What do you think “the secret” is to achieving true and lasting financial freedom?
For starters, let me tell you what it’s NOT.
The secret to true and lasting financial freedom is NOT to save more, give more, earn more, invest more, or spend less.
In spite of what you might think, the “secret” is actually quite simple.
It doesn’t matter if you’re…
- Rich or poor
- Young or old
- Male or female
- Educated or Uneducated
None of these things matters when seeking true financial freedom.
You just have to know “the secret.”
And the secret to achieving true financial freedom is something I like to call “the stewardship principle.”
What is the stewardship principle?
The stewardship principle is a principle that helps Christians determine how they should spend, save, give, and invest their money to achieve maximum joy and true financial freedom.
The stewardship principle is this…
If God owns everything, then every financial decision is also a spiritual decision.
I know what you’re thinking…
“Whoa, Tyler…back up the truck! EVERY financial decision is also a spiritual decision? I’m not sure I follow.”
Let’s see if we can clear things up a bit.
We’ll start with the first part – “God owns everything.”
Throughout Scripture, one thing is clear in regards to our money and possessions…God owns and controls it all.
I’ve written about this in a previous blog post, so I won’t rehash it all here, but Psalm 24:1 sums it up nicely…
The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it.
Psalm 24:1 (NASB)
But how do we go from God owning everything, where we’re just stewards of His resources…to every financial decision becoming a spiritual decision too?
Jesus himself answers that question immediately after he shares the parable of the rich fool (which we covered here) when he says the following…
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:34 (ESV)
Now do you see the connection?
What we do with our money reveals the condition of our heart.
It shows what we REALLY value in life…not just what we SAY we value.
This changes EVERYTHING
If this is true, then the stewardship principle will impact EVERY area of our finances, including how we give, save, spend, and invest.
Think about it for a moment…
A. It changes how we give
The question is no longer, “How much should I give?” but rather, “How much dare I keep?”
B. It changes how we save
The question is no longer, “How much should I save?” but rather, “What am I saving for?”
C. It changes how we spend
The question is no longer, “How much CAN I spend?” but rather, “How much SHOULD I spend?”
D. It changes how we invest
The question is no longer, “How MUCH should I invest?” but rather, “HOW should I invest?“
Granted, even with the stewardship principle in mind, these decisions are not easy. They still require a lot of wisdom and thought, many times with the help of a trusted third-party advisor (like SageOak).
And it certainly doesn’t mean our giving, saving, spending, and investing decisions are always going to be “black and white.”
But at least now they’re a lighter shade of gray!
And it paves the road to TRUE financial freedom
How does the stewardship principle pave the road to true and lasting financial freedom?
If every financial decision is a spiritual decision, then the only way to achieve true financial freedom is to find our ultimate joy and treasure in Christ alone.
Rather than put our hope and trust in our money and possessions (like this guy), we need to put our hope and trust in “the one who supplies our every need.”
Once we begin to do that, we’ll start the journey towards the true and lasting financial freedom that only He can provide…freedom from the love of money.
And “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36, ESV).
