Managing Gods Money, Money Management, Christian Financial Management

About Managing God’s Money: Christian Financial Management

What Is Managing God’s Money

Managing God’s Money is a private, Messiah-centered mission devoted to teaching individuals, couples, and groups to use money, time, talents, and other resources, for God’s glory and to further His Kingdom. Managing God’s Money carries out its teaching mission as part of the Great Commission of presenting the Gospel of Jesus our Messiah to all the world. Managing God’s Money is not a charity, does not represent financial companies or sell their products, does not seek funding, and does not charge fees for its services through sessions with individuals, couples, groups, print and other media. Managing God’s Money teaching, preaching, and financialcounselling is routed firmly in the Bible.

Many folks have difficulty with the idea of God's money. They prefer managing your (my) money. Managing your money, they say, gives a better picture because you earn and you spend. Further, managing your money shows God gives you a free choice to use funds He gives you as you decide. However, this reasoning ignores the owner and stewardship relationship. God is the Owner, you have a stewardship role to handle His money, His way--you are His steward, or manager. When you grasp this owner and stewardship concept, you will find it much easier to spend stress free! What do you believe? What do you practice? Managing your money, or managing God's money?

Christian Financial Management: Michel Bell’s Beginning

In 1990, shortly after Michel Bell’s daughter Keisha, got engaged, she asked him to present her and her fiancee, pre-marital financial counseling. To prepare, Michel searched Montreal area Christian bookstores, bought all available Christian financial books, read them and was surprized at their contents. None linked handling finances to a vibrant relationship with Jesus. None stated explicitly managing money didn’t need technical financial knowledge, but an understanding that lifestyle choices create expenses. Effectively, none had Jesus our Messiah as it’s foundation on which it built financial tips, tools, and techniques. So, Michel presented the soon to be newly weds, a series of brief Bible based financial seminars linked to key financial practices of goal setting, budgeting, and credit card use, emphasizing the need to let God control all areas of life.

The youth pastor at church heard about the sessions and asked Michel to counsel folks at church. This led to Michel doing financial counseling and Bible based financial seminars at different churches in Montreal and elsewhere. Later resulting in his first book, Managing God’s Money-The Basics ("Basics") published in 2000.

When Michel began this journey, the Lord laid on his heart the title of his mission, Managing God’s Money, but Michel struggled with using it because he was convinced then as now, no one can manage money, money management meant lifestyle management. Still, as it was a clear direction from God, in obedience, he has used it, not only as the mission’s title, but for main titles of his four money books, his CD, DVD, financial seminars, workshops and all he does.

Following the Basics’ publication, at age 53, Michel sensed the Lord guiding him out of his senior executive job, and into this teaching mission, full time. In 2002, as a senior executive of former Alcan Inc. (now Rio Tinto Alcan), he realized he needed to be obedient and heed God’s clear call to leave the job he loved and would have paid to continue doing! God’s mandate was to leave and be available full time to the Him to do as He leads; Michel was to prepare no plans, charge no fees, but to serve whomever God brought to Him. In August 2002, Michel left Alcan Inc. and has been full time president of Managing God’s Money.

Christian Financial Management: The Essence

The GAS Principle, three biblical truths about money, is the foundation of Managing God’s Money, the essence of Christian financial management. Christian financial management is an approach to carrying out our stewardship role by surrendering all areas of our lives to our Messiah and allowing Him to guide our spending. Christian financial management reflects our values, beliefs, and lifestyle. How do we decide to spend: why, how much, when we spend? Our lifestyle drives spending: types of homes and cars we buy. Christian financial management is lifestyle management that leads to stress free ABC’s. Your attitude is your worldview--what you believe--and it decides how you behave. Your attitude decides too, your choices. Choose Jesus and His teachings as your source of truth, and you will learn to spend under His direction. This is difficult, especially in today’s consumer driven world.

Christian Financial Management: The Money Triangle

Usually, early in my financial seminars, I explain the money triangle. Understanding the Money Triangle will help you see more clearly the essence of Christian financial management--that money isn’t manageable.The money triangle points you to the key variable that needs managing ... you! In each financial transaction, we have three parts: a merchant, me, and money. The merchant produces stuff and tries to get me to buy his stuff, even if I don’t need them. The merchant uses advertising gimmicks such as no money down, sales, and deals, tricking me to think I save when I spend. Folks don’t realize they save only when they set aside funds at no risk. So, the merchant succeeds in convincing many to spend. He tell folks the more they spend the more they save, and then loans money to people who can’t afford to buy stuff. So folks buy stuff they can’t afford and many people end deep in debt. The merchant’s strategy works to boot! He comes out on top!

The second item in the triangle is me. Long ago, to sell his stuff, the merchant focussed on advertising products or services, but not today. No, today, she appeals to me with enticing financing schemes. Sales, deals, no money down, 50% off, zero percent financing are some tactics she uses. Folks succumb because they define affordable as ability to get merchant financing. Not ability to accommodate the full item cost in their household budgets, without stress and strain to the family.

Money completes the triangle. What is it? Merely a means to an end. It’s anything the merchant will accept in exchange for goods or services he provides. Which of the three Ms, in the money triangle can I manage?

I can’t manage the merchant who tries constantly to get me to spend. I can’t manage money because it’s just the means, the bridge between me and the merchant. I can manage me only--my lifestyle, my needs, my wants, my greed. Before you spend, recall the money triangle. Look at how your lifestyle choices might affect spending. Look at you (me) and your (my) behaviour and take your (my) eyes off the merchant and money. Let’s ask Jesus to help you and me tackle the merchant and his gimmicks. Meanwhile, take a practical step; start working with our free envelope budgeting system.