Money

Readings for today: Haggai 1-2

“Well, the God I believe in isn’t short of cash, mister.” - Bono

Why does God care about our money? Why does He care about how much we make and how much we give? Why does God care about what each individual does with his or her wealth? Why does God care what the nations do with their wealth? Surely He doesn’t need it. Surely our currency holds no value in His Kingdom where the streets are literally paved with gold. Surely gold, silver, coins, and cash are worthless in a place where there is no need or lack or want. So why does God talk so much about money throughout the Bible? Why does God say things like He does today in our reading from Haggai, “The silver and gold belong to me, this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.” (‭‭Haggai‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬‬)

God cares about money because He cares about us. He cares about what money and wealth does to our hearts. He cares about what happens to us when we acquire too much, too quickly without having the spiritual maturity to handle it. He cares about us clinging to it. Trusting in it. Finding our safety and security in what we make or what we save or what we own. The love of money is one of the primary competitors to the love of God which is why the Bible calls it the “root of all kinds of evil.” The people in Haggai’s day delayed the rebuilding of the Temple because of a perceived lack of resources. God, however, knew better. Listen again to what He says, “The Lord of Armies says this: “These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about  your ways: You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.” The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways.” (Haggai‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬) The people in Haggai’s day had put the proverbial cart before the horse. They tried to provide for themselves rather than rely on God. They put their physical needs before their need to worship. They built fine homes and ate fine meals and drank fine wines while the work on the Temple languished. The problem was not a lack of resources but mixed up priorities.

We face the same struggle in our own day and time. The human heart hasn’t changed much over the years. We are still so easily tempted to fall in love with money. To place our trust in our own resources. To find our security in our wealth. This is especially true in a capitalistic society which prizes the pursuit of wealth and the accumulation of resources above just about everything else. Again, the issue isn’t money per se nor is it wealth per se, it’s what the accumulation of these things does to our hearts that puts us in grave spiritual danger. And this is why God is so quick to remind us that He owns it all. He owns all the silver and all the gold. He owns all the money and all the stock and all the bonds and all the banks on the earth. He is the one who holds all the resources of creation in His hands. When we adopt this understanding, we are set free. Free to give generously and sacrificially of all we have to help those around us. Free to offer all we have in service to the Lord for the expansion of His Kingdom.

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 1-7

Are You Rich?

Readings for today: 1 Timothy 5-6, Psalms 21

I am a rich man. I remember when this reality first hit me. I spent most of my life comparing myself to my peers. To my neighbors. To my friends. To my family. To my community. Compared to all of them, I was average at best. Perhaps even on the low side when it came to income. But then the Holy Spirit began to broaden my horizons. I met people in cities nearby who live much differently than I do. I met people around the country who live much differently than I do. I met people around the world who live much differently than I do. I reflected on the number of people throughout human history who lived much differently than I do. Something significant shifted in my heart. Rather than compare myself to those who may be higher up on the economic ladder and open myself up to coveting or jealousy or envy, I began to thank God for all He has given me. All the blessings. All the opportunities. All the resources. And I began to ask how I could leverage all I have for His purposes in the world.

There is a lie circulating in our world that equates great wealth with great greed. Great resources with great selfishness. There are even some who argue those in the upper classes are, by definition, exploiting those in the lower classes. This simply is not true. People become wealthy through a variety of means like hard work, taking advantage of rare opportunities, hitting the lottery, receiving an inheritance, and yes, some do it through more nefarious means like political corruption, economic exploitation, etc. This has always been the case. Nothing is new under the sun. The Apostle Paul was dealing with the same situation in Ephesus where he had sent his protege, Timothy, and that’s why he charges Timothy to give this advice to the rich - “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.” (1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭CSB) In Paul’s eyes, the rich weren’t any more evil or sinful than the poor. They simply had access to more resources which means they had more responsibility to put those resources to godly ends.

I’ve tried to follow his advice in my own life. First, I never place my trust in the uncertainty of wealth. Yes, I have a financial advisor. Yes, I have done my best to invest wisely and plan for the future. Yes, I have tried to eliminate debt from my life. But I do not place my trust or build my foundation on the resources of this world. Second, I have done my best to devote my life to doing good and being rich in good works. Not because I am trying to earn God’s love or favor or my way into heaven but because I want to offer my life back to God to use for His Kingdom purposes. Third, I try to be as generous as possible. I try to give as much of my wealth away as I can. I try to walk with open hands and am always willing to share even when things are tight. The bottom line is I now recognize everything I have has been given to me by God and I am simply a steward of it. I will be held accountable for every penny I spend. To whom much is given, much is expected, and I have been given much. I am blessed to be a blessing to others.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Timothy 1-4, Psalms 22

How to Get Rich!

Readings for today: 2 Corinthians 9-10, Psalms 3

Greed seems to be part of human nature. There’s an impulse deep inside all of us that craves wealth. Craves possessions. Craves material things and the “easy life” that comes along with such things. I cannot tell you the number of people I’ve met and counseled over the years who wanted to get rich quick. This desire pushed them to take incredible risks in business or with their personal finances. They leverage themselves to the hilt. They speculate on all kinds of commodities like land, precious metals, foreign currency, you name it. They play the lottery every single week hoping their lucky number comes up. Sadly, the ship never does come in. The big deal never quite materializes. Things never seem to go their way and the impact on their lives and the lives of those they love is heartbreaking. I think of one man I knew many years ago who had put his family almost a million dollars in debt. He carried himself like he was wealthy. Made all kinds of promises to people. Even told me he was planning on funding our annual budget as a church out of his pocket once the “big deal” he was working on came through. Tragically, the house of cards he built came crashing down on him. His business failed. His creditors came to collect. The bills came due. He had to declare bankruptcy, sell everything he owned, and move to a small apartment which he could barely afford on social security. Eventually, he passed away and left his widow destitute.

Friends, God has a better way. It’s the way of generosity. The reality is all wealth comes from God. Everything we earn through our hard work is a gift from God. He is the one who shaped and formed us in our mother’s wombs. He is the one who gave us our gifts and talents abilities. He is the one who opens doors and creates opportunities for us to take advantage of in life. And if we prove faithful and seek first His Kingdom and do all we can to be good stewards of what He entrusts to us, then He will entrust us with even more. Listen to how the Apostle Paul describes it to the wealthy Corinthian church, “The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work…You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭8‬, ‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What an incredible promise! You will be enriched in every way as you are generous in every way. You will be given wealth beyond what you expect so that you can give in ways you never dreamed. The more you give, the more you will be given. The more you sacrifice, the more God will entrust into your hands. You will have everything you need so you might excel in every good work. These are not principles for a “health and wealth” gospel. The goal here is not for you to hoard your wealth but to give it away. And as you give generously and sacrificially to the Lord, you will be supplying not only the needs of fellow Christians but also many, many others in your community, resulting in a great outpouring of thanksgiving to God.

This, of course, begs the question…what should I give? How much? How should I determine it? Notice Paul doesn’t command a “tithe” here. There is no mention of a percentage or a goal or a target. Instead, Paul trusts the Holy Spirit. He calls on all Christians to prayerfully go before the Lord and ask Him what they should give. This is what he means when he says each Christian should “do as he has decided in his heart.” We shouldn’t give out of obligation. We shouldn’t give out of fear or shame. We shouldn’t give because we’re forced to or feel like we ought to. We should give cheerfully and joyfully and sacrificially, knowing God takes what we give and multiplies it many times over for His Kingdom and His glory. This is what it means to be rich, friends.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Corinthians 11-13, Psalms 4