

No one just drifts into debt — or out of it. Deciding to build your financial future on the commitment to be responsible starts with being intentional. After you’ve made that important commitment, you need a plan to get there.

10-10-80 Financial Plan

10-10-80 principle is a great way to become intentional about your financial decisions.

Give 10% back to God. God blesses whatever you put him first in.
Keep 10% for yourself. Commit to saving money every time you make money.
Live on 80%. Only fools spend everything they get.

Like it or not, God uses money to test you. He is testing your responsibility. When He looks at your financial decisions in Heaven, God’s going to say, “Were you responsible with what I gave you on Earth?”

How will you answer that question?

Give 10% of what you make back to God.

Save 10% of what you earn.

Live on the rest.

Practical Togetherness – Financial Oneness

Working together has a lot of advantages, and today I would like to give you finances in which you can experience oneness:

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV) But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Money is one of the practical areas of practical togetherness that can make or break a marriage. God has a great sense of humor—He likes to bring savers and spenders together and watch them work out their differences. Dave Ramsey of Financial Peace University calls these two people the nerd (saver) and the free spirit (spender)!

Money is not his or hers; it is ours!

Allow me to share some practical ways to experience oneness in the area of your finances:

Pay your bills together.

You will know how much things cost…how much debt you have…how much savings you have….how much expenses have changed. There are now NO surprises in the area of finances.

Plan your budget together.

Most couples don’t have a budget, and as a result, they spend more than they make—leading to financial hardships.

Agree on major purchases together.

This is just good ole common sense! Never make a major purchase without your spouse’s approval!

Manage your finances together.

One or the other may be really good with numbers, and the other may hate dealing with numbers, budgets, finances, etc. But it is vitally important that you sit down at least once a month (I prefer weekly) and talk about your finances.

Some experts say that as many as 80% of all divorces are the result of financial difficulties.

10 Principles That Keep Finances In Proper Perspective

Realize that money can’t make you happy.
Live for what really matters.
Know that riches will pass away.
Be content with what you have.
Put people and relationships above money.
Share what you have with the ones you love.
Invest in the right places.
Keep character above acquiring.
Don’t cling to what you have—hold it loosely.
Give generously to things that will last beyond your lifetime—the Lord’s work first!

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Join us at Victory Church in O’Fallon, Illinois this Sunday at 10:30 AM.