Tuesday, August 14, 2018

 

The average man, as the saying goes, thinks about money every seven seconds and women are not far behind men on this. A recent study conducted by CNBC reveals that most Americans think about money more than anything else, and it also concluded that the older you get the more you worry about money. Perhaps this is the reason why there are more financial seminars, workshops, and books teaching people how to get rich than there are on any other subject matter. Hence, the reason why people are more devoted to money than they are to anything else in life. It is no wonder then that most Christian churches tend to speak about money more than any other subject and it also no wonder that people attending church are looking for ways to prosper. Simply stated, people are devoted to seeking money.

 

The Bible has a lot to say about money. In fact, the Bible speaks on the subject of money more than it does about love, family, heaven, spirituality, or any other subject. However, there is a huge difference between what the Bible and the get rich educators tell us about money. There is also a huge difference when it comes to what the Bible has to say about money and what many Christian organizations are teaching. Look at what Jesus had to say concerning people’s devotion to money:

 

Matthew 6: 24-34 NIV

Key verses: 24, 31-34

 

“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.”

 

As believers our hearts must be devoted to God but instead many see God as a genie in a bottle. When you rub the bottle three times, out comes God to grant us our every wish. People today go to church, sing a few songs, give a few dollars; they listen to the message, and expect God to grant them their request for wealth and prosperity in return. Their hearts are not devoted to God; they are devoted to seeking wealth and prosperity. Our culture is very similar to the culture in Jesus’ day in that what we wear, where we live, what we drive, and paying the bills are what we worry about the most. Then, along comes Jesus and says to us that it is impossible to serve both God and money.

 

Matthew 6: 31-34 NIV

 

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

You will need to make a choice. You can either devote yourself to God or to money, but not to both, as they are mutually exclusive no matter what anyone tells you. I did not say it Jesus said it. Jesus said that people who do not know God (pagans) worry about these things. We on the other hand are supposed to seek the Kingdom of God, His righteousness, and His agenda for our lives, which is to build the character of Jesus in us. Then, God will take care of all the other things that worry us so much.