The Philosophy of Money
“Lord, you have given me so much. Grant me
one thing more: a grateful heart. Amen.”
—My Grandmother’s favorite prayer.


A priest once told me that most
problems in marriage concern
either sex or money, and most of
the problems concerning sex stem
from problems concerning money.
With half of all marriages ending
in divorce and most couples citing
financial problems as the major
contributing factor to the breakup
of their marriage, a strong financial
philosophy and foundation is imperative to the beginning
of a successful marriage.
The emphasis on money in our society has intensified to
the point that, when we discuss money, it evokes feelings
of anxiety and insecurity, rather than possibility. Perhaps
that is why we dread talking about, and avoid handling,
our finances.
The purpose of this book is to stimulate a positive concept
of money based on spiritual values, to enable you to communicate
openly and effectively, and to help you create a
plan for handling your finances that will bring you peace
and assist you in reaching financial independence.
As we approach the subject of money, if we are not
grounded in faith, we seek money as an object to be
acquired and kept. We are instead grounded in fear—fear
of limited supply. Because we can only depend on ourselves,
we feel the need to hoard money, and are not open
to the divine flow of God’s gifts, which leads to real prosperity.
When we are grounded in faith, we no longer have to
shoulder the responsibility of being the source of our
wealth. We turn that over to God and His unconditional
love, trusting in His will and believing in His unlimited
supply to provide for us all that we need.
We have all been blessed with many unique God-given
gifts: our talents, our intelligence, our faith, our country,
our families, and our friends. As we develop our individual
talents and use these gifts to serve others, our talents
then have value which generates money—money that is
meant to be appreciated by putting it to good use!
Remember that God is the source of all gifts—we are the
stewards. The good steward does not put money in the
ground, but uses it in positive ways to provide for his
needs and goals (spending and saving), to generate more
money (through investing), and to help others (gifting).
These positive uses of money each allow the “gift-flow” to
pass on and multiply.
Instead of worrying about the future, we can begin each
day with a prayer of thanksgiving for what we have been
given, and see how we can best use the gifts of our talents
and treasure to generate wealth to help our families and
our world.
When we are in love, we especially avoid discussing
money. We soon realize that we come from different economic
backgrounds, and to avoid conflict, we don’t bring
up our concerns.
Some of us have come from poor families and have
learned to fear (or expect) a lack of money, even if we
become rich. Some of us have come from wealthy families
and have never had to learn to manage money, or have
rejected the opulence we have seen misused. Some of us
have come from modest families with financial security,
but we have parents who experienced the Great
Depression, and shared some pretty frightening stories
with us.
We need to be open to and sensitive to our differences,
learn from one another, find common ground in order to
resolve our conflicts, and see this process as an opportunity
to share ourselves intimately with one another.
One adage is true—“money does not buy happiness.” I
have known some people with very little to their name
who are fearful and sad, while others with little money
have a wonderful sense of freedom and a greater understanding
of the gifts that really make us rich.
I have known very wealthy people who are terribly unhappy
and others that are thoroughly enjoying the fruits of
their labor and what that enables them to do. Generating
money is good when we use it wisely.
No matter how much or how little money you have right
now, it is just the right amount. There will always be people
who have more than you do, and there will always be
people who have less than you do. Your happiness comes
from what you do with what you have right now.
As you read through the various sections of this book, it
is important to be aware of our different backgrounds and
attitudes about money, keep a sense of humor, be patient,
and come from love as you communicate about money.
And communicate you must!
When my father passed away, he left us so much more
than an inheritance; he left us a legacy. He always taught
me that when you die, you take nothing with you, but you
do leave something behind. You leave that part of you that
you shared with others, the example of the life that you
led, the good that you did for your fellow man, and how
you served your God.
If any of us were to die today, we would not miss the job
or the money. We would miss the time with our families
and dear friends, the joy and richness of the simple pleasures
of life, and the chance we had to make a positive difference
in this world.
When we think of money as a gift that God has entrusted
to us as His stewards, we experience an immeasurable
sense of freedom that allows us to get on with living, loving,
and just being an instrument of God’s plan.
I hope this book empowers you to enjoy the adventure of
planning your financial future together and to treasure the
gift of love you have been given.