This article is part of a yearlong series exploring one foundational biblical word each month. This month, we are focusing on FAITH. Subscribe to the Sunday Morning Newsletter and catch up on the entire series at amac.us/faith.
In today’s world, financial pressure is a heavy burden for many. According to a recent survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education, nearly nine in 10 U.S. adults – 88% – reported feeling some form of financial stress as they began 2026. Another study highlights that 83% of Americans say their current financial situation is taking a toll on their mental health. These numbers reflect the reality many face: constant worry about bills, debt, unexpected expenses, and simply making ends meet.
This stress doesn’t just affect individuals – it strains relationships too. Financial problems are one of the leading contributors to divorce, with data showing they play a role in between 20% and 40% of all divorces in the U.S. For some groups, like Gen Xers, finances rank as the primary reason cited in up to 41% of cases. Disagreements over money, hidden debt, or the inability to align on priorities can erode trust and intimacy over time.
Yet amid these challenges, Scripture offers a profound shift in perspective: true peace and provision come not from clutching tighter to our resources, but from releasing them into God’s hands. When we approach finances the way God intends – as stewards of what is ultimately His – we can trust Him to meet our needs and, in His timing and wisdom, even bless us abundantly.
Everything Belongs to God
The foundational truth is simple but revolutionary: all money is God’s money. In fact, everything is God’s. Psalm 24:1 declares, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” This includes our bank accounts, our homes, our cars, our clothes, even our bodies and abilities that generate income. We often think of our possessions as “mine” – my paycheck, my savings, my stuff – but Scripture reminds us that we are managers, not owners.
As stewards, we don’t treat God’s resources as our own to do with as we please. Instead, we ask: What does the Owner want? We align our decisions with His priorities – generosity, wisdom, provision for family, care for the needy, and advancing His kingdom. Jesus taught this in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), where faithful stewards who used what was entrusted to them well were rewarded with more responsibility and blessing. When we prove trustworthy with little, God often entrusts us with more – not for selfish gain, but for greater impact and glory to Him.
A Personal Turning Point: Stepping Out in Obedience
For many years, even as a committed Christian, I struggled with this truth in a very practical way: tithing. I believed in giving, but when it came to consistently tithing 10% to my church, I held back. Like so many, I lived paycheck to paycheck. My budget felt perpetually stretched – “just getting by” – and the idea of giving away 10% seemed impossible. How could I afford it when there was barely enough to cover necessities?
But God convicted me deeply: this wasn’t primarily a money issue; it was a faith issue. If I didn’t trust God to provide when I obeyed in this area, how could I claim to trust Him in others? Was my faith real if it stopped short of obedience when it felt risky? The turning point came when I remembered Malachi 3:10, where God Himself says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (NIV).
Remarkably, this is the only place in Scripture where God invites us to test Him. I decided to take Him at His word. About 10 years ago, I drove that stake in the ground: I would tithe 10% out of obedience, live on 90%, and leave the results to God. It wasn’t easy at first – there were months when the math didn’t add up on paper – but I chose to act in faith rather than fear.
In the decade since, God has blessed me far beyond what I could have imagined. Not always in dramatic windfalls, but through steady provision, unexpected opportunities, reduced anxiety, and a deeper sense of peace. My family has experienced stability and growth that seemed out of reach before. I share this not to promise a formula – tithing isn’t a magic ticket to wealth, and we must never give with the motive of manipulating God’s blessing. That’s not faith; that’s transaction.
Rather, the question is: Do I have faith in God? If yes, then will I obey what He says, even when it’s hard, and trust Him with the outcome? Tithing became for me an act of surrender – a declaration that God is my Provider, not my employer, job, or paycheck. It shifted my heart from scarcity to gratitude, from control to dependence.
Moving Forward in Faith
Financial stress is real, and the world’s solutions – more debt, endless hustle, or hoarding – often deepen the burden. But God invites us into a different way: recognize His ownership, steward faithfully, obey generously, and trust His provision. As Jesus reminded us in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
If you’re wrestling with finances right now, start small. Acknowledge God’s ownership. Take that step of obedience – whether tithing, creating a budget that honors Him, paying off debt wisely, or simply praying over your money with open hands. Test Him in this, as He invites. You may find, as I did, that faith in finances isn’t about having more; it’s about trusting the One who owns it all.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
You are the Owner of all things. The earth is Yours, and everything in it – including the resources You have placed in our hands. Forgive us for the times we have clung tightly to what was never ours to begin with. Forgive us for allowing fear, anxiety, or control to replace trust.
Teach us to see ourselves as faithful stewards, not owners. Give us wisdom in our decisions, courage in our obedience, and generosity that reflects Your heart. Where there is financial stress, bring peace. Where there is scarcity thinking, replace it with gratitude. Where there is fear, deepen our faith.
Help us to seek first Your kingdom in every financial decision. May our giving, saving, spending, and planning all honor You. And as we trust You with what is already Yours, grow our dependence on You as our true Provider.
We surrender it all to You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings Monday: Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it…”
Tuesday: Matthew 6:19–21 – “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Wednesday: Matthew 6:31–33 – “Seek first his kingdom…”
Thursday: Malachi 3:8–10 – “Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty…
Friday: Matthew 25:14–30 – The Parable of the Talents
Saturday: Philippians 4:11–13, 19 – Contentment and God’s Provision
Jonathan Griffin, Director of Membership Marketing at AMAC | Former pastor & professor | Current husband & father | Redeemed sinner, saved by grace.
