Seek First: Finance

Seeking God First With Your Money: What the Bible Says About Faith and Finances

Money is one of the most powerful forces in our lives, yet it is rarely talked about openly in church. It can quietly become an idol, shape our decisions, and pull our hearts away from God without us even realising it. Here is what Scripture says about how to seek God first in our finances and why it changes everything.

Why Does the Church Avoid Talking About Money? Churches tend to go one of two ways with money. They either stay completely silent or they overemphasise it to the point of manipulation. Neither is healthy. Jesus talked about money more than almost any other subject, which means we should be willing to engage with it honestly and without shame.

If the topic of money already makes you uncomfortable, it is worth asking yourself why. Has money quietly become an idol in your life? Are you giving God all areas of your life, or only the ones you feel comfortable surrendering?

God Is the Creator, Author, and Owner of Everything One of the biggest shifts we need to make is recognising that we do not actually own anything. The world tells us that what we have earned is ours. But Scripture tells a very different story.

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." - Psalm 24:1

"The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty." - Haggai 2:8

David put it this way in 1 Chronicles 29:11-14: "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in heaven and on earth is yours, O Lord... Wealth and honour come from you alone... Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us."

Everything we have, every penny, every possession, every resource, has been given to us by God. We are temporary stewards of what He generously provides. When that truth becomes a real revelation in our hearts, the power and anxiety that money holds over us begins to dissolve.

What Happens When We Truly Believe God Owns It All? When we genuinely accept that God is the owner of all things, we stop striving in our own strength to secure our future. We stop worrying about the next bill or the next pay cheque because we are doing business with the Creator of the universe.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

That prosperity is not just financial. It is prosperity of joy, peace, and hope. When we seek Him first, He takes responsibility for our needs. That is not a motivational phrase. It is a biblical promise.

Money Is Our Servant, Not Our Master Too many people live as slaves to money without realising it. Their thoughts, habits, decisions, and even their sense of worth are all shaped by the pursuit of financial security. When money is your master, you will never be truly satisfied, at peace, or content.

Jesus addressed this directly in Matthew 6:24-33: "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life... Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

The promise of God's provision comes directly after the challenge of who we serve. We cannot pursue both money and Jesus with equal devotion. One will always win.

Martin Luther once said there are three conversions necessary in a person's life: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse. Where we spend our money reveals who our master truly is.

Money Is a Seed to Sow, Not Fruit to Eat We often treat money as the measure of how fruitful or blessed our lives are. But the Bible never equates God's pleasure in us with the size of our bank account. God loves you whether you are in debt or financially comfortable. His delight in you does not change based on your financial situation.

Money is not the fruit of your life. It is a seed placed in your hand by God. And seeds only reach their potential when they are planted.

"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." - 2 Corinthians 9:6

If we hoard the seed, we get no harvest. If we eat the seed, we get no harvest. But when we sow it into the kingdom of God, the potential for eternal impact is limitless. Jesus Himself said, "Open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest."

What Does the Bible Say About Tithing? Tithing, giving 10% of your income back to God through the local church, is a biblical principle found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It is not about obligation or guilt. It is an act of worship and honour.

Scripture encourages us to give not reluctantly or under compulsion, but with gratitude and joy. It is not about the amount. It is about the heart behind the giving.

In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus watched people drop money into the temple collection. Many wealthy people gave large amounts. Then a poor widow dropped in two small coins. Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on."

Her obedience and worship are remembered for generations. God sees what you bring, no matter how small it feels to you.

If you have never tithed, start. If you give less than 10%, consider taking a step of faith and increasing it. Watch what God does with the 90% that remains. The maths of the kingdom does not work the way the world's maths does. When we put Him first, He provides in ways that defy our own calculations.

Money Is God's Provision, Not Our Purpose We were never meant to chase money as the goal of our lives. Money is one of the ways God provides for us, but it is His provision, not our purpose. He is the provider. He is the one who keeps the roof over your head and food on your table.

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

There is no shortage in heaven. There is no cost of living crisis in eternity. God's resources are unending and limitless. Every need we face on earth can be met from His glorious riches. Our responsibility is to seek Him. His responsibility is to meet our needs.

Generosity Is About Your Heart, Not What Is in Your Hand God wants us to be radically generous people, not just with money, but with our time, our words, our service, and our attitudes. The most generous people are not always the wealthiest. Some of the most generous hearts belong to people who have very little.

Generosity is an overflow of the heart. It is an attitude. When we see a need, do we respond joyfully or wait for someone else to step in? Are we generous but secretly resentful? True generosity is cheerful, open-handed, and free.

"You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive." - Acts 20:35

"Give freely and become more wealthy. Be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper. Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." - Proverbs 11:24-25

The kingdom of God is counter-cultural. Those who give freely become more wealthy. Those who hoard lose everything. This does not make sense by the world's logic, but it is the promise of God's Word.

A Summary of What the Bible Teaches About Money and Faith

• God is the author, creator, and owner of all things
• Money is our servant, not our master
• Money is a seed to sow, not fruit to eat
• Money is God's provision, not our purpose
• Generosity is about our heart, not what is in our hand

Life Application This week, take one concrete step of faith with your finances. If you have never given to your local church, start. If you already give, consider increasing your percentage. Open your hands rather than clenching them. Choose to trust God as your provider rather than striving in your own strength to secure everything yourself.

Ask yourself these questions as you reflect on this message:

• If someone looked at how I spend my money, would they say Jesus or money is my master?
• Am I hoarding the seed God has placed in my hand, or am I sowing it into something eternal?
• In what areas of my life am I allowing fear or anxiety about money to replace trust in God as my provider?
• How generous am I really, not just with money, but with my time, words, and attitude toward others?

God is faithful. He owns everything. And when we seek Him first, He takes care of the rest.