Dear Kingdom Builders,

Scripture is said to contain more than 2,000 references to money, wealth, and possessions. And one widely cited source states that 15% of Jesus’ recorded teaching touched on the subject. We’ve all heard calls to give God our firstfruits and see ourselves as stewards rather than owners.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that our faith shapes the way we think about money … even subconsciously.

Research has long suggested that Christian faith influences how people give and manage money.

But how authentically does that faith shape our actual financial decisions?

Researchers from the University of Bath and the University of Canterbury performed a unique experiment. They surveyed more than 400 people in the United Kingdom to explore how religious values affect buying behavior. What they found was less obvious than you may expect.

Participants were shown one of two advertisements for the same luxury watch.

The first presented the watch as an object of desire, a status symbol, something other people would notice and admire.

The second promoted the exact same watch for its quality, durability, and functional value.

The watch did not change. Nor did it’s price. Only the story attached to buying it.

While the nonreligious participants’ interest in buying the watch was about the same for both advertisements, there was a substantial difference in how Christians approached each story.

Among participants who identified as Christian and believed materialism was wrong, purchase interest was 25% higher when the watch was framed around usefulness rather than status.

Maybe their Christian consciences recognized a meaningful difference between buying something for its usefulness rather than buying it to provoke envy.

But the researchers pointed out another possibility. Perhaps emphasizing quality and durability simply gave participants a morally acceptable justification for purchasing something they already wanted.

The desire for the watch had not necessarily disappeared. But one story certainly seemed to fit their beliefs better.

Clearly, we don’t know each person’s individual motivation, but the numbers raise a significant question:

Were they genuinely distinguishing useful quality from unnecessary consumption? Or did the new framing simply give them permission to buy something they already wanted?

That does not mean Christian motives are insincere. It means our decisions can be influenced by beliefs and desires we rarely stop to examine.

That is what made my recent conversation with financial wellness expert Jennifer Edwards so valuable. She is one of fewer than 50 Certified Financial Therapists (CFT™) in the country.

Rather than beginning with a budget, investment portfolio, or financial behavior, she helps people assess the beliefs underneath those decisions: Where did those beliefs come from, and what is really driving the decision?

How do we know that we are genuinely seeking God’s will through our financial choices?

We may very well be. But it could be worth taking a deeper look at what else is influencing those choices.

Have a blessed week!

Matt

Certified Financial Therapist, Jennifer Edwards, discusses:

Morningstar’s new research maps more than 850 faith-based funds representing more than $100 billion in assets, revealing a fast-growing but still underdeveloped corner of the investment market. The report examines how Christian, Catholic, and Islamic principles translate into different screens, portfolio tilts, costs, and investment outcomes.

Can faith-aligned investors become known for what they are for, not just what they're against? Impact Evaluation Lab’s Terry Keeley and Sovereign’s Capital's John Coleman have developed metrics for “human flourishing” for both fund managers and portfolio companies. Sue Ernster of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and Jean Baptiste de Franssu, until recently president of the Vatican Bank, join Keeley and Coleman on this Agents of Impact Call. (Free YouTube)

Arkansas ranked first in First Liberty Institute’s 2026 Religious Liberty in the States index, climbing from No. 27 four years ago on the strength of legal protections involving education, health care, business, and government. New York ranked last, though the index measures state laws and policy safeguards, not residents’ personal experience of religious freedom.

The framing effect is the tendency to make different decisions depending on how the same information or choice is presented.

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