“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).
The beginning of
a New Year tends to be the time when a lot of us reflect over the past year and
make resolutions for the New Year. One of the most common resolutions people
tend to make pertains to money: whether getting out of debt, making better
financial decisions, or just seeking to make more money. Did you know that the
Bible has a lot to say about financial matters? In fact, the Bible talks more about money
and possessions than heaven and hell combined. Now, by this point in time, some of you are probably thinking, “Yup, all
the church wants is your money.” However, this is not the case at all! The Bible emphasizes it so much simply
because the Lord knows that nothing will lead us away from Him more than what we
do with our money, “For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also”
(Matt. 6:21).
Therefore, where is your heart? Do you sincerely trust God?
Or do you trust the money God has entrusted you with (Ps. 24:1)? God promises to take care of our needs when we trust in
Him, seeking His kingdom
and righteousness before we concern
ourselves with our needs. When a person
receives Christ as their personal Lord and Savior they are trusting Him with
their eternal destiny. Yet herein lies the oxymoron: for many who claim to be
Christians do not trust God with what is temporary - the money that God has
entrusted them with. Thus, there are a lot of people who claim to trust in God
but, in reality, they trust their money instead.
So how does one know if this is the case in their own life
or not? Chris Galanos shares 5 clues that a person is trusting in money instead
of God. First, you consistently argue with your spouse about money. Second, you
consistently neglect your family to get more money. Third, you have trouble
giving it away. So when you see a need, and feel God prompting you to give—you
struggle to do it. Why? Because it means less for you. Fourth, you consistently
spend more than you make. The Bible commands us to owe nothing to anyone except
your obligation to love one another (Rom. 13:8). And fifth, when you lose it,
you panic. The Lord commands us not to worry about our financial needs, for He
promises to take care of you (Matt. 6:31-34; Phil. 4:19).
John Ortberg said, “A wallet looks like a piece of leather
but it’s really the temple of the 21st century...We give this little piece of
leather the power to make us feel secure, successful, and valuable. It is very
hard for us to surrender control of this little piece of leather. The real
issue: who’s in charge? Are you holding it or is it holding you?” (When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box, p. 197).
Therefore,
if you have committed your life to Christ, trusting in God, put your money
where your mouth is. Trust that God will take care of you. Spend less than you
make, be generous, and rest in His promises of provision to those who seek
first His kingdom and righteousness.
In God we trust,
Matt
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