Mammon And God: Money And SpiritualitySample

Division

Devotional Content: 

In today’s video, Dr. Kim asks Mike and Lisa this question, “What is step one in overcoming division with money?”

Separation in any area of marriage is not good. You cannot work on your sex life if you consistently sleep in separate bedrooms. You cannot grow together spiritually without taking time to connect spiritually. The same is true with money. I think separation with money sets you up for problems. It goes against the principle we talked about earlier in this plan of managing the money together.  

Do you have to both operate out of the same bank account? I guess not, but why would you not? Nancy and I have always had one bank account for the two of us. We both have access to the money. We both know what is in the account and what is coming out. I know some of you who know our story are thinking, “You guys married young and never really established your own accounts with your own money.” You are right.  Maybe it was easier for us to do that. That does not change the fact that it has worked well for us, and in all of these years of marriage, we never considered doing it differently.

I believe that God wants married couples to become one in every area of life, and that includes our money. I have counseled a lot of couples where money is a problem. If they are separated in their money, that is usually a big part of the problem. That does not mean that a couple with one bank account will not have money problems, but it does mean that they are in it together.  

For some of you this is a foreign subject. You may have been hurt financially in a previous relationship. There may be trust issues centered on money in your current marriage. I get that. I would just ask that you begin praying about being one in your money and see where God leads you. It may take time - a lot of baby steps, Christian counseling, and consultation with a financial planner - but I promise you, it will all be worth it!

Today’s Challenge: 

If you are divided in any way with your finances, begin seeking God’s wisdom together and follow His lead. Take time to understand each other’s past with handling money.

Going Deeper:

Set aside time to begin talking about long term financial goals for your marriage. Once you have them in place, make a plan for reaching them.