What does the Bible say about our Money?
Scripture has a lot of instructions regarding money, primarily because money has a lot of influence on our lives. What we treasure will identify the location of our heart and the direction it is moving. Allowing scripture to influence decisions about money will influence the direction of our lives. If you’ve ever found yourself becoming indifferent to the mission of Jesus, serving people, or the local church, a first step may be to check where your treasure is going. The spiritual practice of generosity will align our hearts with the mission of Jesus (if you missed it, this is what it means to continue his mission).
The apostle Paul took many of the spiritual truths that Jesus taught and turned them into spiritual practices. He wrote, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).
3 lessons from Paul about generosity:
1. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE NEEDS.
Considering how to meet every need we see everywhere can be daunting. One person cannot do everything, but all of us can do something. God has placed each of us in specific environments to show us specific needs. When we learn to have a generous eye, we will see needs as opportunities to serve others. Start with a simple prayer asking God to help us see the needs we can meet.
2. GOD CHOOSES TO WORK THROUGH PEOPLE TO MEET NEEDS.
Kelly and I have experienced being on the receiving end of people’s generosity through the years. We’ve also had the privilege to be able to meet the needs of others. We’ve seen how God chooses to work through people to meet needs in both scenarios. God also designed the local church to be a storehouse. Giving financially allows us as a church to meet the specific needs of people. We can do so much more together than we could ever do alone.
3. WHEN WE GENEROUSLY HELP OTHERS, GOD WILL GENEROUSLY HELP US.
Whether we have a lot or a little, meeting the needs of others is like sowing seeds. When we sow generously, we will reap generously, and when we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly. Paul reminds us, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
The spiritual practice of generosity is a personal decision to serve others by giving, and it aligns our heart with the mission of Jesus (click here to find out the purpose of serving people with good works).
What is one step you could take to grow in this practice?
P.S. – Check out Part 2 of our series Why Church? to know how we can stay aligned to the mission of Jesus.