About Money
How often do you hear about money in Church? Well, if you are in a mega church, you’ll probably hear it more often than we do at ours. I am very grateful for the generous giving in our church, without which we would’t be able to do all the mission and ministry work in our immediate community and beyond, employ a Pastor and Children's worker and maintain the wonderful building God has given us.
The cost of living is going up. We feel it as the cost of our groceries, gas and electricity as well as petrol have been steadily rising. It is true that some families are having to make the choice between heating their homes and putting food on the table. As it gets colder in winter, many families up and down the country are likely to get into an even more desperate situation. Many are already at breaking point. So, what has this got to do with us, as we are not government?
Firstly, we cannot reach a community if we are not a community. So, I see our first responsibility as caring for those within our church family. “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16, NIV). That is part of the reason why we have the welfare fund in church for those who at one time or another go through financial struggles. If you are struggling financially, please talk to a friend, a leader, or any of the elders. We are called to help and to bear one another’s burden.
But, it is not just about church fund. It is that we develop such deep relationship, love and fellowship that we know when people are struggling. That those who are struggling don’t feel any shame to speak up and that we are so much involved in each other’s lives (not in a suffocating way), but in a healthy way. Such that there is transparency, real affection and care for one another’s welfare. Of course, it’s not all about money, but it is all about LOVE!
“There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need” (Acts 4:34-35, NIV). Let’s be that community of love that passionately cares for one another in the way the early church in Acts was.
Moreover, it is important that we talk about money, but when we do, it has to be biblical, balanced and honest. In fact, the Bible has a lot to say about money. It talks about what it is, what it is for, what our attitude to it should be, how to make it and how to spend or invest it. Let’s examine just a few.
In the classic sermon on the mount, Jesus said this about money: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24, NIV). The admonition here is that money is meant to serve us, we are not to serve money. Someone once said, money is a good servant, but a bad master. In other words, don’t make money your pursuit. If you are wondering how can one serve money, Solomon puts it this way: “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” (Ecc. 5:10, NIV)
The Bible warns us not to make our money through dubious means and not to be in a hurry to make money. “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” (Prov. 13:11, NIV). So, we are admonished to learn to “gather” money “little by little”. That sounds to me like, learn to save, bit by bit, don’t plan on winning the lottery. If you don’t have a culture of saving, start now! Don’t say I am on minimum wage and the money is not enough, if you don’t learn to save when you are earning little, when your wage increases, you won’t learn then.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (Mal. 3:10, NIV). If you want overflowing blessings from God, learn and cultivate a giving culture. Start with a tenth of your monthly earnings. The way to receive more, is to give more. God invites us to test him in this. No one can out give God. He gave us His best, so learn to give your best to your father, and He will truly open the “floodgates of heaven” and bless you abundantly.
Above all, Jesus warns us not to worry about money: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matt. 6:25-27, NIV).
Again, we are warned not to love money and to be content: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5, NIV). This is our assurance, that in these difficult times, God will look after His own, He will care and provide. We must not fold our hands and say it’s all up to God. We must continue to work hard to earn, we must learn to save, we must learn to give and care for one another.
For more practical teaching on money, can I refer you to a message Ebele shared with us a while back (21 March 2021). You can watch it again on YouTube, or better still on our website here.
As Christmas approaches, we must be prudent and not spend beyond our means. Don’t get carried away with Black Friday deals, (I am not saying don’t spend, but spend prudently), in the end, it’s only the bank account of the companies selling you all these fabulous deals that will be in the black. If you are not careful, yours will be in the red. Buy what you need, not what you want if you can’t afford it. Next week, Malcolm Kayes will bring a word from God about preparing for Christmas. Don’t miss it.