Financial Discipleship

As Catholics, we are called to be disciples of Christ in all areas of our life. Catechism paragraph 2470 tells us "The disciple of Christ consents to 'live in the truth,' that is, in the simplicity of a life in conformity with the Lord's example, abiding in his truth. 'If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth.'''(1 Jn 1:6.)

The key words are "simplicity of a life in conformity with the Lord's example." Yet how often do we put our money into a little box and completely detach it from our call to discipleship?

Financial Discipleship means using our faith as the basis for our finances. How we earn, spend save, give and manage money all should be based on our call to discipleship. If you are wondering how to start a financial discipleship journey, start with the Word of God - the Bible.  There are 2,500 verses in the Bible dealing with money and possessions. Almost any question related to finances has some relevance in the Bible.

This is what the Bible says about itself in Hebrews 4:12:  “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”

Some areas where the Bible gives us direction are:

God owns everything:

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 “Everything in the heaven and earth are yours and you are king, supreme ruler over all.  All riches and honor come from you,” 

Too many times we think we are in control of our money and possessions and do not realize they are truly gifts from God.

in Genesis Chapter 1, verse 26 we read: "Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.'" Note that God gave mankind dominion, not ownership. How can we even think that we own anything?

Our possessions do not help us get to heaven:

Mark 8:36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” How many times in history has man tried to gain the riches of the world, yet in the end he falls victim of his own coveting and greed?

The Bible calls us to be content no matter how much or how little we have.

Philippians 4:11-13.  “For I have learned to be content in any and all circumstances.  I have learned the secret of being filled or going hungry, living in abundance and want.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

It's hard to be content when we have so many secular influences from our society, such as comparing ourselves to others and coveting what they have.

Knowing and trusting in God's plan for us

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope." We try to control our lifestyle instead of trusting our commitment to Christ as the main factor in our life.

Saving to get rich is not a Godly goal: 

Luke 12:34 “Where your treasure is, there also your heart will be.” How easy is it to get sidetracked by social media, magazines, TV ads and what we see around us?  We give too much importance to things which will no longer have any meaning the moment we take our last breath.

We serve God in our work.

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever your task, work heartily as for the Lord and not men…You are serving the Lord Christ."  Whatever job we have, we are using the talents God has given us and we serve him in our work.  This applies whether you are the janitor or the CEO or a stay at home parent.

We are called to be generous. 

Acts 20:35 “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” It's so easy to think we don't have enough to be generous and justify keeping everything for ourselves.

We are called to be honest in all things, even the smallest. 

Judges 17:6 “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” How many times do we hear about people manipulating their words and actions to be technically truthful without being totally honest? Are we always totally honest in every area of our life?

Debt is financial slavery:

“The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is slave of the lender.” Proverbs 22:7. If you don't think you are a slave to the lender, try missing a few payments on your mortgage, car loan or credit cards and see what happens.

And most importantly, How we manage money and possessions impacts our life in eternity:  Luke 16:11 "If therefore you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth who will entrust true riches to you?”

The question when it comes to your finances is…will you believe what you read in the Bible, the Word of the Lord, or will you turn to one of the millions of articles, books, social media posts, or magazines and believe what a total stranger is telling you?

To learn more about our Bible Studie and online groups, visit CompassCatholic.org