Posted on by intentional4christ

The Economics of Eternity: God or Money?

Last month I discovered something about myself: I have an unhealthy relationship with money. My everyday thoughts and functioning is subsumed by what I term “the economics of money in action” i. e. earning money, buying goods and services, paying for bills and utilities- it takes over your life completely. I realized my first thought in the day is about the everyday cares of this world and my last thought at night is about the cares of this world. As I have reflected about my relationship with money, I have come to realize how pervasive it is, even to the extent that all my relationships have become somewhat defined by the economics of money. My dealings with family, friends, colleagues, bosses, significant others, children, and even acquaintances have money at the center of it. Many of my friendships and relationships have been built on the capital of me giving of my time and resources (cash and kind) and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, God has been pushed away from center place in my life as the economics of money has taken centrality in my thoughts and actions. This poses some major problems.

First, money is fleeting and with it, the joy and stability it brings. Unfortunately, when we build on the foundation of the economics of money, the relationships, worldviews, and foundational principles are anchored in a system of shifting sand. Money comes and money goes and nothing that is built on this ephemeral concept has eternal value. Jesus told a parable to illustrate this:

“The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!” ’But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated? This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12: 16-21 BSB

It is even more problematic when our relationship with God is built on the currency of the economics of money. Our prayers stop having Kingdom impact as we turn inwards to ask for our daily bread and our daily bread alone. Most prayers, like mine have been for the past 19 years, become about God’s blessing to make us comfortable in this world. Our trust in God is built on God’s ability to answer our prayer requests to meet our physical, material, and economic needs and has very little to do with the fact that He is God. How dependable God is judged by how quickly our prayers for things that have earthly value are answered or how quickly these prayers manifest into reality. Over the years, I have stopped praying for things that I think God may not answer quickly enough or may be too “big” for God to handle so I am not “disappointed in God”. Many of us have relinquished God to a genie in the bottle whose sole purpose is to serve me and grant me my wishes. Afterall, God operates on principles and so if I give like He instructs in scripture (tithes and offerings) to then He has no choice than to bless me. Such is a life that tries to build a relationship with God on the economics of money.

Jesus knew that besides sin, money has the greatest potential to keep us chained to this fleeting world so we are swept away with it at the end of all ages. He described the economics of money as mammon. The term mammon stems from the Greek word mammonas and related root words appear in Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic. Mammon can be defined as “earthly goods, property, riches, etc.” Mammon are the things of this world that can divert our attention and love from God to the pleasures and comforts of earthly desires. Jesus theorized that there are two masters in this world, God and mammon and one can only serve one master at a time.

No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:24 BSB

Although mammon can provide fleeting happiness, ultimately it is a deadly distraction from the salvation of our souls. However, God in his goodness for us did not leave us helpless to the wiles of mammon. That is why He showed us the secret of how to overcome this dilemma. He encouraged us to seek His Kingdom first and leave the economics of money to God to take care of.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need…”

Matthew 6: 31-33 NLT

Here is the secret: If you seek God and give Him centrality in your heart and life, the economics of money follows and you also store treasures that are of eternal value. But if the economics of money has centrality, it will consume you and at the end of times it will profit nothing you will lose it all; you will have no heavenly investments.

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

Mark 8:36 NLT

Today, I encourage you to reflect on which master you serve on a daily basis by examining what percentage of your day is devoted to God or to mammon. Compare how often you think about what you will eat or feed the family, what you wear, economic opportunities, paying bills and utilities, exchanging of material goods and services against how often you think about God’s kingdom being established on earth and your role in this endeavor, the masses coming to the saving grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, the whole earth being filled with the glory of God and the part you play in this etc. Ask yourself, “who or what has centrality in my life? God or mammon?”

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

Yours Truly.

Posted on by intentional4christ

Wealth Management: Expectations

Money… money… money… let’s talk money! This week my bible readings led me to 1 Chronicles 29 where I have learnt so much about money and how we ought to respond to wealth or lack of it. I will break this reading into different sections and I believe that there will be something in it for everyone. If you are so inclined join me to read the whole chapter for context.

The expectation of leaders towards giving

Many times you find the leaders of God’s people encouraging members of their churches to give to support the work of God. When I used to facilitate the offering session in my church, I would quote all sorts of scriptures to encourage the people about God’s faithfulness towards a cheerful giver. In 1 Chronicles 29 though something unique happens. The people are encouraged not because their leaders motivate them with great speeches and scriptures. This is why they are motivated to give:

And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. 1 Chronicles 29:9a BSB

They were encouraged by how much their leaders gave freely and wholeheartedly. Their leaders walked the talk and lived a life of sacrificial giving and so the people were encouraged to do the same. Regardless of whatever capacity in which you serve God  (whether as a leader with a recognized position or not), it is imperative that we not only do so in words but in deed also and our practice of giving must reflect same. And yes although there are many other things we give to God, I am specifically referring to money in this blog.

What is the expectation of those who have in abundance?

O LORD our God, from Your hand comes all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy Name, and all of it belongs to You. I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You. O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You. 1 Chronicles 29:16 – 18 BSB

The first thing that is required of those who are comfortable financially, is to acknowledge the source of your wealth. It is from the hand of God that wealth passes on to us but not only that, He still owns it all. Wealth that comes from God is like a loan. And while we are not required to pay it back like a traditional loan, we are expected to be worthy stewards of the money, attributing ownership to the source who is God Himself.

God also expects that we mirror the generosity in which he gives us wealth with others (see the parable of the servant who was forgiven his debt- Matthew 18:21-35) and to do so willingly and joyfully. In addition, God also expects that our hearts be directed towards him at all times so that we are not consumed by the love of money. When God Himself is our Inheritance and treasure, our hearts will be constantly directed towards him for where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also (Psalm 16: 5; Matthew 6:21).

There may be another group of you reading this and thinking to yourselves “I do not think this applies to me! I barely have enough every month”! or you are thinking, “I am not financially comfortable even though I try to be generous. What about me?”

What about me? I am barely surviving financially…

If you fall into this category, you are not alone. Many of us live in this sphere with you or straddle this category from time to time. My greatest encouragement since starting this blog has been from Psalm 23:1. I am encouraged that whatever I have at every moment of my life is enough for that moment because God is my shepherd and so I want for nothing!

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 BSB

It is God that blesses. He not only gives wealth but also the ability to produce wealth (Deut 8:18). He blesses the work of our hands and makes it prosperous; He gives us divinely-inspired ideas as to how to make and save money; and He drives away the devourer for our sakes so that the money we make whether little or a lot meets our daily, weekly, or monthly needs. And what does God expect of those in this category (and frankly from everyone): Thanksgiving.

When I reflect through the eyes of thanksgiving here is what I see: that there are times when I think I will not be able to pay my bills but I do; that those months when I have felt the financial strain the most, no one in my household has been sick requiring care, my car has not broken down and neither has anything in my home required fixing or replacing. God has preserved the little I have enabling me to stretch my income to the last dollar to meet my needs and He deserves to be praised for that feat of greatness! God, I give you thanks and bless your Holy name.

I have been encouraged by  1 Chronicles 29 and if you have been encouraged too then share this blog with your friends. Don’t forget as usual to leave your comments as well so we learn together.

Yours Truly.