Walking with the Wise #158: The Heart Test

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,

but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.”
—Proverbs 13:22

Jesus boiled the Ten Commandments down to two—love God and love man. We love God because He first loved us. He gave His Son to die for us, and through our faith in Him we become part of a spiritual family. However, this spiritual family, although surpassing in depth of intimacy, does not take away from our obligations to our physical family. We are commanded to take care of our family members, showing by our sacrifice that their care is more important than our personal comfort. Not only do we take care of our parents, but we also seek to provide for our children, and their future. As we grow and mature in life and in our Christian walk, we begin to build wealth little by little. We don’t do this solely for our personal pleasure, but for practical benefit. Those who are righteous are looking not only to meet their own personal needs but the needs of others as well. They endeavor to save their money so as to leave some to their children.

The sinner is not so inclined. Selfish pursuits and sinful practices equaled hoarded wealth for wrong purposes. They did not care to give to God, and failed to realize that His Lordship over their lives extended to their wealth. And rather than honor Him with their firstfruits they kept it for themselves, wrongly believing that it was theirs and no one else’s. They tried to hold onto that which cannot be held onto—money. Money can be earned, saved, invested, squandered, and gambled, but it is limited only to this realm of existence. Money is a heart test for us. Use it for the Lord, recognize we are simply stewards of it, and then invest it for His purposes and you will surely have a reward. But squander it, try to hold on to it, and there is no reward, but rather the continuous pangs of conscience resulting from having eternally squandered wealth, meriting no reward, but only God’s terrible wrath.

God has a way of taking that which the wicked despise (e.g., righteousness), and taking that which they hold most dear (e.g., accumulation of wealth), and giving it to those in whom He is well-pleased (i.e., the righteous). God is not mocked; He will accomplish His purposes whether we are willing or unwilling. Whether through His blessing or through His judgment, His will will be accomplished.

Forsake any notion of your own wealth. God didn’t give you the skills necessary to work your job so that you would squander it for your selfish desires. He gave it to you so that you would give Him glory. God has blessed you so that you might bless others in His name. Do not seek to build up for yourself wealth that you cannot keep. Instead, use your wealth as a means of blessing those around you—the family of faith and your children for generations to come. Amen.