"Sarge"
Director NCFP
28 posts
Apr 20, 2010
8:27 AM
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You can’t take it with you or as Pastor Chuck Swindoll says, “I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul in a funeral procession.” We leave it all behind when we die. So why is it that we strive so mightily after money? What is it about money that drives us to work countless hours even neglecting our loved ones to get it? Why will some cheat, lie, steal, or commit criminal acts to get it? Is it because we think money will give us security or success? On a deeper, spiritual level, have we made money our god and we worship it by giving it our time, energy, and affection, i.e. our worship? Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Aramaic for ‘money’)” (Matthew 6:24 KJV). Jesus says three things about money: (a) it can physically master us just like an addiction [“serve two masters”]. It can drive us to expend time and energy in its pursuit. (b) Money can emotionally master us [“hate the one . . . love the other”]. It can affect our emotions creating love, fear, anger, hatred, and jealousy. Finally,(c) spiritually money can become our god [“serve God and mammon”]. Money (mammon) can compete with God Almighty for our worship because to whatever we give our time, energy, and affection is our god.
Knowing that you and I will leave it all behind, how are we as Christians to handle money? The Bible says that we are to steward money using it as a tool to build up the kingdom of God. Money is just that, a tool, a means to an end. It was never meant by God to be an end in itself. God entrusts money to us as a test. He says, “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches” (Luke 16:11 KJV)? God has true riches for us, riches far greater and more precious than money. He will give these true riches to those who wisely steward “unrighteous mammon.”
Here are some thoughts on how to wisely steward unrighteous mammon: (a) live below your means. In a recent article I read of how real millionaires live, 90% lived modestly, below their means. They didn’t live in large fancy homes, drive flashy cars, wear expensive clothes, or entertain lavishly. Those who want that kind of lifestyle seldom are millionaires and if they are, they aren’t for long! (b) Give it away. Just as Jesus advised the rich young ruler, “. . . go and sell all you have and give it to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21). “But Irv,” you protest, “we need money to live on. We can’t give it all away. We have bills to pay.” God understands that. God knows our needs however He wants to break the hold money has on our lives. How do we break the vice grip it has on us? Give it away. Don’t turn away from the poor. Rather than accumulating and hoarding money, give it away. When is enough enough? If your net worth is $1 million, is that enough? $5 million? $50 million? What will happen to all that net worth when you die? Will you leave it to your heirs and run the risk of them becoming enslaved to mammon, looking to it rather than God for their security and success? I urge you to meet the needs of your family but beyond that be extravagant givers. If you don’t, mammon can subtly creep in and displace God as your source of security and your basis for success. In Christ are all the true riches of heaven.
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