Faith Essay
Farrah Kennedy
Master of Arts Executive Leadership, Liberty University
BMAL 530
Author Note
Farrah Kennedy
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Farrah Kennedy
Email: frkennedy@liberty.edu
Faith Essay 1
BMAL 530: Faith Essay-Biblical Concepts of Accounting and Finance
When it comes to accounting and finance the first thought is money. The bible states,
“Wealth gained hastily or by fraud will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase
it” (Proverbs 13:11, ESV). A person that deals with finance and accounting must make sure that
they are staying true to the handling of the money. They do not have to physically have the
money in their hands to mishandle the money. For instance, if a person is an accountant handling
someone’s money for them, the person must make sure they are not illegally spending the
money. The accountant must also make sure they are keeping the person that they work for in the
loop regarding where their money is going. During tax season, the accountant must make sure
that they are documenting and filing all paperwork in the appropriate manner. A person is
trusting that the accountant is handling their finances in their best benefit. As the book states,
“one must evaluate the costs and benefits to each action, or each planned action, such that the
best decisions are made”[ CITATION Hic20 \l 1033 ].
In speaking of making the best decisions, finance is the something that best decisions
must be made. If the best decision is not made, a person could cause big problems with their
family, living situation, work, or even their lively hood. A person not making the best decision
when it comes to finance could end up homeless, unemployed, and struggling with life.
Managing finance is a big part of staying stable within society.
In an organization being ethical within the business is very important to become and
maintain [ CITATION Kap17 \l 1033 ]. This is no difference within accounting and finance.
Moral and ethical behaviors is must for those within this profession. Some organizations conduct
business ethics courses to raise moral awareness and judgment [ CITATION Com17 \l 1033 ].
These courses are very important to teach individuals within accounting and finance the right
Faith Essay 2
thing to do. It also teaches them how to develop the courage to stand up when things are not
ethical or morally correct.
In addition to ethical and moral behavior, accountant and finance professionals should
also practice mindfulness. This practice has increased within Master of Business Administration
(MBA) programs, investment banks, and high tech firms to improve the well-being of the
organization and individual [ CITATION Add17 \l 1033 ]. An accountant and finance
professional must be focused on the present moment. It takes concentration to handle numbers
and/or money all day. If a person is not focused on what is happening presently, they could
miscount or misread the information. This can be a tragic moment for an accountant or finance
professional. One mistake can cost hours of time and money to correct.
As far as the biblical concepts when it comes to accountant and finance profession,
money is the root to all evil (1 Timothy 6:10, ESV). It is very important that anyone that works
in the accountant and finance profession are not trying to do this job to mishandle money or
other individual’s finance documents. People are trusting that their accountant or finance
professional are moral and ethical while handle their finances. The accountant or finance
professional must be someone that is trustworthy and honest. They must be able to communicate
that they do not allow money to controll their lives.
In addition, accountants and finannce professions study for several years to be able to do
their job. This is not a profession for just anyone. It takes a lot of time and dedicaton to become
an acountant or fiannce professional. This person must love what they do and do it well. They
should not get into this profession if they cannot do the right thing. As the bible states “For
wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom
preserves the lives of its possessors” (Ecclesiastes 7:12, ESV). The accountant or finance
Faith Essay 3
professional must have the wisom and knowledge to conduct their jobs in order to protect the
possessions of other individuals.
In conclusion, an accountant and finance professional has a obligation to do the right
thing when it comes to other’s money and/or financial statements. They are being paid to
maintain the upmost trust and ethical behaviors. They should always do what is right even if they
feel that they will gain something by doing something wrong. As the bible states,” So whoever
knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17, ESV). Although, they
might get away with the act of doing wrong, it will come to light and they will lose their job and
their represtation will be tarnished. They have a duty to themselves, the people they provide
service to, and to God.
Faith Essay 4
References
1 Timothy 6:10. (2016). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crosswaay Bibles. Retrieved
from Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=1+timothy+6%3A10&version=ESV
Comer, D., & Schwartz, M. (2017). Higlighting Moral Courage in the Business Ethics Course.
Journal of Business Ethics, 146(3), 703-723. doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2919-3
Ecclesiastes 7:12. (2016). The Holy Bible, ESV. Crossway Bibles. Retrieved from
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+7%3A12++&version=ESV
Hicks, M. (2020). Accounting for Non-Financial Manager. McGraw-Hill Education LLC.
Retrieved from https://player-
ui.mheducation.com/#/epub/sn_ae0a5#epubcfi(%2F6%2F8%5Bdata-uuid-
affe596fea324e049410cdc3e50f51a0%5D!%2F4%2F1:0)
James 4:17. (2016). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Gateway Bibles. Retrieved from
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=james+4%3A17&version=ESV
Kaptein, M. (2017). The Battle for Business Ethics: A struggle Theory. Journal of Business
Ethics, 144(2), 343-361. doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2780-4
Proverbs 13:11. (2016). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Good News Publishers.
Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=proverbs+13%3A11&version=ESV
Qiu, J., & Rooney, D. (2017). Addressing Unintended Ethical Challenges of Workplace
Mindfulness: A Four-Stage Mindfulness Development Model. Journal of Business
Ethics, 157(3), 715-730. doi:10.1007/s10551-017-3693-1
