Miscellaneous thoughts…
Government leaders, businesses, families, even churches get trapped into thinking money is the answer to every problem. But 1 Timothy 6:8-10 teaches us that those who hunger after money possess a desire that often leads to regret and self-destruction.
In Mark 10:23 Jesus told his disciples that it is very difficult for rich people to be saved. That's because they trust their money in place of God. Money is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. The love of money is sinful because we trust money, rather than God, to solve our problems.
Moreover, it can be a source of false pride and cause one to trust in his or her own accomplishments and self-effort, unable to turn one's whole heart and life over to God. The rich, with most of their basic physical needs met, often become self-reliant. When they feel empty, they can buy something new to dull the pain that was meant to drive them toward God. Their abundance and self-sufficiency become there deficiency.
The person that has everything on earth can very easily lack what is most important of all—eternal life. Those that pursue the empty promises of wealth will one day discover that they have nothing because they are spiritually bankrupt.
There is nothing wrong with money in and of itself as long as the desire to have it does not keep one from following Yeshua fully. The question is, is money your servant or your master?
Many Christians make the mistake of taking money as a confirmation of living a life that pleases God, a reward or blessing for being good. But wealth is not necessarily a sign of God's favor, and while those who are godly may enjoy material prosperity, they can also live in hardship, yet still be devout and faithful servants of the most-high God. The bottom line is that wealth is not a sign of faith or of partiality on God's part.
While we are responsible to care for our own needs and the needs of our family so as not to be a burden on others, we should not use our God-given wealth selfishly, and we should be willing to give it up if God asks us to do so. We cannot love God with all our heart and yet keep our money to ourselves. Loving him totally means using our money in ways that please Him. The 16th chapter of Luke tells us that we cannot serve both God and money, that we will be devoted to one and despise the other.
There are a number of truths the Bible teaches us about money:
- We should use our resources wisely because they belong to God and not to us.
- Money can be used for good or evil, but we should use it for good.
- Money has a lot of power, so we must use it carefully and thoughtfully.
- We must use our material goods in a way that will foster faith and obedience.
- Our integrity is often tested in money matters.
The Bible teaches us to use our possessions to serve others. We are to make wise use of our finances, spending our money to help those in need and to spread the gospel. In this way, our earthly investment will bring eternal benefit. When we obey God's will, the unselfish use of possessions will follow.
God calls us to be honest, even in small details we might think unimportant. Heaven’s riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. But if we are not trustworthy with our money here (no matter how much or how little we have), we will be unfit to handle the vast riches of God's kingdom. Guard your integrity in small matters, and it will not fail you in crucial decisions.
You must manage your money, or it will manage you. It has the power to take God's place in your life. It can become your master. To tell if you are a slave to money, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you think and worry about money a lot?
- Do you give up doing what you should do, or would like to do, in order to make more money?
- Do you spend a great deal of your time caring for your possessions?
- Is it hard for you to give money away?
- Are you in debt?
Money is a hard master and a deceptive one. It will promise power and control, but often cannot deliver. Great fortunes can be made and lost overnight, and no amount of money can guaranty health, happiness, or eternal life.
How much better it is to let God be your master. His sermons result in peace of mind and security, both now and forever.
When Puff Daddy was asked what life was all about, he replied, "It's all about the Benjamins, baby."
That pretty-well sums up the mindset of many Americans. Every year millions play the lottery hoping to hit the jackpot, go to Las Vegas hoping to strike it big, register for the Publishers’ Clearing House sweepstakes, and recently a USA Today survey found that when talking to children in America, aged seven to 12, more than 80% of them daydream about being rich.
The point is that money is a central issue with Americans. Of course, money is also a central issue with God Himself. In fact, God talks about money in the Bible more than any other single subject.
The reason is that God knows money is kind of like a chainsaw: If you use it right, it can be a blessing and a help, but if you use it wrong, you can get yourself in a heap of trouble real quick.
If you don't believe that, just ask Michael Avenatti, Paul Manafort, Jussie Smollett, Michael Cohen, Kenneth Lay, Bernie Evers, Bernie Madoff, Lot’s wife, Ananias and his wife, the rich young ruler, and on and on the list goes.
And that's why throughout the Bible God tries so hard to talk to us about how to use money correctly—how to handle money so that money doesn't handle us.
