Even people that have not attended church in a long time will tell you that the church talks too much about money. While this may be true of some churches, it has never been the case with any church of which I have been a pastor. Most of the time, the church has been so active in the community and ministering to people, that I feel God has trusted us with the resources to complete the work He gave us to do.
With that being said, we need to talk about money sometimes. As we work our way through the book of James, we find that verses 1:9-11 address this very issue. As you read these verses, you quickly find that God’s view of money and the world’s view of money differ greatly. Consider just the following examples:
>The world says money brings security. God says true security comes from trusting that God will be enough when He is all we have. (See James 1:9-11 and 1 Timothy 6:17)
> The world says money brings freedom. God says the desire for money can be enslaving and lead to destruction; only Christ brings true freedom. (See 1 Timothy 6:7-10)
> The world says money is what matters most. God says Christ and His Kingdom is what matters most. (See Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 3:7-10)
> The world says money is power. God says true power comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 1:8 and 1 John 4:4)
> The world says money establishes your net worth as a person. God says your worth is based upon God’s word and not on the temporary whims of our temporary world. (See Psalm 139:13-16 and Ephesians 1:3)
> The world says money makes you successful. God says success comes from knowing God’s word and obeying God’s word. (See Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1)
>The world says money gives you options. God says He is the One Who gives you options. (See Ephesians 3:20 and Proverbs 16:9)
>The world says money brings happiness. God says the “happiness” money can buy is short-lived and is not true joy. (See James 1:11, James 5:1-6 and John 15:11)
>The world says money is your reward and you should spend it all on yourself. God says using your money selflessly can bring eternal rewards. (See Matthew 6:19-24 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-11)
> The world says money is your possession to do with as you please. God says you are only a steward of what is rightfully His. (See Psalm 24:1 and Luke 19:11-27)
In this time of financial uncertainty, you can live the world’s way and this can lead you to panic or you can live God’s way and know that He will be enough. He will either provide for your needs or He will bring you home to Him for an eternity in Heaven. That is actually better!
Which way will you live as you prepare to enter 2021?