Friday, February 15, 2013

What is the Real Deal about Money?



Ok, it is true that the "love of money is the root of all evil". (1 Timothy 6:10) There is so much greed and corruption in this world. And all of that is because of the love of money. However, there is also a lie that because of that greed, God doesn't want us to have any money. You are more humble if you're poor. Many of these preachers also use Matthew 5:3, which says, "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". Jesus also talked about those who were rich. Ok, all of that is true but the word says the poor in spirit are blessed because they are humbled. He wasn't talking about money.

It is also true that you may be humble when you are poor, but you will also be frustrated and in constant need. They failed to mention that a godly man named Job and a beautiful young queen named Esther were rich. But they were also godly people who feared the Lord. These two examples in the Old Testament should tell you that how much money you make doesn't matter to God. It is the condition of the heart. The truth is, God wants us to prosper, "even as our souls prosper". It is not bad to be financially prosper but we should not neglect the weightier matters, such as the Pharisees did in Matthew 23:23-24.

Malachi 3 talks about tithing (into the storehouse) and Luke 6:38 talks about being a generous giver. However, Luke 6 wasn't talking about just money. He was talking about cause and effect in all areas of life. Take heed that the motive behind the giving is also important.

We are to use the money that we have wisely, whether it is to further God's kingdom as for providing for missionaries to preach the gospel to the poor, provide medicine to those in need, and to build churches that preach the truth. Of course, God also wants us to have money to spend for ourselves and to use it wisely. In fact, in the books of Matthew and Luke, Jesus talks about reaping and sowing, which could mean our understanding of our world. Money is also a form of stewardship as written in Matthew 25. Money in this world is a necessity but it must also be invested wisely. The steward with the one talent did not invest wisely because of his laziness and his wickedness.

Also I would be remiss if I was not forewarned if I didn't mention that there is corruption in our churches concerning money. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that the Revelation 3:14-22 didn't mention that the church of Laodicea was a rich church, but was poor in spirit. It was a lukewarm church that was neither hot nor cold. Financially they were abundant, but spiritually they were lacking. What Jesus was talking about in John 10:10 was not about financial abundance.

He was talking about His being a Savior. He was talking about Him being the only legitimate way to salvation. There are many like the church of Laodicea who are financially abundant but who have sought Jesus as their Savior that "they may have life more abundantly".

The point to all of this is that being neither rich nor poor are sins. These are social strata in world societies. Being rich or poor doesn't make anyone any more or less a sinner than the other, for "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Money in this world is a need that is to be invested wisely whether to a church, a charity, or a bank. Let us ponder this thought. When we leave this earth, God will not judge us by how rich or poor one is financially. He will judge us by how we have lived our lives in this planet. Are we born-again? Are our names written in Heaven? What have you done or how have you lived your life while you were on this planet? God knows who we are and what we have done. He knows who his sheep are and who his sheep arent'. (John 10:1-10) He knows the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46) who are rich, poor, etc.

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