Money for Nothing

The Bible teaches us to live our lives differently than the world teaches, and this is especially true when it comes to finances. As Christians, one of life's greatest tests of obedience to Christ is how we spend our money. God is not the only one watching how we earn and spend it; even our children are witnessing our spending habits. How we spend money reveals what is truly important to us.

As Scripture says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).

Our attitude about money is established in our hearts, and how we handle our money is a heart issue. The challenge for most people is that the heart is attached to the head, and the head is not always thinking the way the Bible teaches about money. The prophet Isaiah addresses this issue when he asks, "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance" (Isaiah 55:2, NKJV).

Spending money wisely is challenging, but the benefits are priceless. Money does talk, as it is written in Ecclesiastes 10:19, "A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry, but money answers everything" (NKJV). Money talks to us and also says things about us, and what it says matters. Money matters. Someone once said, "Money amplifies who we really are on the inside." This is why money matters to Christians for a number of good reasons. How we handle money or allow ourselves to be handled by it has the power to cause us to grow spiritually or be severely stunted in our growth.

For Christians, developing the ability to be good stewards of material resources is absolutely essential. What money says to us will be determined by our heart's attitude towards God. Our relationship with money really has to do with our relationship with God. The apostle Paul writes, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19, NKJV). When we trust in God's provision and seek to honour Him with our finances, we can experience the abundance and satisfaction that comes from walking in obedience.

One of the key principles of biblical money management is the concept of tithing. In Malachi 3:10, God challenges His people to trust Him with their finances, saying, "'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it'" (NKJV). When we give to God first and trust Him to provide for our needs, we demonstrate our faith and obedience, and we open ourselves up to His blessings.

Another important principle is the avoidance of debt. Proverbs 22:7 warns, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender" (NKJV). When we become enslaved to debt, we limit our ability to be generous and to respond to God's leading in our lives. Instead, we should seek to live within our means and to be content with what we have, as Paul writes in Philippians 4:11-12, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (NKJV).

Ultimately, our use of money is a reflection of our hearts and our priorities. Lord Jesus told a parable about a rich man who stored up wealth for himself but was not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21). He warns us, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15, NKJV). Instead, we are called to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, trusting that all our needs will be provided for (Matthew 6:33).

As Christians, we have the opportunity to use our money in a way that honours God and blesses others. By being good stewards of the resources He has entrusted to us, we can experience the joy and freedom that comes from walking in obedience to His will. May we always remember that our relationship with money is ultimately a reflection of our relationship with God, and may we seek to use our finances in a way that brings glory to His name.

Money for Nothing

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