It's critical that every now and then disciples of Jesus Christ do a personal "financial checkup." It's a fact of life: We need money to live. But the role that money plays in our lives needs to be constantly adjusted to conform to the principles and purposes of God.
Most people agree that Jesus may have been the greatest teacher in all history. It may come as a surprise to learn that Jesus taught more about money than any other topic except for the Kingdom of God. Two reasons why: First, nothing like money reveals the true condition of the human heart. How we spend and allocate our money speaks volumes about our values, our priorities and our affections.
Second, money is the primary rival that competes with God to be the master of the human heart. Instead of looking to God, people look to money for security, prestige and power. Feeling down? A trip to the mall, swiping a credit card for a new dress or fishing pole will do the trick. People will spend the best years of their lives on the lifelong quest to accumulate wealth.
Jesus addressed this issue head on. He said no one can serve two masters. We end up loving and devoted to one and hating the other. Then He declared, "You cannot serve God and money!" We have to choose one or the other — money or God — to rule our hearts.
That's why, embedded in a culture infatuated with wealth and riches, we need to periodically call for the question: "Who is my master — God, or money?"
Two fundamental principles in the Bible guide Christians in managing our finances in ways that honor and glorify God. The first is "The Principle of Ownership." The Bible teaches that all we have, all that we are, all that we hope to be is God's. It's all His — even our money! "But I worked hard to earn that money!" Yes, but God gave you the abilities, health and opportunity. No matter who signs your paycheck, it's ultimately God's.
The second principle is "The Principle of Stewardship." God owns everything, but God has entrusted to us His wealth to manage. And as faithful managers of God's resources, we are to invest and allocate them for God's purposes and Kingdom.
If we get these two principles ingrained in our minds and hearts, money will not get a grip on our lives. Under the loving Lordship of Jesus, the wealth and riches God has entrusted to us become the catalyst for multitudes of blessings, both for us and untold others.
The key to unlocking these blessings? Giving! Generous, joyous, extravagant giving unlocks the unfathomable wealth and provision of our generous, joyous, and extravagant God.
When we generously give what God has entrusted to us, the windows of heaven open wide and God not only meets all our needs, but gives us "plenty left over to share with others" (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT). When we give, God gives us more to give, unleashing the steady flow of God's provision for you and others.
The Rev. William Thomas is pastor at Hereford United Methodist Church. He can be reached at pastor@herefordumc.org.
