Do you know how much money you need each month, and what you spend most of your money on?

If you answered no to any of the above questions, you probably don’t have a working plan for finances. This is part of our discipleship, growth, and is important to live a faithful, fruitful, and effective life as a missionary.

This attitude can come from a misinterpretation of Scripture.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7), Jesus talks about finances. He says “Do not worry… Do not be like the pagans chasing after food and clothes… Do not love money or have a divided heart.”

This makes some people think that money is not spiritual and we should not think about or plan our finances. That is not what Jesus is saying. The focus is: do not be consumed by money or enslaved to it.

Learning About Money Management

When you were a child living at home, did you used to worry if there would be food to eat? Or did you show up at dinner expecting to be fed? If our parents were able to provide for us, we grew up not even thinking about money. We trusted that we would be taken care of.

As you grew and became an adult, did you still behave like a child? Did your parents expect you to contribute to the financial running of the household? As you grew, did they start to share with you about finances? Or teach you about how to budget, save, and plan your spending? Perhaps you got a job, or earned some money and started to buy things yourself.

If your parents taught you about money, you have learned essential lessons. If not, then your Heavenly Father wants to teach you about finances now.

It is not too late! He wants to free you from worry, lack, and distress over your financial situation. When we feel stressed, we often want to avoid the stressor. We try to ignore it, saying, “No worries, God will provide”, but we live from one crisis to another.

“Isn’t it unspiritual to plan and manage money?” you might wonder. “Isn’t that the opposite of living by faith?“

No. God operates through what He has created. There are measured seasons, times of rain and dry, seasons of growth, fruit, and barrenness. Times of plenty and lack. Creatures learn in the created order to plan and respond to their available resources.

Observe the Ant

In Proverbs six, we are commanded to observe the ant.

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Prov 6:6-9

The first step to financial freedom is changing our beliefs about money and our role as stewards.

In a previous article, we discussed the importance of trusting God. Now we must look at partnering with God to be good stewards.

An Example of God’s Provision Through Financial Planning

Let me share a recent story of planning and managing finances. In 2019, God was speaking to my husband and me about a new regenerative farming vision. In 2020, we started preparing, and in 2021 we started the ministry. We knew we would need a lot of money to begin, and keep it running. How did we get the money to make it a reality?

This has been our financial planning process:

• Getting the vision clear: We waited on God and wrote down the vision. We spent a long time discussing, and hearing from God. We asked our leaders and spiritual mentors for input. We talked about our dreams and disagreements until the vision was clear, and we were in unity.
• Planning: We wrote down a list of items that we would need to buy for the vision. Then we did a lot of research about how much was item would cost. Finally, we did a timeline about when we would need the money to buy the different items. Once that was complete we knew how much we needed, what we needed it for, and when we needed the money.
• Hearing God and making a strategy: We got on our knees to ask God for his provision, and strategy. God spoke a variety of things to us. He told us to save. We set aside 20% of our income to save for the upcoming expenses. We began to build a start-up capital fund. Then we opened a new, separate bank account to set money aside for the ministry. We knew we needed others to join us in the vision. This ministry is not for our personal gain, but for the building of the kingdom of God. We communicated the vision widely face to face, through phone calls, emails, and on social media. God spoke to us about asking some particular people to give for specific costs – like buying a sheep or a cow.
• Prayer. We met and prayed together or alone daily, asking God for his provision. He gave us many Scriptures that fueled our faith.
• Small steps of obedience. We obeyed by starting with the things that we could do. I have found as we are faithful to do our part in obeying God, He entrusts us with more. We started raising ducks, quail, vegetables, and fruit trees in our backyard. Once we had utilized all our space, God expanded our reach and opened up an opportunity to use a small farm.
• Faithful record keeping. We keep a good record of all the money we spend, what we spend it on, and any income or financial gifts we get. Record keeping is important to stay accountable, be legal, and responsible to the authorities. It gives us an opportunity to be above reproach. It helps us see God’s incredible faithfulness and provision.

As you look at this list of activities, what are you doing to plan for your personal and ministry finances? The same principles apply in both areas.

What do you need to strengthen? Where could you begin to improve?

Let us know in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook Group.

Sometimes finances and financial planning can feel like a huge mountain in front of us. Take one obedient step at a time, and you will succeed.

*This article was written by a guest contributor- R.M.

Need to Learn More About Financial Planning?

We have been working to create a relevant online course on fundraising and money management. It is particularly designed for missionaries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We hope to make this course available in the near future. Sign up below if you are interested.