How to Correct Negative Financial Behaviors

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

What are negative financial behaviors and what makes them negative?

Negative financial behaviors are financial behaviors as well as attitudes which always put your financial figures in red – that is to say you are always financially stressed, financially insecure, financially dependent on people and circumstances. You never have financial resources stashed away for the rainy day and when there is a major or even minor need in your life, you are always at the mercy of other people – begging without shame and most times being ignored, or humiliated or even insulted. At other times, you have to borrow, and in some cases with high interest rates and you borrow, you may actually have no means of paying back the debts.

Always Look at Value

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Effective leaders negotiate win/win agreements whenever possible; follow through on their commitments, whatever the cost. John Maxwell

Value is whatever brings positive additions to your life, enhances your brand and potentials for wealth and success. This implies that your associations, your knowledgebase, your assumed assets could be worthless if they have no value and do not attract any value. Even dresses worn by certain people attract value. Same goes for fashion accessories and even home accessories used by certain people.  Certain vintage cars also have value as their prices increase with the times. This makes it imperative for you, a creator of wealth to know and understand value so that you can always identify value, always seek value and entertain value. That way, you will always look at value. The Bible records in Genesis Chapter 13 verses 14 to 18 that Abraham lifted up his eyes as instructed by the Lord and he saw Canaan, the land of promise. Please see also Psalm 119 verse 37, verse 148 where David chose to look at the word of God. Job on the other chose not to look at what would make him lust after young women. Please see Job Chapter 31 verse 1.

Engage in Wealth Creating Activities

 Written by Uyoyou Charles-Iyoha

To make money and create wealth, you have to engage in an income generating activity.  Lydia was a business woman who sold purple – Acts Chapter 16 verse 14. The virtuous woman of Proverbs Chapter 31 verses 10 to 31 was a business woman – knitting and sewing, designing gowns and sweaters for sale. She also invested in agriculture. The widow of the indebted prophet was a business woman – she sold oil and became debt free, 2^nd Kings Chapter 4 verses 1 to 7. Aquila was a tentmaker and worked with her husband. At some point, the Apostle Paul joined them – Acts Chapter 18 verses 1 to 3.

Preachers and teachers are also engaged in the tasks of money making through the knowledge they share. That is why the Bible says that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. Acts Chapter 9 verses 1 to 14.

In every instance of financial lack, insufficiency, and indebtedness in the Bible, the recourse was always on how to access financial resources either through paid employment (hiring your time, skills and expertise out for money as in the case of the prodigal son (Luke Chapter 15 verses 11 to 19); production and sales of products as in the case of the indebted prophet’s widow (2^nd Kings Chapter 4 verses 1 to 7); and engagement in  a trade as in the case of Peter who went fishing to get the required tax money.

In all of these instances, we find people engaging in income generating activities to raise the required financial resources. None went begging or borrowing or stealing. They engaged in economic activities. They also were not instructed to give away their financial lack, insufficiency or indebtedness by either begging or borrowing to give in order to receive a hundred fold return. They also did not mope around to say they were trusting God, pray against the enemies of their financial resources, divine as to who or what was responsible for their financial lack, insufficiency and indebtedness. They simply went in search of the money by engaging in income generating activities.