Marriage Success Series: Lesson 4

RCCG Agape House of Worship

Marriage Success Class

Lesson 04 - Money in Marriage

Texts: Amos 3:3, Matthew 19:3-9, Acts 18: l-4, Ephesians 5:21-24.

Introduction
Issues around money account for the majority of the problems in marriage, unfortunately this fact is also true among believers. A lot of these problems stem from differences in attitudes towards money,
differences in financial habits and orientation, lack of trust in God, and most importantly failure to apply God' wisdom in the area of finances. As Christians we must handle money the way God says we should most especially in our marriage (Prov14: 12). Anytime we neglect God's wisdom and follow our own it always result in problems. The bible has answers even to financial issues in marriage and we must recognize that His commandments are for our good. I John 5: 3.

"Unless you surrender to each other your right over money, you will not surrender other rights"

How God Uses Money in Marriage
The bible teaches that money is a great tool that God uses in our lives especially in our marriage.
Financial problems in marriage are just symptoms of other problems in your life.

1 . God uses money as a test of faithfulness. Oftentimes when you face a job layoff or a mountain of
debt, how you handle them is a sign of your faithfulness of God. Luke 16:10-12

2. God uses money as a communication tool. If you and your spouse can discuss finances without
arguing chances are that you are not communicating well Phil.4: 15, I Tim. 6:18.

3. To test our character and attentiveness - Most singles are very sloppy when it comes to money
management. Getting married and having to manage money with your spouse gets you to focus
on money management which a good life skill.

Fundamentals of Money Management in Marriage
1. Acknowledge that God owns everything you have. I Cor.4: 7 - Couples who have not
acknowledged God's ownership of their money will find it hard in the area of money.

2. See each other as equal partner in the relationship and be accountable to each other. Eph.5:21

3. Be willing to accommodate your spouse through sacrifice - Accommodating your spouse
sometimes means sacrificing some of your values.

4. Think ahead and avoid problems. Luke 14:28, Prov.22;3 - The fewer problems you have the
easier is money management is your marriage.

5. Get educated about money matters. Prov.14: 15 - The more you know about money management
(taxes, insurances, investments etc) the easier it is to manage money in marriage.

Building Together: God's Perfect Will for Money in Marriage
The solution to money problem in marriage is a commitment to build together. Building together means pulling and merging your financial resources together. It means getting rid of "his money and her money" mentality. This single move will help you conquer most money problems in your marriage, which is a major breakthrough. Practically this means managing your money in such a way that any money earned by any of you belongs to both of you. Unfortunately many married couples are not married in the area of finances. When the bible says they shall become one flesh, it also covers the area such finance.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 - "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work"

Advantages of Building Together Eccl.4: 9
l. Building together encourages trust and sincerity - When the money is together trust becomes
easy and temptation are easy to defeat.

2. Building together encourages mutual dependency. I Corinthians 7:3-4. A healthy marriage is
where couple have programmed themselves to depend on each other for their needs.

3. Building together encourages effective communication - Most of us learn something when we
really have to; because you both have to talk about money you will learn to communicate.

4. Building together encourages goal compatibility. Mathew 18: 19 - When money is together there
is alignment in your goals and priorities.

5. Building together leads to good decision making process - Two heads are always better than one
especially when both heads feel like they have an equal stake in the outcome.

6. Building together leads to effective management and coordination of resources.

Disadvantages of Not Building Together:
l. Not building together can lead to insincerity in the relationship - When there is cloudiness and
no knowledge of what is going on, the enemy can sow seed of doubt and distrust.

2. Not building together can bring competitive spirit into the marriage - Each person's value is
attached to how much they bring in. For example, there may be times when one person has to
take a lower paying job for the sake of the family; this is difficult when not building together.

3. Not building together can lead to insensitivity to each other's needs. This will result in one party
feeling cheated. It also increases the temptation to use money to fight each other.

4. Not building together can lead to a sense of self sufficiency which kills love - When there is no
sense of needing each other for needs.

5. Not building together leads to bad decision making - When there is no need to consult the other
party in many areas of your decision making, you can easily make rash and bad decision.

6. Not building together leads to poor coordination and wastage of resources.

Practical Steps to Avoiding Financial Trouble in Marriage
1. Put God first in your finances; pay your tithes and offerings. Proverbs 3:9, Luke 6:38

2. Establish a monthly budget and appoint someone to manage the budget and money. Luke l4: 28

3. Eradicate and avoid consumer debt, live within your income. Remember it is not how much you
make but how much you spend. Proverbs22:7

4. Make time each month to review every area of spending to determine if you are on course.

5. Keep good records. By keeping good records, having a plan and being honest with oneself,
couple won't get into financial trouble.

6. Prepare for Emergency. Avoid living from paycheck to paycheck; not doing so will put a lot of
strain in your marriage.

7. Make plans for the future. Reserve a portion of your income for future (401K, IRA). Luke 14: 28

8. Seek good counsel and educate yourself in the area of finances. Proverbs 14: 15