Exploring the Emotional and Spiritual Aspects of Money
Money is more than numbers and spreadsheets—it’s a mirror. A reflection of our stories, our experiences, and the systems we move through. It can be emotional. A tool. And it’s deeply spiritual.
When we begin to explore money through a spiritual lens, something shifts. It stops being just about consumption, accumulation or survival. It becomes a relationship. A mirror. A teacher.
Money and Emotions
Many of the financial decisions we make are shaped not just by logic, but by emotion—by our hopes, fears, dreams, desires, and beliefs.
Did money feel safe growing up? Was it a source of stress or shame? Did you witness struggle, sacrifice, silence—or abundance?
Oftentimes we carry unspoken stories around money. And those stories don’t stay in the past—they live in our spending habits, our earning patterns, our boundaries (or lack thereof). They show up in how we give, how we ask, and how we hold onto (or push away) money.
Research consistently shows that financial decisions are largely driven by emotion rather than pure logic. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, known for his work in behavioral economics, suggests that up to 90% of financial choices are influenced by emotion, with only about 10% based on rational thinking. This emotional dominance can lead to avoidance, overspending, or financial paralysis—behaviors often rooted in fear, scarcity, or unresolved money narratives.¹
The concept of the pain of paying helps illustrate this. It refers to the emotional discomfort we experience when parting with money. This discomfort can vary depending on how we pay: for example, research shows that credit card payments tend to feel less painful than cash, which can unconsciously lead to higher spending.²
Financial stress also deeply impacts mental and emotional health. Studies have found that financial anxiety can reduce a sense of control, increase psychological distress, and diminish overall well-being.³ Our emotional and financial lives are intimately connected.
Recognizing and addressing these emotional imprints is a crucial step toward financial healing. By acknowledging the feelings and beliefs that shape our financial behaviors, we can begin to shift from reactive patterns to more mindful, intentional decisions—ones that reflect who we truly are and what we truly value.
Money as a Tool
At its most basic, money is a tool for exchange. But it’s also a kind of flow—one that moves through our lives, shaped by our choices, desires, and beliefs. It reflects where our energy goes, what we value, and what we believe we’re worthy of.
When we see money as flow—not just something to manage, but something to be in relationship with—we begin to ask new, deeper questions:
Where is my money moving too freely, and where is it getting stuck?
Am I holding on out of fear, or spending to fill a void?
Does this exchange feel nourishing, depleting, or aligned?
These questions help us shift from control to connection. They invite us to listen—to the deeper wisdom our money patterns are trying to reveal.
The Spiritual Aspects of Money
What if money isn’t just a tool, but a teacher?
What if the way we earn, give, invest, and circulate money is a spiritual practice—a reflection of our values, our boundaries, our sense of trust, and our beliefs about what’s possible?
When we begin to see money through a spiritual lens, it becomes less about transactions and more about transformation. It’s not just how we use money—but who we are becoming in the process.
Every exchange holds an invitation:
To check in with our integrity.
To move from fear to trust.
To ask if what we’re choosing aligns with our deepest truth.
Money can reveal where we feel safe—and where we don't.
It can reflect our relationship with worthiness, freedom, responsibility, and surrender.
When we pause and reflect before spending, when we give generously without depletion, when we honor our boundaries, and when we receive with openness—we are engaging in deeply spiritual acts. Acts that connect us back to God, to ourselves, and to one another.
To tend to our financial lives with care and clarity is not separate from our spiritual path—it is a part of the path. A path of discernment. Of remembering. Of returning.
Practices to Explore
1. Money Journaling
Reflect on your earliest money memory. What emotions are tied to it?
How might that story still be shaping your relationship with money today?
2. Flow Check-In
Before making a purchase, pause and ask: Does this align with who I’m becoming—or who I desire to be?
3. Spiritual Circulation
Choose one way to give this month—intentionally, joyfully, prayerfully. Let it be an act of love, not obligation.
Exploring the spiritual, emotional, and flowing aspects of money isn’t about getting it perfect—it’s about being present. It’s about listening closely to your own financial story, rewriting what no longer serves, and aligning your money with the life you’re being called to live.
May your relationship with money be one of healing, wholeness, and holy possibility.
Sources:
City National Bank, Barit Essler