Finances

Finances

I’ve never been great with money. I usually spend it as fast as I make it. My dad always told me my money burned a hole in my pocket. What can I say? I like things. After I got married it got a little better. Until 1 fateful year…… It was 2005 I believe. Dest and I had been offered a grant to pay for the down payment on a new house. The only stipulation was we had to be first time homeowners. We were so excited! We found a place that was just being built so we got to pick out the cabinets, carpet, wall colors, everything. It seemed too good to be true, and it was. We found out later that it was a huge scam and they had taken our deposit and ran. Now, in this moment, 2 different personalities emerge. You either save every dime you have so this will never happen again, or you open a credit card and max it out for Christmas. We did that last one. Dest? Well, I bought her a $300 necklace and a few other things. Me? Dest bought me a Zune (stop laughing) and a huge sword I still have to this day. And Dest’s mom? She got a dog. A dog that is still alive to this day. Needless to say, this was not wisdom. It took us years to pay off that Christmas. But we learned some lessons that we carry with us to this day. One of which is don’t buy it if you don’t have the cash.

Money and God seem to have a complicated relationship. At least in our eyes, right? We see preachers asking people to give them money to buy jets, expensive homes and fancy cars. Then we swing the other way. “Money is evil so we must be poor to be close to God.” It seems like we should keep money and the church, and by extension God, separate. But the Bible actually has a lot to say about how we handle money. And Jesus used money to illustrate a lot of spiritual truths.

So let’s look at what Jesus said about money. In Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus says…

' “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. '

What does that all mean? Can I buy something, and have it shipped to Heaven for later? No! It means that we should be investing in what God and His people are doing. But it also speaks a deeper truth. You can see where your heart is by where your money and treasure go. Does all your money go towards eating out, coffee, clothes, cars, music? Wherever it goes, that tells you where your real affection is. Do you spend all your money on things and then say you have a heart for those far from God? Do you spend your money on taking people out to eat and then say you feel called to missions? Money follows passion, not the other way around.

Now, before you guys get crazy and start thinking that the church, or God for that matter, wants your money, think again. The church was around before you and it will be around after you. God takes care of the church. But He DOES want something from you. He wants your heart. God is a good Father, and He wants to bless you! Luke 6 Jesus says that everything we do will be done back to us. So, if we give, He says “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” And in 2 Cor 9 Paul tells us that God loves a cheerful giver! God was the greatest giver when He gave Jesus to die for our sins. Generosity is so close to the heart of God.

So what should you do with all of this? Should you give away everything you own and keep nothing for yourself? Let me ask you a different question. Is it okay to test God? I know exactly what you are thinking. “Deuteronomy 6:16 say ' “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. ' Obviously. But, there is another interesting verse about testing God.

'Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. '

Malachi 3:10-12

We are to test God in this area! Just try to out give God, I dare. Actually, God dares you!