What’s the Big Deal With Money? – Part I
Get ready… I started writing and realized this is a huge topic. So this will be part one of a three-part blog entry. In part one (below) , we’ll talk about money in general. Part two will cover debt slavery and part three will deal with how we should use money for Kingdom purposes (probably not what you are thinking). My prayer is that this will bless you and help you as the lessons I learned (and continue to learn) have blessed me and my family.
Why Does the Bible Spend so Much Time Dealing With Money?
Some Christians seem to believe that money is evil – the more of it you have, the more evil you must be. Other Christians seem to believe that gain is godliness – the more money you have the more holy and blessed you must be. That’s quite a spectrum… Clearly, there are some issues with both points of view (though I did oversimplify them here). Regardless of what we think, the truth of the matter is, money (wealth, material goods and things of value) is a big deal.
According to Compass-finances God’s way1, Howard Dayton (one of the co-founders of Crown Financial Ministries) compiled a list of some 2350 Bible verses that deal with money or material wealth (you can find the list by clicking the link in the footnotes). I am certain we have all heard things like this from the pulpit along with an explanation that centers around giving, stewardship or the like. As with many things in these times, some use these scriptures to edify the body and others misuse them to suit their own agendas.
Side note – This type of dynamic is par for the course when dealing with human beings. I bring attention to these sorts of things in this forum, and from the pulpit, simply because there are so many believers who have been hurt in the church or by “church people”. Our goal is to help remind them (and ourselves) that God’s love and righteousness reigns supreme whether or not those who are supposed to be His hands and feet in the earth live up to their mandate.
So why does the Bible spend so much time focusing on money and wealth (from Abel’s accepted sacrifice to the Shunamite woman, to widow’s last dime)? There are so many statements, questions, proverbs and situations that challenge every one of us on so many levels. Again, the question is why?
I, by no means, claim to have all the answers. My thought, however, is that money is a big deal because it holds value in our social systems and can, therefore, mean the difference between life and death; a life of relative comfort or one characterized by agony. Money can be used to start, conduct or end wars. Money shows up in weddings, births and funerals. Money can mean the difference between treatment for illness or an untimely death. For these reasons (among others), money is an easy, straightforward way for us to conceptualize value, priorities, sacrifice and… faith.
Think about it this way, given all the things money (or material wealth in general) can do and represent in this world, what does it take for you to trust someone else with it? What would it take for you to relinquish control of what you earned by the sweat of your own brow? Often, this is used as a springboard to talk about giving to the local church – that’s not where I’m going with this. I’ve certainly had to work through my own struggles in that area because of misuse of funds I’ve seen. That said, there is certainly a significance to the fact that the concept of giving of the first of your gain (and even giving a tenth of all gain) predates the law of Moses.
I would assert that how we handle money is a microcosm (one of many) of our faith and faithfulness toward God. Similarly, it is just one area in which He demonstrates his faithfulness toward us. It is a simple way for us to take baby steps toward faith and obedience.
Does that mean people who live in abject poverty are deprived of God’s love or blessings? Absolutely not! Does it mean that those living in poverty have no way to learn about faith and giving? No, it does not! It means you and I are provided with an opportunity to act upon and demonstrate God’s love and faithfulness toward them.
I’ll leave you with a couple of challenges to lead into our next two discussions:
- Next time you think about giving a gift to someone, consider what real value it holds. Is it possible that you could give something that holds both more meaning and value without a higher price tag?
- Begin to take a look around the Bible and look at some of the issues and challenges that arise surrounding money (e.g. Mark 7, 1 Timothy 6, 1 John 3).
We’ll deal with issues of debt, poverty, greed and obedience in subsequent blogs. Until then, may the Lord bless you in mighty ways!
Footnotes
1 http://www.compasseuropartners.eu/resources/2350-verses-on-money/
