For many years, the area of finances was one of the hardest parts of my walk with God. I loved the Lord and believed His Word, yet I struggled financially. From around 1972, when I started in ministry, all the way to 1996, Jamie and I barely made ends meet—and it nearly shut our ministry down. But it wasn’t God’s fault—it was mine. I had fear, doubt, and wrong concepts about money. 

Church Myths About Money 

Much of that struggle came from what I’d been taught about money as a believer. I grew up in a church that taught it was ungodly to talk about finances. They believed that if you were a Christian, God would supply your needs (Phil. 4:19), not your wants. They really emphasized 1 Timothy 6:10, that the love of money is the root of all evil. 

That way of thinking may sound spiritual, but it actually distorts Scripture by treating money itself as evil. That misunderstanding has cost people dearly. I’ve seen believers struggle emotionally, physically, and in their relationships simply because they didn’t understand God’s heart when it comes to prosperity. 

Once I began to understand what Scripture actually teaches, I started seeing dramatic change—not only in my own life, but in others as well. Let me tell you about Colin and April Carr, graduates of Charis Bible College. When they arrived at school, they had some serious problems. But today, after trusting God and applying His Word, they’re running a business doing over a billion dollars in annual income. That’s not arrogance—it’s freedom. That’s what happens when Christians embrace biblical financial stewardship. 

Prosperity Prejudice 

And yet, despite fruit like that, there’s still a lot of prejudice surrounding this subject. If you talk about a doctor, lawyer, athlete, or celebrity prospering, it’s no problem. But when it’s a Christian or a minister, suddenly everyone’s eyebrows go up. That’s because of this old, misguided idea that a minister must live in lack to be “humble.” That’s just not scriptural. Abraham, David, Solomon, and many others were all blessed and prosperous. Prosperity in God’s hands isn’t a sin—it’s good stewardship. 

How Your Thinking Affects Your Finances 

At the root of all this isn’t money—it’s thinking. Proverbs 23:7 says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. If you’re poor, it’s because your thinking is poor. It’s not because of your skin color, gender, or education. It’s not because someone didn’t treat you fairly. Your finances are a reflection of your mindset about money. 

The good news is that your thinking can change. Beliefs can change. And when your heart and mind line up with God’s Word, financial breakthrough follows. And once your thinking changes, the next issue you have to settle is ownership. 

In Luke 16, Jesus told a parable about a rich man and his steward. The lesson is profound: it’s not your money. God is the source of all you have. Your talents, your opportunities, your resources—they’re not for you alone. You are a steward. A steward is someone who manages something that belongs to someone else. 

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 

Luke 16:10–11 

Money isn’t the enemy—it’s just a tool. The problem comes when your heart is on money instead of on God. Covetousness and fear of running out—those are signs you’re not stewarding well. But when your heart recognizes God as the source and you faithfully manage what He’s given, blessings follow—often in ways you never imagined. If He can get it through you, He will get it to you. 

Practical Steps to Changing Your Money Mindset 

I want to help you live this out, so here are a few simple, biblical steps: 

1. Shift your mindset: Recognize that it is not your money. God owns it, and He’s entrusted you to steward it faithfully. 

1. Start small: Faithfulness begins in the “least.” Give generously from what you have, trusting God to multiply it. 

1. Obey, even when it seems impossible: Don’t let what’s in your wallet limit what God wants to do.  

1. Avoid comparing or blaming: Let go of societal prejudices and excuses. Focus on your stewardship, your heart, and your obedience to the Lord. 

If this feels hard, there’s a reason for it—and Jesus addressed it directly. Look what He said in Luke 16:13: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.” 

There is a demonic spirit called mammon that uses fear and greed to make you depend on money. It tells you that you’re going to run out, so when God asks you to give, you hold back and say, “But I need this.” That spirit will keep you in bondage. 

This is where a lot of believers get stuck. They love God. They want to obey Him. But this one issue keeps pulling them back. And until it’s dealt with, nothing else really works the way it should. 

I have so much more to say, but there’s no way I can cover everything in just one article. So if you need a breakthrough in this area—and most people do—I encourage you to get my full teaching, titled Prosperity. 

This is a unique series drawn from the chapel sessions I teach at Charis. It covers a broad range of topics, including how helping another person’s vision can make room for your own, why pulling back financially in hard times can actually keep you from God’s blessings, how partnership can create opportunities effort alone never will, and many other truths that can completely change the way you handle your finances.