Walking with the Wise #10: Money Matters

“Honor the LORD with your wealth
 and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
 and your vats will be bursting with wine.”—Proverbs 3:9-10

You are rich. Filthy rich. You may not think so, but you are. The fact that you can read this right now tells me you are. First of all, the fact that you can read at all tells me you’re comparatively wealthy, because to be educated means that you have been given privileges that those in many of the so-called third world countries do not have. Even the fact that you can read this on a computer right now tells me that you are wealthy. After all, computers are for the wealthy, not the poor. Still don’t think you are rich? Then let me ask you a question: What did you have for breakfast? Does that seem odd to you? How does what I eat for breakfast determine whether I am wealthy? Well then, how about this one: what clothes are you wearing right now? Are they different from yesterday? If so, then you are wealthy.

Before we proceed further, allow me to give you my definition of wealthy. And, I must admit, it’s not my own. I took it from a missionary I heard about years ago. But here it is: are you ready? Wealth is…the ability to choose. There it is. If you have the ability to choose—what you eat, or what you wear, then you are wealthy. You may not think that is a big deal, but compared to ¾ of the rest of the world you are wealthy. You can eat what you want. Many of those in the world don’t have any food and are starving. One need only look at what is going on in Somalia right now as people are leaving the country by the thousands to get to Kenya and get some food. They have nothing. And as they are making the trek, thousands of mothers are having to bury their children who have died from starvation. You are rich. Filthy rich. You can go to the refrigerator and find something to eat. You are rich compared to the rest of the world.

And then your clothing. You may not have the name brands or a closet the size of a garage, but you have the ability to choose what you want wear today. Many do not have that choice. They are wearing the same clothes they wore yesterday and will be wearing the same clothes tomorrow. The fact that you can choose what you want to wear puts you in a better position than the rest of the world.

I know that some might find this depressing, but it shouldn’t be. It should help sober us up from the drunken stupor we have been in that comes to us from the idol of comparison that kills contentment. It should open us up to the reality that what we have is from God. God has made it clear in His Word that He has given us the ability to have and make money:
“Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is this day”—Deuteronomy 8:17-18.
God has blessed us with money and the ability to get it. The problem for most of us is that we are continually comparing ourselves to others, which kills contentment. True contentment is not found in acquiring many things, but in realizing God’s provision to us as well as using the blessing we have to serve others. This is not to say that we shouldn't work, have ambition, or seek to better our station in life. It’s okay to have things, choices, and wealth, along with the ability to buy and do things for ourselves. But we must guard ourselves against a selfish, materialistic mentality that seeks to be find satisfaction in stuff and success. And this is also not to say that we should have only the bare minimum in order to live in Christlikeness. It is true that Jesus may ask us to sell everything in order to follow Him just as He did the rich young ruler, but it may be that God wants us to shift our focus from a dependence upon stuff, self, and success, to a greater focus on the Savior, considering ourselves as stewards of everything He has entrusted to our care. And this is also not to diminish the genuine difficulties that are part and parcel of daily life for individuals who find themselves in dire financial straights—in the midst of a society of plenty. To say that we have choice, compared to the rest of the world, can ring hollow for those of limited means who may enjoy some choice of food or dress, but who do not have the ability to live up to societal norms. In other words, we may be blessed more than the rest of the world, but it’s hard to realize that when everybody around us has a lot more money, material comfort and financial security than we do.

How do we deal with this mindset? How do we find contentment in the midst of a culture of comparison? It begins by acknowledging God is the source of our satisfaction—not money or stuff. It begins with honoring Him with our wealth, first and foremost. If you say you follow Jesus, then the entirety of your life should reflect that fact. If God is not the God of your checkbook, then He is not your God at all. Be assured, God doesn’t want your money, He wants your heart, but how we spend our money reveals where our heart is. If you want to know where your heart is, look at how you spend your money and you will all-too-quickly discover the answer.

God desires that we honor Him with our money—not just scraps either. He wants the first part of what we earn, the “firstfruits.” He wants us to honor Him with our best. And we will find that when we do, God will bless us—our barns “will be filled with plenty” and “our vats will be bursting with wine.” Which means that we will be fed and have joy.

God’s blessing is intimately connected to our honoring Him with our money. Have you honored Him in this way? Or are you hiding something from Him? Where is your heart? Tied to stuff or to the Savior? Honor God with your firstfruits and be ready to experience the satisfaction and joy that comes from knowing Him. Because when we honor God, He communicates His presence to us, enabling us to experience the joy of doing what He has made us to do to—enjoy Him. Amen.

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