I like the musical group, Abba (probably showing my age with that comment). One of their songs is entitled, “Money, Money, Money.” And that chorus has been rolling through my mind this last week or so.

In case it’s not at the tip of you memory, it goes like this: “Money, money, money, must be funny. In the rich man’s world, money, money, money, Always sunny in the rich man’s world. Aha aha, all the things I could do, if I had a little money. It’s a rich man’s world.”

I think I have been humming that chorus because I have been doing some study on the hated subject of money. Pastors hate to preach on this subject and people in the pew cringe when they do.

Preachers avoid the topic because they don’t want to be “that guy.” Maybe they lack training in that area, or maybe they struggle dealing with their own finances. But the lack of good Biblical insight into the whole topic of personal finances hurts each believer.

The Bible is clear; we can’t love God and money at the same time. It’s a big deal that we get the topic of finances right in our minds.

As I reviewed the Biblical material on money (would you believe there are over 2300 verses that mention money?) there are a couple of principles that jumped out at me. Maybe they will help you too.

One, don’t forget that God is the source of everything. Don’t believe the lie a “self-made man” tells. It all came from our creator. The time, our health, the many resources and networks that offer us opportunities, all the mental and physical strength we possess-all of it came from Him. We cannot take credit for any of it. See Deut. 8:17-18.

And secondly, since we are not the owners of any of our personal resources (including money), we need to embrace the concept of stewardship. We have choices and opportunities and we need to take them seriously. He is investing in us as His kids. And there will be a day of reckoning. He will show up and ask, “So, what did you do with the gifts I gave you?”

Recognizing those two simple principles can change everything about the way we deal with money. We can’t be boastful about our earnings, they all happened on His watch. We can’t brag about a status or symbol of accomplishment, because without His grace, it wouldn’t happen.

And this week is a great time to remind us of the features of a good steward. They are to be found faithful, hard working, and generous to a fault. They hold things lightly. They revere the Almighty and enjoy His blessings, but with an open hand. He gives, He takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Those attitudes sure make dealing with finances easier!