My faith is important to me, and I’m sure your faith is important to you as well. In my 40-year journey of faith, I have discovered how challenging it is to integrate faith into every aspect of life and how
important this integration is. One temptation we must avoid is creating a false dichotomy regarding what is spiritual and what is not — that some things in our lives belong to God while others do not. Every Christian should desire to follow Christ in every area of life, including finances.
In my faith journey, I have come to realize the enormous impact financial decisions have on my walk with Christ and those around me. It is easy to understand the importance of giving and how our giving impacts others, but what about other financial decisions (business partners, where I bank, investments, etc.)? According to Psalm 24:1, everything belongs to God. This includes our money, the possessions our money buys, the places our money is spent — anything impacted by our financial decisions. We all are accountable to God because we are called to care for His creation. This stewardship mentality should shape how we view and relate to money, how we give and spend it, how we steward all of our resources, and how we think about financial ethics.
Christian financial ethics are deeply rooted in the Word of God. The Bible contains many instructions and principles to guide our financial decisions and behaviors. These ethics also help deepen our trust and relationship with God and align our actions with His purposes. These biblical instructions and principles emphasize areas such as stewardship, generosity, and integrity.
Stewardship is the cornerstone of Christian financial ethics. As believers, we know everything belongs to the Lord. Everything we “own” is a gift from God, and we are simply stewards entrusted with managing these gifts wisely for God’s purposes and glory. This perspective shifts our focus from simple wealth accumulation for personal gain to using our resources wisely to further Christ’s Kingdom. To have a good stewardship ethic, Christians should focus on budgeting, saving for the future, investing wisely, and avoiding unnecessary debt. These actions should all be done through the lens of glorifying God and benefiting others.
Another key element of Christian financial ethics is generosity. Generosity should be a hallmark of Christian living. Jesus demonstrated this virtue through what He taught and did. God is generous and benevolent, and we have been created in His image and should reflect His generosity. The Bible teaches us to give willingly, cheerfully, and sacrificially.
Christians give to support their local church, missions, and charitable causes and to assist the poor and those in need. We have a responsibility to care for and protect the poor and vulnerable. God gave Himself to demonstrate His love for the world, and our generosity ultimately involves us in His work of redemption and reconciliation.
Integrity is also essential to Christian financial ethics. Integrity is the foundational element in how we make financial decisions. Proverbs 11:1 teaches the importance of honesty in financial and business practices and makes it clear integrity matters to the Lord. Christians must be honest and above board with all financial practices. This should include repaying debts on time, reporting income accurately, fulfilling employment obligations, dealing fairly with others, and more. Our honesty and integrity honors God, builds trust with others, and keeps us and our financial decisions from being a stumbling block to others.
Repeatedly in the Bible, we see God calling people back to a right relationship with Him. I am convinced this includes our handling of money and financial decisions. These ethics (stewardship, generosity, and integrity) not only align financial decisions with our faith but also help us grow in our relationship with God and contribute to the welfare of the world around us.
Let’s commit together to a Christian financial ethic that will help transform our lives into a testament of God’s love and grace.
About the Writer: Chris Compton is accounting administrator for Richland Ave Financial (Board of Retirement). He graduated in 2007 with an M.A. in Bible exposition from Columbia International University. A 1998 graduate of East Tennessee State University, he has over 15 years of administrative/financial experience in varied fields as well as seven years of pastoral ministry experience.
