The One Year Love Language Minute Devotional (14 page)

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10

WHEN YOU GET MARRIED, it is no longer "your money" and "my money" but rather "our money." Likewise, it is no longer "my debts" and "your debts" but rather "our debts." When you accept each other as partners, you accept each other's liabilities as well as each other's assets.

Before marriage, both partners should make a full disclosure of their financial assets and liabilities. It is not wrong to enter marriage with debts, but you ought to know what those debts are, and you should agree on a plan of repayment.

The motif of marriage is two becoming one. When this is applied to finances, it implies that all of your resources belong to both of you. One of you may be responsible for paying the bills and balancing the checkbook, but this should never be used as an excuse for hiding financial matters from the other. One of you may have a higher salary, but that doesn't mean you get more say in how finances should be allocated.

Since the money belongs to both of you, both of you ought to agree on how it will be used. Full and open discussions should precede any financial decision, and agreement should be the goal. Follow the apostle Paul's advice and be "of one mind, united in thought and purpose" This is fitting for followers of Christ, whose priorities should be the same. Remember, you are partners, not competitors. Marriage is enhanced by agreement in financial matters.

Father God, thank you for making us one. Help us to strive for unity of purpose and priority when it comes to our money. May we be open and aboveboard in all our financial decisions.

After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant ... said, "Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more." The master was full of praise. "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Lets celebrate together!" MATTHEW 25:19-21

ARE YOU HONORING GOD by the way you use your money? God cares about how we use what he gives us. In Matthew 25, we read the famous parable of the talents. Jesus told the story of the master who entrusted certain amounts of money to various servants while he was away. When he returned, some of the servants had been wise stewards and had increased the money. As we see from the verses above, the master responded with praise-and by giving those servants greater responsibility with more money.

Financial resources, whether abundant or modest, have tremendous potential for good. Sound planning, buying, saving, and investing are all part of our stewardship. Another aspect of faithful stewardship is giving to God through the church and other Christian organizations.

More important than the amount we give is our attitude. Christian giving is an act of the will prompted by love for God, not a legalistic duty to be performed for merit. Have you and your spouse discussed recently what you are giving to God? Does what you are giving reflect your love for God? When the two of you decide to honor God in your giving, you have taken a big step toward creating a growing marriage.

Father, as a couple we want to be good stewards of all that you have given us. Help us to use our money wisely and to give generously to your Kingdom work.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. PROVERBS 22:3

SAVING MONEY is a sign of wisdom. Hoarding money is not. King Solomon wrote in Proverbs that wise people plan for potential difficulties in the future; foolish people assume that everything will be fine and then find themselves in trouble. The wise husband and wife plan for difficult times. Financially, this involves saving and investing. Of the two, saving is the most fundamental. Many Christian financial advisers suggest that 10 percent of a couple's income be allotted to savings and investments. You may choose more or less, but you should make the choice deliberately. If you plan to save what is "leftover;" you will likely not save.

If you give 10 percent to the Lord's work and save 10 percent, that leaves 80 percent to be divided among mortgage payments (or rent), heat, electricity, telephone, groceries, and so forth. The couple who regularly saves a percentage of their income will have not only the reserve funds they need for emergencies, but also the satisfaction that comes from being good stewards. Regular savings ought to be a part of your financial plan.

Lord, as a couple we want to be wise in the way we use our money. Please give us the discipline to be deliberate about saving, investing, and giving. We know all we have is yours, and we want to use it well.

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

PROVERBS 22:9 (NIV)

USING CREDIT to buy things is a huge issue in today's culture. The media screams, "Buy now, pay later." What is not stated is that if you "buy now," you will pay much more later. Interest rates on credit-card debt can be more than 21 percent.

Credit cards encourage impulse buying, and most of us have more impulses than we can afford to follow. This can lead to some extreme marital stress every month when the credit-card bill arrives. Rather than "buy now, pay later," why not agree as a couple that what you cannot afford, you will not purchase? Most of us can live with less, and perhaps live more happily. Jesus taught, "Life is not measured by how much you own" (Luke 12:15). Life finds its greatest meaning in relationships-first with God, then with our spouse, children, extended family, and friends. After a point, using our money for ourselves has little meaning or significance. But as Proverbs 22:9 points out, using our money generously for others-whether those we know or others who are in need-can bless us. It can strengthen our relationships, give us a sense of purpose, and encourage others.

Things have meaning only as they enhance relationships. Why must you have the biggest and best now, if doing so puts stress on your marriage? Things bring only momentary pleasure, while relationships last for a lifetime.

Father, it's easy to get caught up in things 1 think we need now. Please give me the right perspective. Help me to realize what is really meaningful-our relationship with you and others. May we invest heavily in those things.