Things That Make Christians Different From The World: Money
Money is a hot topic for people today. With the U.S. economy not nearly as strong as it used to or should be, with many companies (including the one that Diane and I work for) not giving raises like they should or not at all, the cost of living going up, and people looking very closely at their personal finances like never before, money is very important to all of us.
We are all looking to manage our bills better, manage our incomes better; we are looking at cutting back on things that may not be as important as we once thought that they were. The reality for us today is that money seems to make the world go ‘round.
Well, as important as money is to all of us today, and make no mistake here we ALL need money to live and take care of ourselves and our families, money has been important throughout human history. It was important to the people and societies that we read about in the Bible too.
Here is some important information and numbers about money and its place in Scripture:
Money is such an important topic in the Bible that it is the main subject of nearly half of the parables Jesus told. In addition, one in every seven verses in the New Testament deals with this topic. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, and more than 2,300 verses on money.
In fact, 15 percent of everything Jesus ever taught was on the topic of money and possessions-more than His teachings on heaven and hell combined. Money is the most talked about topic in Scripture.
Now that we have established just how important God thinks that money is to us, how we handle the money that He gives to us, and most importantly our attitudes towards money, the next question is why is the “money topic” so important to God and us? I have a simple answer to this question and the answer is this: Because there is a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and handle money.
So how are Christians supposed to handle the money and wealth that the Lord so graciously provides for each of us? And how does the world look at the money that they have, how do they use it in general, and in what ways do they pursue wealth that is in contrast with the ways Christians do the same things?
I would love to be able to say at this point that we as Christians are so much different from the world when it comes to money that there are very clear and defined differences between the world and us but unfortunately, I can’t.
In 1st Timothy chapter 6 verses 10-11 we read this:
10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
Now, while the KJV of the Bible and maybe one or two other translations say that the love of money is THE root of all evil, most translations say that the love of money is A root of many evils. Having said that the bottom line is that money can and will get in the way of a Christians’ relationship with Christ as Paul wrote in the two verses we just read.
As I said earlier, the attitudes that many Christians have about money and wealth are not much different from the attitudes about money and wealth that the world holds in general. I find this situation to be very sad and hard to fathom. Since the world doesn’t have a relationship with God or Christ, I completely understand how they deal with money and why the pursuit of it consumes them, but I am saddened that Christians far too often fall into the very same money traps that the lost find themselves ensnared in.
Martin Luther, the leader of the Reformation said this about people when they come to Christ: "There are three conversions a person needs to experience: The conversion of the head, the conversion of the heart, and the conversion of the pocketbook."
I want to very clear here that neither, the Bible, Jesus, or the men who wrote the Scriptures down for us say that wealth or money in and of itself is evil or bad. What all three say to us though is that it is our attitudes and behaviors towards these two things that make all the difference in the world.
What I believe that Martin Luther meant by people needing to have a conversion of the pocketbook is that Christians are an awful lot like the world when it comes to talking about money. In the seven years I have been the Pastor here at MKBC, I have never preached a sermon on tithing. Thankfully, we have never needed to have one preached that I can tell but Christians seem to be very sensitive when it comes to their personal finances.
It’s ok to talk about sin, salvation, grace, love peace, the things that others are doing that’s wrong, etc, but preacher, don’t you talk about my money or what I’m supposed to give! That’s none of your business! But if I am supposed to preach the entire counsel of God then guess what, I’m supposed to preach on giving and tithing too.
In 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7 we read this:
7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Now let’s look at why Christians sometimes don’t give the way that they should and sometimes the reasons are not much different from why the world misuses money and wealth.
The world puts an awful lot of hope in money and wealth and they think that they are the ones who created their wealth and they also think that they are the ones who can hold onto it and control it. But we as Christians should know better even though we sometimes have the same attitudes that the world has. Christians sometimes feel that their money is just that, their money. Is that true? No, it’s not.
EVERYTHING that we have comes from God, He created all things and that obviously includes money and wealth. In Haggai chapter 2 verse 8 we read this:
8 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.
And in 1st Chronicles chapter 29 verse 12 we read this:
12 "Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.
So Christians, if all the money and wealth that we have really belongs to the Lord and He commands us to return to Him a small portion of what He has given to each of us to steward and we don’t do this then are we really any different from the way the world treats their incomes?
Again, our views on giving tell an awful lot about our attitudes towards money but even more they show what our attitudes are towards the God who has blessed us with what we have whether it is a lot or a little.
I've often heard that you can get a good feel for someone's spiritual commitment by looking at two things -- their day planner and their checkbook. While this may be a bit simplistic, it's certainly true that how we spend both our time and money is a good reflection of who we are.
So what about the pursuit of wealth? Are there clear and distinct differences between the world and Christians when it comes to pursuing wealth? Again, I have to say that for a lot of Christians there are not really a lot of differences.
There are many people in the world who live their lives for the sole purpose of getting rich no matter the cost to them or to those around them. And the saddest thing about this situation is that they are never satisfied with what they have because for them there is always room for one more dollar!
In Proverbs 1:19 we read this: So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.
In Luke 12:15 we read this: Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
And also in Mark 8:36: What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
We as Christians need to step up and do what’s right according to the Word of God when it comes to our views and attitudes on money and wealth. The world is watching and we have to show them that there are big differences in the way that we treat money and wealth and the way that they do.
And at this point I have to say that we have a long way to go before we as Christians can claim that we are indeed different from the world as it relates to money and wealth.
I heard a story, and it’s a true story, about a city where the Southern Baptist Convention went to have our annual convention, and after it was over the mayor of that city said this about our convention attendees: “I appreciate that the Southern Baptist Convention had their convention in our city and they came to our city with two things, the Ten Commandments and a $100 dollar bill and they didn’t break any of them!”
The world is consumed with gaining and keeping money and wealth. Christians should be just the opposite. We should be thanking the Lord for what we have and we should be a conduit to share our monetary blessings with others because if we keep the pipeline open then God will be faithful to fill that pipeline for us.
The more that people try to hold onto wealth and money the quicker it will slip right through their fingers. As Christians we have to be good stewards but we cannot hoard up the wealth that the Lord gives us to benefit only ourselves.
God is the best provider ever! If we give some of our wealth away then He will provide us with more than we could ever imagine. In Philippians 4:19 we read this: And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
People, especially Christians, are not the ones who make or create our wealth and money, it is God who does this as it says in Deuteronomy 8:18: But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
The world looks at wealth as a status symbol, as a form of security, as a way to show that they are better than those who don’t have what they have, for many people in the world money and wealth is the be all and end all. Money and wealth are harsh and hard masters. And they also don’t always realize that wealth and money are fickle and fleeting and that they can have an abundance of both one day and the next they can be poverty stricken because they put their faith in something rather than someone. And that someone is the Lord Jesus Christ. Money and wealth will not be able to save them from an eternity in hell for rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
But we Christians are supposed to know better aren’t we? Aren’t we supposed to know that we cannot serve two masters? We will either love one and hate the other or vise versa. Who do we love and serve today? Money or our Lord?
The answer should be obvious but many Christians struggle with money and that boils down to faith. Do we have enough faith in God to give when it seems like we don’t have enough? Do we want to be different from the world when it comes to how we handle money? I would ask that you look at your day planner and your check book and examine your attitudes about money and God, who or what comes first?
I believe that if God can keep my soul safe and secure for eternity then I have to believe that He can meet all of my needs at all times. What attitudes about money do you need to work on? We all have some work to do I imagine, myself included!
