If you’re into reading personal finance books, sites or blogs you will be inundated with free financial advice telling you to do all sorts of things.
Most of these tips are very solid independent financial advice from people who care!
What I love about the web is that you can find free financial advice on any topic at any time and get some really good perspectives on things.
So I started thinking about what is the one thing, the absolutely best financial advice I could give to someone to help them get ahead…
Initially my mind quickly jumped to “Spend Less Than You Make”, which is what you’ll hear everywhere – there’s nothing new with that.
In fact, I wrote about that in a post called The One Thing You Must Do To Get Ahead.
But is that really the Numero Uno?
After thinking about that for a bit, I decided that spending less than you make is actually number two on my list.
The Best Financial Advice I Can Give
Remember, this is free financial advice – no charge, gratis, pro bono – so take it for what it’s worth, but here’s the best financial advice I can give to you is:
Detach Yourself From Your Money!
Huh?! Detach yourself? That’s it?
Hang with me a second -
Two Masters = A Big Mess!
There are some scary passages in the Bible that talk about what happens when we are so attached to our money. Here’s Luke 16:3:
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Did you notice that? It’s a love/hate relationship.
You cannot, I repeat - cannot - love God and love money. You can’t be attached to your money and expect attachment to God.
God won’t allow it.
Ananias and Sapphira
Remember the story in Acts 5 about Ananias and Sapphira? They sold their land and brought the proceeds to the church, but they kept some for themselves.
Their error though was telling the apostles that they gave everything! They lied. They were attached to their money!
What happened? God wouldn’t allow it – Struck dead!
The Rich Young Man
The story of this guy in Matthew 19:16-30 is pretty famous. He was young and rich – a combo we all want right?
He asks Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life and then later tells Jesus he’s kept all the commandments (he’s young and rich – and he’s suffering from immense pride!)
Jesus says, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor”. (Jesus knew this was the barrier in his heart, that he loved his cash!)
What does this young, rich dude do? He leaves Jesus – saddened – because he had great wealth!
He was more attached to his wealth than he wanted attachment to Jesus!
For the LOVE of Money…
One of the most misquoted verses in all the Bible is 1 Timothy 6:10, which says:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs
Ok, so money is not the root of all evil, the LOVE of it is a root of all kinds of evils!
The love of money – attachment to our money is a root of all kinds of evils! Notice what happens to those that are attached to their money – they pierce themselves with many pangs!
What’s the Answer?
Detachment!
But be careful – detachment doesn’t mean asceticism.
It doesn’t mean getting rid of all money and thinking you are detached.
What it really means is loving the Messiah more than money.
Severing your heart from it’s natural desire to love coin more than Christ.
Now, why do I say you probably don’t detach yourself (Notice the title)?
Because I know my own heart and I struggle with detaching myself all the time and my guess is – you’re just like me!
And we are just like the Rich Young Man - we need to check our heart’s love.
This is the BEST financial advice I can give – and also the hardest to apply and measure.
What Are Your Thoughts?
How have you tried detaching yourself from money?
What is the best financial advice you would give?
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article. I find the more I’m willing to part with my money for good causes the more money I seem to find. The more I am diligent to paying off debt and making good choices with money the more God blesses me (financially and otherwise).
Nice title. I’ve read on another blog that you should respect your money for the tool it is, which will help you build a better lifestyle for yourself and others around you. That’s another interesting way of thinking about it.
Great take! I tell guys to value people over possessions. When we shift our mindset, we become more willing to contribute to people’s lives vs focusing on purchases to bring us happiness.
When my money is out of site, I’m happy, as I don’t spend it and let it work for me.
Brilliant Jason! You know that message is biblical because it’s totally counter intuitive.
There’s no way we can ever master anything that we worship, and money is no exception.
The real challenge will be to live the directive every day. Worhipping money is something of a societal norm, so it isn’t just what’s going on inside each of us, but the cues we gather and absorb from the culture around us. Difficult, but worth doing.
I’ve been so caught up with money. Which is ironic. I want to master money.. So that I can no longer need to worry about money.
It’s some solid advice you provide here.. But I suppose I don’t see in the same perspective as you do. I wouldn’t want to either worship, or be a harbinger of money. I just want to control it enough to give my full attention to my real love; my literary ambitions. <3
My best advice is as follows, “Free advice ISN’T.”
Jason,
I totally agree, but add this thought: the reason it is hard to detach ourselves from money is because we can’t do it in a vacuum. The ONLY way is to fall in love with Jesus. When we love Jesus with all of our being, the detachment of money is a natural result…like Jesus says, we can’t love both.
Great point Joe!! Seeing the beauty of Jesus is what will help us move beyond the American Dream!
thanks
the verse is luke 16:13
Yes, thanks for the correction.
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