Building Wealth & Stewardship in the ChurchSýnishorn

DAY 6 – MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME

Even if we never become rich with this world’s goods and money, God is still going to hold every Believer accountable for how we use what He gave us. Like the master in the parable in Matthew 25, God has made a great deposit of gifts and talents in each of His children and He is expecting a return on His investment. Sometimes, it’s not something that is readily known; we may have to drill down and dig to discover them, but we are yet responsible for tapping into our unique giftings and abilities.

Those skills that we identify and cultivate actually have the potential to become a business and produce multiple streams of income to not only assist us in getting out of debt but also to help us prepare an inheritance for our children. Please don’t misunderstand, when I discuss leaving an inheritance for our children, I’m not suggesting that we must leave them hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, I am advocating that we shouldn’t leave our families with absolutely nothing, not a little savings to help them financially while they're coping with the grief of losing a loved one and not even funds for our funeral expenses.

While multiple streams of income is a 21st-century buzzword for someone who maintains multiple jobs to establish more than one source of income, it is not a new concept and can be traced back to the Word of God. Let’s look at the Proverbs 31 woman. She was a wife and mother, but she was also a savvy businesswoman. The Bible tells us that she was a seamstress; she made fine linen garments, tapestries, and sashes and sold them to shop owners. She also purchased properties and used the earnings to plant vineyards. Nothing went lacking in her household and she even reached out her hand to help those in need. And she accomplished all of this in a male-dominated society. What an awesome example of success and not being limited by your conditions and circumstances!

Now, I can hear the moans of someone complaining …multiple streams plus multiple tasks can equal multiple headaches! Well, let’s go back to the Proverbs 31 woman. With all of her roles, all of her businesses, and all of her tasks, the Bible says in verse 30 that she feared The Lord. I believe the key to thriving in managing multiple streams of income is to include God. We should pray and seek Him about what will work for our individual households. I could share with you what my husband and I do, but that may not necessarily work for you, as every household is different. However, one thing I do know for sure is it would definitely be even more challenging without the wisdom of God.

And still, someone else might be wondering, why do I even need more than one stream of income? If COVID-19 taught us anything, we learned that we must have a backup plan for when the unexpected happens. Having multiple streams of income helps us so that if one dries up, we’re not left scrambling for financial support. Not only is establishing more than one stream of income a good decision, but as we identified with the Proverbs 31 woman, it is a godly decision!