"Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed."
Proverbs 28:27
So many of us actually believe that our future is in our own hands; that it's up to us to create a pathway to success. We define success as having the means to purchase our wants and needs and to be able to provide for our families wants and needs. To be able to do this we need to have lots of money and the only way to get lots of money is to get a good job and have a great savings plan. We understand that money is a tool that we use to reach our goal. If we were to boil down this goal to it's core value, we could say our goal is to become "self-sufficient." We don't want to rely on anyone to get the things we want. In order to reach that goal, I need to get all that I can - while I can!
There are so many things wrong with that goal I almost don't know where to start... but I think we can all agree that we see this in society today... and it's nothing new. It's called GREED!! And ENVY is always close by!!
Like so many things, society has this upside down. In order to reach that goal, a person would spend their entire life gathering money, gathering material goods, gathering stuff. Gathering or hoarding is not giving. In fact, it's the opposite of giving. Yet the Bible says that we should give as much as we can to help those in need and in doing so we will rely on God to provide for us. When we fully rely on God, we are actually doing what He has asked us to do. We are being His hands and His feet in this world. We're being His tool to accomplish the work He set in front of us to complete. See, money isn't our tool - it's God's tool. He gives us the capability to earn a living. Our mind, our health, our muscles, our gifts are used to earn money. God asks us to use that money wisely and for His purposes.
I sometimes hear people grumbling about the church asking the congregation to give more; to tithe (or to give 10%). "How can I possibly give 10% of my money away and still survive?" I think we can all agree that if you gave 10% of your money away, you would certainly be fully relying on God to make up the difference! But here's a twist you may not have considered. The only reason you have the capability to earn money is because God gave you a gift, whether it be the gift of health, the gift of knowledge, the gift of creativity, and so on. So really, the money you earn is God's money because without this gift you wouldn't have earned a dime. Now, if you aren't giving anything to the church or if you're giving less than the 10% that God has asked us to give, then you are actually diverting God's funds for your own personal gain. That's known as stealing!! I believe there's a commandment that states "Thou shalt not steal!"
Instead of asking "How can I possibly give 10% of my money away?" you should be asking "How can I possibly take more than 90% of God's money to live on?" When you give the minimum tithe of 10% (that's right "the minimum" amount) you show that you rely on God to make up the difference. You show that you trust in God more than you trust in money. (Hey, wait, is that why the US money says "In God We Trust" on it? - Yes it is!) When you put your trust in God, He will provide. ALWAYS! It's a promise that is made in Malachi 3:10.
Money can easily become the center of our lives. When it does, God is pushed to the sidelines. Here's a question that will help paint the picture. Which do you do first or more frequently: Read the newspaper for financial news or read the Bible to feed your soul? Do you check your 401(k) balance before you check your spiritual balance? God wants to be the center of our lives, not just a line item in a list of activities. If you have time to read the newspaper in the morning, then you have time to read the Bible. It's just a matter of choice. Oh, and as your thinking about that priority list and the choices you're making, should we go back to the question that seems to pop up from time to time: "Why isn't God listening to me?" Hmmmm....
God wants us to do His work in this world. He wants us to fully rely on God. He has promised that when we do, He will provide for us. He has asked us to put Him to the test on this one topic (Malachi 3:10). He asks us to not rely on our abilities to hoard money but to give to the church and help the needy. The degree in which we give He has promised to return to us in multiplied blessings until our cup runs over. Give it try - starting today!
The Shepherd
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" - Jim Elliot
Return to The Proverbs Challenge
Proverbs 28:27
So many of us actually believe that our future is in our own hands; that it's up to us to create a pathway to success. We define success as having the means to purchase our wants and needs and to be able to provide for our families wants and needs. To be able to do this we need to have lots of money and the only way to get lots of money is to get a good job and have a great savings plan. We understand that money is a tool that we use to reach our goal. If we were to boil down this goal to it's core value, we could say our goal is to become "self-sufficient." We don't want to rely on anyone to get the things we want. In order to reach that goal, I need to get all that I can - while I can!
There are so many things wrong with that goal I almost don't know where to start... but I think we can all agree that we see this in society today... and it's nothing new. It's called GREED!! And ENVY is always close by!!
Like so many things, society has this upside down. In order to reach that goal, a person would spend their entire life gathering money, gathering material goods, gathering stuff. Gathering or hoarding is not giving. In fact, it's the opposite of giving. Yet the Bible says that we should give as much as we can to help those in need and in doing so we will rely on God to provide for us. When we fully rely on God, we are actually doing what He has asked us to do. We are being His hands and His feet in this world. We're being His tool to accomplish the work He set in front of us to complete. See, money isn't our tool - it's God's tool. He gives us the capability to earn a living. Our mind, our health, our muscles, our gifts are used to earn money. God asks us to use that money wisely and for His purposes.
I sometimes hear people grumbling about the church asking the congregation to give more; to tithe (or to give 10%). "How can I possibly give 10% of my money away and still survive?" I think we can all agree that if you gave 10% of your money away, you would certainly be fully relying on God to make up the difference! But here's a twist you may not have considered. The only reason you have the capability to earn money is because God gave you a gift, whether it be the gift of health, the gift of knowledge, the gift of creativity, and so on. So really, the money you earn is God's money because without this gift you wouldn't have earned a dime. Now, if you aren't giving anything to the church or if you're giving less than the 10% that God has asked us to give, then you are actually diverting God's funds for your own personal gain. That's known as stealing!! I believe there's a commandment that states "Thou shalt not steal!"
Instead of asking "How can I possibly give 10% of my money away?" you should be asking "How can I possibly take more than 90% of God's money to live on?" When you give the minimum tithe of 10% (that's right "the minimum" amount) you show that you rely on God to make up the difference. You show that you trust in God more than you trust in money. (Hey, wait, is that why the US money says "In God We Trust" on it? - Yes it is!) When you put your trust in God, He will provide. ALWAYS! It's a promise that is made in Malachi 3:10.
Money can easily become the center of our lives. When it does, God is pushed to the sidelines. Here's a question that will help paint the picture. Which do you do first or more frequently: Read the newspaper for financial news or read the Bible to feed your soul? Do you check your 401(k) balance before you check your spiritual balance? God wants to be the center of our lives, not just a line item in a list of activities. If you have time to read the newspaper in the morning, then you have time to read the Bible. It's just a matter of choice. Oh, and as your thinking about that priority list and the choices you're making, should we go back to the question that seems to pop up from time to time: "Why isn't God listening to me?" Hmmmm....
God wants us to do His work in this world. He wants us to fully rely on God. He has promised that when we do, He will provide for us. He has asked us to put Him to the test on this one topic (Malachi 3:10). He asks us to not rely on our abilities to hoard money but to give to the church and help the needy. The degree in which we give He has promised to return to us in multiplied blessings until our cup runs over. Give it try - starting today!
The Shepherd
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" - Jim Elliot
Return to The Proverbs Challenge
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