There are two fundamental principles of prosperity that God put in His Word.  The first is the principle of giving.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

If you will notice in this verse, God says that as you give, it will be given back to you again.  God is not a taker; He is a giver. Not only will what you give, be given back to you so that you have no loss, but it will also come back abundantly more than that which you gave.

The second principle of prosperity that God put in His Word is the principle of saving part of what you earn, part of what He gives back to you.  This is shown in many verses.

Deuteronomy 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee

A storehouse is where the surplus is kept.  Many Christians are taught that to save is sin. They say we are to live from paycheck to paycheck and then believe God will cover everything else.  In other words, trust God will give them what they need in the event of emergencies.  Most of the time emergencies end up on credit cards, and we go deeper into debt.

God teaches us to both GIVE AND SAVE. (The two four letter words) Saving always reminds me of this Aesop Fable:

The Ants & the Grasshopper

One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

“What!” cried the Ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?”

“I didn’t have time to store up any food,” whined the Grasshopper; “I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone.”

The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.

“Making music, were you?” they cried. “Very well; now dance!” And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.

There’s a time for work and a time for play.

God uses the example of the diligence of the ant in Proverbs.

Proverbs 6:6-8  Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

God teaches us to store up money by way of the wisdom of the ant.  The ant does not live paycheck to paycheck like the grasshopper.  The ant stores up food (money) against the winter ahead.  Winter for us as people can be when the washer breaks down and we have no funds, or the kids get sick, or the freezer quits, or the transmission goes out in the car, or worse that we lose our job (our income).

After giving, the second fundamental principle of prosperity is saving.

The first is saving for emergencies.  Many financial experts recommend at least three to six months of wages saved.  This is money kept in reserve in case of emergencies. Saving starts with a dollar.  Just get started.

At the beginning of our saving journey, we used that emergency fund several times.  BUT it no longer had to go on a credit card!  We did not go deeper into debt.  Our emergency fund was empty, but we kept up the savings, and it grew again.  Then, another emergency! But it was nice being able to cover the emergency with cash instead of credit, which was less stressful for our marriage.

Storing up for emergencies is a biblical principle.  What did Joseph do for the first seven years?  He saved the grain. We cannot prevent surprises or calamities, but we can prepare for them because it is not a question of if they come but when.  Not being prepared is part of what keeps us in debt.  Being in debt is not what God wants for us.

Once we understand what God’s will is for finances, rather than reinventing the wheel in saving, we can learn from others who have been there before us.  Here are some quotes I found in the book, Uncommon Cents, by Lynn G Robbins.

“The art of getting riches consists very much in thrift. All men are not equally qualified for getting money, but it is in the power of everyone alike to practice this virtue.” — BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

“What are three words that profile the affluent? FRUGAL FRUGAL FRUGAL.” — THOMAS J. STANLEY AND WILLIAM D. DANKO

“Most people have it all wrong about wealth in America. Wealth is not the same as income. If you make a good income each year and spend it all, you are not getting wealthier, you are just living high. Wealth is what you accumulate, not what you spend.” — THOMAS J. STANLEY AND WILLIAM D. DANKO

“Part of all you earn is yours to keep.” — George Clason’s The Richest Man in Babylon

“Even if you are heavily in debt, hold back some in your Master Account—or you can never be free.” – A Financial Planner

“Remember that Money is of a prolific generating Nature. Money can beget Money, and its Offspring can beget more, and so on. He that kills a breeding Sow, destroys all her offspring to the thousandth Generation. He that murders a Crown [coin], destroys all it might have produc’d—even Scores of Pounds.”  Ben Franklin

Money is a large part of our lives.  Most of us work eight hours a day, and sometimes both spouses work to have enough to live on.  If you are spending 40 to 80 hours per week to earn money, you should spend some time each week learning how to manage it.  Learn the fundamental principles God has laid out then learn how others incorporated those principles into their lives/finances.

Even if you are heavily in debt, start now to save some money in an emergency fund to help prevent further debt. The biggest mistake you can make with money is neglect.

The road to The Prosperous Life is paved with Give and Save.  So, add these two four-letter words into your vocabulary and start both today! God will bless your efforts to walk believingly upon His Word.

Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.