SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF MONEY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 12, 2024.

SUBJECT: SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF MONEY!

Memory verse: "For the love of money is the root of all kind of evil: for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (First Timothy 6 vs 10.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 24:

6:24: No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will be loyal to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

INTIMATION:

I know that money is a sore subject that a lot of people want to avoid, but in my considered opinion, learning how Scriptures view money is basic Christianity. The importance of this subject is reflected in how much the Bible teaches about it. The Bible has more to say about money than most Bible doctrines like heaven and hell. The influence of money in our lives is very real, so it isn't surprising that Jesus taught more on the subject of money than any other single topic like prayer or faith. 

It's a common scenario in our present time to see those who love money take exception to the Lord's teaching on money. We are in an age that measures people's worth by how much money they have. God doesn't operate by the world's value systems, and it's more important for us to understand how God's financial system works. One’s money cannot buy a relationship with God. Some people are so obsessed with money that they will change their God-given standards and lifestyle to get it. If money is a controlling force in your life, it must be curbed, or it will harm others and destroy your relationship with God. 

Money is a hard master, a deceptive and dangerous one. It is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. It is so deceptive that it can take God's place in your life. Most people will trust in money rather than God to solve their problems. This is sinful, and those who pursue its empty promises will one day discover that they have nothing because they are spiritually bankrupt. Wealth promises power and control, but often it cannot deliver. Great fortunes can be made, and lost, overnight, and no amount of money can provide health, happiness, or eternal life.

Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money. Money is not evil. What is evil is the materialistic heart that is obsessed with obtaining it. In some people’s desire to satisfy their thirst for wealth, they had marginalized their relationships with friends, family and others. The sorrows that they produced through their striving to be rich manifests the error of the greedy motives of their hearts. If one sacrifices his or her good works in relationships because he or she has no time for others as a result of running after money, then his or her spiritual life is void of the very foundation of the community of God. 

In the passage we read today. Jesus used money and people's attitude towards money to reveal their hearts. Our integrity often meets its match in money matters. We are to make wise use of the money we have, geared toward realizing our eternal inheritance in Christ. If we use our money to help those in need or to help others find Christ, our earthly investment will bring eternal benefit. Heaven's riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. When we obey God’s Will, the unselfish use of possessions will follow.

Jesus said we can have only one master. We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind. Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters. Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap because “the love of money is the root of of all kinds of evil.” Can you honestly say that God, and not money, is your master? One test is to ask yourself which one occupies more of your thoughts, time, and efforts.

Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. If you store up your treasures in heaven, definitely your thoughts will be heavenly bound. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap of busy pursuing after money to acquire wealth because “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” Many who chase after money, to be riche at all cost, fall into temptations, traps, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition; piercing themselves through with many sorrows. 

Jesus made it clear that having the wrong treasure leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. What we treasure the most controls us, whether we admit it or not. If money become too important to us, we must re-establish control or get rid of unnecessary acquisition of riches. Jesus calls for a decision that allows us to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen eternal values over temporary, earthly treasures. Heaven’s riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth.

Always aspire to a spiritual vision of money, that is, visualizing it from God’s perspective. Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from his point of view. But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded. Self-serving desires, interests, and goals block that vision. Serving God is the best way to restore it. A ‘good’ eye is one that is fixed on God.

Money can become your master. How can you tell if you are a slave to money? (1) Do you think or worry about it frequently? (2) Do you give up doing what you should do or would like to do in order to make more money? (3) Do you spend a great deal of your time caring for your possessions? (4) Is it hard for you to give money away? (5) Are you in debt?

Prayer: Abba Father, You are above all things and by You all things consist. My aspiration is to love You and adore You above all things. I will serve You the Creator. None of Your creations can ever take first place in my life, rather they will serve me as I serve You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!