MONEY MATTERS
Introduction
Money matters, of course. It matters to you, and it matters to
God. That's why the Bible has so much to say about it. There's nothing wrong
with money. We all find it pretty useful. But it's the craving some people have
for more and more of it, the things they do to get it, and how they then use it
that can be evil.
In the world the man with money is usually respected as a man of
influence, while the poor person is often despised. Though it's not like that
in the kingdom of God, your attitude toward money and how you handle it is seen
as a test of your character. When Christ bought you for Himself, He bought you
outright, your possessions and all. You cannot therefore give yourself wholly
to Him without giving your money and your possessions. This means that you no
longer own anything, you just manage it for God. One day He is going to summon
all His "managers," you and me included, and ask us to give an account
of how we handled what He entrusted to us. This lesson is to help you to become
a good manager, so that you won't blush when you have to give your answer.
Read 1 Timothy 6:3-10
Money can be dangerous!
The Bible speaks of money as being both an instrument for the
kingdom of God (Luke 16:9) and "a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim.
6:10). That proves it isn't the money itself but our attitude toward it and how
we use it that makes the difference. Here are some important safeguards:
1. Don't love it or get infected by the
"get rich quick" fever of the world. See what 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says
are the tragic spiritual results of wanting to be rich. Note the remedy for
this wrong attitude: learning to be content with what God provides.
2. Don't make a god of it. "You cannot
serve both God and Money" (Matt. 6:24). Whatever you put in the place of
God is an idol. Don't be an idolater. Many Christians have drifted far from God
because they put money and prosperity in that first place that rightly belonged
to God.
3. Don t hoard it up. Men "lay up
treasure on earth" for security, but your treasures can be corrupted and
your money taken from you (Matt. 6:19). Instead of hoarding up what is "so
uncertain" (1 Tim. 6:17), we should invest what we do not need in the
kingdom of God. That's laying up treasure in heaven. That will not prevent us
from making adequate provision for our families (1 Tim. 5:8).
4. Don't run into debt. Christians who are
always running into debt are poor managers and bad advertisements for the
kingdom of God. The only ongoing debt we are allowed is "to love one
another" (Rom. 13:8). House mortgages are not debts, but watch those
credit cards. Don't let them tempt you to buy what you can't afford.
Your money is God's
As a Christian you and all that you have belong to God. Your money
is like the "talents" (Matt. 25:14 ff) your Master entrusts you with
and gives you freedom to use, but it is really His. He is testing you to see
whether you will be "faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2) as His manager, or
"wasteful" (Luke 16:1). One day we shall have to give an account.
Learning
to give
God is the greatest giver (John 3:16), and you are called to be
like Him. You don't do God a favor by your giving. You are simply recognizing
that it's all His anyway. Some have a special gift of giving (Rom. 12:8), not
necessarily because they are wealthy but because they have faith for this.
Offering hospitality is an additional and valuable means of giving (1 Pet.
4:9). How should we give?
1. Freely and cheerfully (2 Cor. 9:7). It's
not meant to be like having a tooth pulled out!
2. According to what you receive (1 Cor.
16:2). Heaven estimates our giving by comparing what we give with what we keep
(Mark 12:41-44).
3. Systematically and prayerfully. This is
not rummaging around in your pocket or purse at the last moment (1 Cor. 16:2).
4. Secretly. We're not to make a big show of
how generous we are (Matt. 6:1-4).
Sowing and reaping
This is how Scripture likens giving (2 Cor. 9:6-11): for every
grain you sow, you may expect to reap many more. Generous reaping depends on
generous sowing (v. 6), and you reap spiritual blessing, not just financial (v.
10). See what a generous return God promises you (Luke 6:38).
Tithes and offerings
Tithing is giving a tenth of what you receive back to God.
Offerings were additional gifts-how much and how often is a matter of free
will, hence "free will offerings." In the Old Testament, tithes were
for the support of priests and Levites. Similarly in the church, tithes are for
the support of people (full-time shepherds or those who are in need) and
offerings are generally for church expenses, special projects, or for the work
of God outside your own congregation that you may want to support. When the
people failed to bring their tithes and offerings into God's house to support
His servants, God said they were robbing Him (Mal. 3:8-10).
Excerpts:
From
Living God’s Way
By:
Arthur Wallis