197 - Your Mental Money Rules Can Sabotage your Success: Here’s 3 Steps to Fix Them - 'Refreshed Replay'

Ever find yourself with a little extra money and wonder what to do with it? Turns out, how you answer that question says a lot more about your mindset than you might think.

In this refreshed replay episode, I'm sharing a real-life street experiment I conducted years ago where I asked everyday folks what they'd do with an unexpected $100. Their answers? Revealing — and a perfect lead-in to today's conversation on a powerful (but often overlooked) concept in behavioral finance: mental accounting.

This isn’t just theory. It’s about the hidden rules you apply to your money — based on where it comes from — and how that impacts your financial decisions more than you realize. Grounded in biblical wisdom and packed with practical steps, this episode is your invitation to reset how you think about income, planning, and faithful stewardship. Let’s align our mindset and our money with God’s bigger vision for our lives.

In this episode, John discusses:

• The unseen impact of mental accounting on everyday financial choices
• How cognitive biases quietly shape spending decisions
• Strategies for bringing your money into alignment — spiritually and practically
• A faith-filled approach to financial planning

Key Takeaways:

• When you begin viewing all sources of money — whether a paycheck, a bonus, or an unexpected refund — as one unified provision from God rather than assigning different rules based on origin, you create space for clarity, consistency, and faithful financial choices that reflect your values.
• By reframing your mindset and refusing to compartmentalize funds into rigid mental categories, you open the door to a more strategic, intentional, and spiritually aligned approach to managing the resources entrusted to you.
• Building a financial plan that reflects biblical wisdom requires more than budgeting — it invites you to consider your habits, decisions, and priorities through the lens of stewardship, generosity, and long-term faithfulness.
• Bringing prayer into every financial decision — not just in crisis moments or big moves — allows you to develop a deeper sense of peace, direction, and confidence that you're walking in step with God’s provision and purposes.

“When we align our mindset and our heart set with God's wisdom, we don't just make better money decisions — we experience more peace, more clarity, more purpose in how we use the financial resources he's entrusted to us.” 

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Ready to dig deeper into what's really influencing you and your money?

Let's connect the beliefs that are behind your choices - the financial, spiritual, and personal ones - so that you can be the faithful steward of the resources God has entrusted to you.

At Money Made Faithful, we want to equip you with the truths, models, and practices so you can make better money choices so you can live more boldly, confidently, and faithfully.


God is too good and life is too special to let money hold you back.