The real key to financial freedom is a perspective, not a practice or a system or a habit. Understanding and embracing the reality that God owns everything is revolutionary in a person’s quest for financial freedom.

There are three basic implications of the fact that God owns it all:

First of all, God has a right to whatever He wants, whenever He wants it.  Since all that I have comes from Him and belongs to Him, He can take or give as He sees fit.  In America, and really just as human beings, we hold firm to the idea that if we “earn” something, we have the right to control our earnings.  While the idea of work and reward is very evident in Scripture, God is abundantly clear that, “the silver is mine and the gold is mine” in Haggai 2:8 (NIV) The bottom line is that God can take and God can give, and those decisions are really up to God.  I am free to let God be God.

Secondly, the idea that God owns it all implies that every spending decision is a spiritual decision.  We often think of our giving decisions as being “spiritual” decisions.  But, the fact is, every time we spend money or save money or give money or pay taxes with our money or owe money, we are doing those things with God’s money.  I love knowing that there is no real sacred/secular dichotomy in my financial life.  I can worship God in taking my wife on a date as much as I worship Him when I give my offering at church on Sunday.  I am free to worship God in every decision.

Thirdly, the last implication of the Truth that God owns it all is that wise stewardship is an indicator of spiritual health.  Your checkbook reveals what you believe to be true of stewardship.  Your financial picture reveals your goals, priorities, convictions, relationships, and even the use of your time.  Believing that God owns it all will free you to receive His direction from Scripture about every financial decision you make…not just your giving decisions.  Acting according to His leading will deepen your maturity as a steward and will honor His ownership and His eternal purposes. I am free to rely on God’s wisdom in my stewardship.

May God’s peace encourage you as you pursue financial wisdom and depend on His Truth.