Been
a talk presented by Elechi Udochi Alegua
during the 2017 Fathers Week celebration
at
Christ Ambassadors Ang. Church Omuodukwu, Igwuruta-Ali, Igwuruta Archdeaconry
on Saturday 17th June 2017
My
prayer is that every form of financial stagnation shall end by the end of this
teaching.
We
shall be laying the foundation for an effective money management during this
talk. The Bible says: if the foundation be
destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3. We shall be looking
on the topic: Accountability
Accountability
is responsibility. To be accountable is to be responsible for a thing that is
done. As believers and heads of our homes, the reason why many default on
matters affecting their finances is because they spend money without bearing in
mind that they shall give an account of whatever resources they
have. We forget easily that we are stewards and not owners, to that
effect God will assuredly require a proper account of all the things that He
has freely given to us including our time, gift, talent, life, opportunities and
finances. The Bible says in Romans 14:12: So then
every one of us shall give account of himself to God
You
need to be accountable, not just to yourself, but primarily to God, who is the
Supplier of all your provisions. People around you, as well as your family
members, should be able to see your example of accountability, so they can
learn prudent spending and wise financial transactions through you as a
Christian.
OUR
TASK AS Steward’s:
God
has clear instructions for stewards. "Now it is required that those who
have been given a trust (literally, stewards) must prove
faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). The Greek term “steward”
here includes a form of the word, house. It describes a household
manager in the ancient Greek world who handled the finances for the owner.
Managers are accountable to owners for how they use their finances or material
possessions.
Owners
will hold managers accountable!
And God will hold us accountable for anything He has entrusted to us. There is
seriousness to having things!
We
know that Joseph was falsely accused and was thrown into jail unfairly. That
doesn’t sound fair for someone who was a faithful steward does it. However, at
the end of the story, where is Joseph? He is a steward again – in a big way!
Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt, in charge of the palace, in charge
of everything and everyone except Pharaoh himself. And Joseph evidently could
even use Pharaoh’s signet ring any way he chose (Genesis 41:40-42)!
Why
did this happen? God made it happen because Joseph was a faithful steward.
So
we learn two principles from Joseph about the way God views stewardship.
1. Stewards
manage the property of others.
2. Stewards
who are faithful receive greater privileges.
Financial
rest does not come when you are a millionaire; it comes by being a good money
manager. You must
have a financial plan or else you are creating room for financial pain. Pain is a sign of disorder;
therefore to experience financial pain is a sign of disorder in your spending
pattern. What is the first step you must take?
Keep
Records!
Record
keeping is a requirement for accountability. Have a proper documentation of
your financial transactions. Learn to keep record of all your incomes as well
as expenditures. List out your incomes, your expenditures and review them from
time to time, so as to assess whether your financial transactions are prudent
or whether you need to adjust your spending pattern.
Periodically,
make a list of the items you spend money on, and how much money you spend on
each item. You may choose to do this monthly, weekly and or daily. Keep accurate
records. With that, it becomes easy to
compile a financial report. This will help a great deal in being accountable to
God who is our Source, so I we live in good conscience.
Accountability
pays off. The Lord says: …thou good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: (Matthew 25:21)
Financial
faithfulness qualifies you for financial fruitfulness. You receive more money
from the Lord and from men too. More money cannot be committed into your hands,
except you are accountable for the one you have at present.
You
need grace from God in order to be a faithful steward in money management. The
right place to begin from is a personal relationship with God, through Jesus
Christ. If you want to start this relationship right now, you can say this
prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today as a
sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose on the third day. Forgive me my
sins. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today,
Accountable unto you.
Title : EFFECTUAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT IN THE HOME: ACCOUNTABILITY
Description : Been a talk presented by Elechi Udochi Ale gua during the 2017 Fathers Week celebration at Christ Ambassadors Ang. Church Omuodukwu...