Getting Ready for MarriageShembull

“Managing Money”

Few people realize before marriage that their own personal relationship with money is critical to the health of their relationship when they’re married. As odd as it sounds, everyone really does have a relationship with money. You can’t escape it; you can only make sure that it becomes a positive bond and not a source of bondage.

Being a good manager of money is often a matter of attitude. Your actions toward money will reflect your attitude. Some people have a stronger love relationship with the almighty dollar than with their chosen partner. They even love money more than God. However, when you learn to put God and your family ahead of money, you are beginning to practice healthy money management.

Speaking of God, did you know He gives us a lot of instruction about money? In the Bible, there are about 500 verses on prayer, 500 verses on faith, and more than 2,350 verses on money! Management of one’s finances is a spiritual issue. In the church world, money management is often called stewardship. For those of us who follow Jesus, we are called to be faithful stewards (essentially, managers) of our resources. Many financial counselors wake up every day excited to help others become good stewards. Ron Blue is one advisor so inspired to help couples find financial success and happiness. A couple of his key principles of stewardship are that God owns it all and delayed gratification is the key to financial maturity.

As a couple you will need to decide how you handle your finances. The big question is: Will you choose spending and debt, or delayed gratification and a responsible budget? If you haven’t already discussed this, you need to give this question serious consideration, and then plot your action steps to ensure your long-term success.

* How have you treated money as a single? How are you planning on treating it as a married couple? Have you talked at length about this very important topic? Have you created a budget for your soon-to-be shared finances?