Where did you learn financial principles? Some of you might have learned them from friends, parents or an online finance guru.
As great as financial tips may be, not all of them are helpful. Some of them can even be downright dangerous for our finances and even our hearts.
The way we view finances is important because there are many factors to decision-making and living that depend on how we view and handle money. We have to be careful with the advice that we receive on finances and be on guard against bad finance tips that might lure us in the wrong direction.
Here are five bad finance tips that you should not listen to:
1. Debt Is Always Bad
While debt can be dangerous, not all forms of debt are bad. Some forms of loans can actually be helpful if they enable us to buy something essential that we wouldn't otherwise be able to buy, like a mortgage. Even credit cards, when used with extreme caution and self-control, can prove to be more convenient and even beneficial, especially if they stop us falling into more debt. The danger of debt comes when we start relying on it, carelessly spending money we don't have for things that don't really matter, or we don't make plans to pay back.
2. Saving Shows You Don't Trust God
Some Christians refer to the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21) as saying that it's bad to save because we store up treasures on earth. Savings are helpful and God even commands us to grow our resources and steward them well. The danger only comes when we put too much of our trust on savings instead of God.
3. God Won't Bless You If You're Not Generous
We know how important it is to be generous if you're a follower of Christ, but there is no truth to the idea of God withholding blessing because we don't bless others. God blesses us not based on our faithfulness, but on His. We are already blessed in Christ. Our generosity comes as a result of the blessing we now have in Him.
4. Money Is the Root of All Evil
1 Timothy 6:10 tells us, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."
There's nothing wrong with money. Money is actually helpful and necessary to life, but we shouldn't put too much of our hearts into it. What we always need to check is: do we love God more or do we love money more?
5. Give So That You'll Get More
Much like the concept of earning God's blessings, most Christians will sow and then demand that God give them back more of what they've sown. While we should be expectant of God's generosity, there is a danger in feeling entitled towards money and God's blessings. The right heart and attitude would be to be expectant of God's grace and still remain humble when it comes, remembering that God's blessing is an extension of His grace, not a reward for our righteousness.
