God And Money

Money is an essential part of life. We need it to buy food and clothing. It pays for our cars and fuel to get us to work and back so that we can earn the money to get those things we want in life. But the love of money ( 1 Tim. 6:10) can also get us into problems that not even money can get us out of.  When we focus on money rather than the provider of money. We begin to fall into the trap of idolatry.  (Col. 3:5)

Jesus, The Son of God, says to us, “You cannot serve God and money. You will either love one or hate the other or hate one and love the other.”  (Mt. 6:24) We can trust Jesus’ words for they exhibit to us the knowledge of God’s love for us. It was he who said do not be anxious for tomorrow for our Father in Heaven will take care of us better than He will take care of the animals of creation. (Mt. 6:25-34) Service to God is knowledge that He will provide for us.

And God will provide for us as He is the creator of the universe. He owns the world. And we are a part of the world. Remember the Bible begins with the story of creation. Everything was good. Then God made man and put him the Garden. Everything was provided for him. But because of disobeying God’s word, we could not remain in the Garden but had to work the ground. (Gen. 3:19) Yet the ground was there to be worked provided by God.

King David was well aware of this as he took up a collection for the new Temple his son was to build as he prayed, “ …for all that is in heavens and the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom O Lord and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you and you rule over all…. For all things come from you and of your own have we given you.  (1 Chron. 29:11-14)  Everything belongs to God! Everything comes from God. Our money belongs to God! And so how do we say thank you?

Like King David, we give back what God has given us. We use what belongs to God for His purposes. This means in every area of our life, our money and our possessions which are not ours to begin with are to be used as God wills it.  The Old Testament set guidelines for giving back our first fruits. (Dt. 14:22) In other words, we put God first. We give Him our best. When we get paid we should set aside our first fruits giving to the church for the spread of the Kingdom.

This may be hard if we have bills to pay.  But everyday is an opportunity to turn back to God. The first step is to look at what 90% of your income looks like.  This is what God wants you to be a steward of.  Look at your necessities. Is there anything you need to trim or cut back such as cable programs or phone plans. God says he will provide for us but all too often we want more than what God is providing. It is no wonder the very last commandment of the Decalogue is “Thou shalt not covet!” Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we see what appeals to our eyes and we reach for it. Let us not forget our God will cleanse us of our sins when we confess them to Him. (1 Jn. 1:9) He is in the heart changing business.  Begin with asking God to help you rearrange your priorities. Ask that your finances be Christ-centered and not self-centered. Once you begin to do this, you will be trusting in God’s promise of provision.  And once you start living for Him in all aspects of your life, you will be free to give to God what already belongs to Him. And God loves a cheerful giver! (2 Cor. 9:7)

Return to me and I will return to you says the Lord of Hosts. But you say, “How shall we return?” Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, “How have we robbed you?” In your tithes and contributions. …..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. (Malachi 3:7-10)

What The Prodigal Son Can Teach Us About The Prosperity Gospel

The prosperity gospel is no gospel at all. It teaches that we can ask God for anything we want especially material wealth. Isn't that exactly how the parable of the Prodigal Son begins?

“There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. (Luke 15:11-12)

The prodigal was a spoiled brat. He wanted it all now. And he got it. But he also lost it. This is where "he came to himself". (v. 17) His eyes were opened to his plight that he made himself. He resolved to turn back (repent) to his father. But he did not go back asking for what he had already gotten but with the resolve to be a servant in his father's household. Yes, his father met him along the way but he never forgot to state the reality of his sin, "I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” (V.21) Now many of us remember the rest of the story and that was the younger son received his father's robe and his ring. These were signs of his relationship with his father. With his inheritance spent, the father had that much less money and land to give him. All he had was the sign of his patrimony. And the love of his father.

As with all parables, this is a story of us and our relationship with God. It is about how we are far away from God but are on a journey home. This is usually after we come to ourselves and see that left to our own devices, we can only make a pigsty for ourselves. (v.15) But the prosperity gospel is a false gospel that says God wants us to have it all now. In other words, don't repent of being spoiled brats. It's a gospel that ignores the third chapter of Genesis. Adam and Eve, God's first children, had it all. A garden to frolic in! They had only one command and that was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But that wasn't good enough. They wanted more. And east of Eden they were banished. (Gen. 3:1-24) And eventually we got more commandments because we never learned what was right on our own because we armed ourselves with the knowledge of evil. But the last of the big ten was "Thou shalt not covet." Adherents of the prosperity gospel covet what they do not have. They want more like the prodigal son. They are not content with their Father in Heaven's blessing. And if you are not content you are a spoiled brat. Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. Sometimes the answer to that prayer from God is something like, "Here, let me open your eyes so you can see what I have given you today!" Scripture admonishes us to be content with what we have. (Heb. 13:5) After all, our good Father knows what we need! It is the false gospel of prosperity preaching that leaves us as spoiled brats wanting more. And the judgment is the pigsties we are willing to build for ourselves!

My War on the Prosperity Gospel

“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." (Mt. 6:19-24)

Does the end justify the means? I run into too many people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ because they are looking for a reward here on earth. They want something they do not have. Wait! Isn't that coveting? Jesus did not come to increase sin but came to save us from our sins. If the thief repents of stealing, shouldn't the covetor repent of wanting what does not belong to him? After all, we are to be content with what we have!  There is so much that could be said here. But perhaps my greatest pet peeve with the prosperity 'gospel' is the if - then dichotomy that is promoted. If I do this God will do that. God isn't waiting on any of us. He is King. He is sovereign. His will will be done! Our earthly blessings come from the knowledge that all things are under His control. We can ask for stuff but God will not give it to us if it does not accord with His holy and perfect will. And if you think you can do something to influence His will, well, let's call that manipulation and what does that say about you? Let us not forget we are God's servants. He does not serve us. Let us trust Scripture when it says:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
    I will not fear;
what can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6)