Money reveals our need for Jesus

Recently we have been talking about how God uses money in the Believers life.

In the last post we discussed how he demonstrates His faithfulness. I really appreciated hearing stories from some of you about how God has been faithful in your lives as you followed His economy. Yes, God is faithful and He will use money to demonstrate His faithfulness.

In addition to demonstrating His faithfulness, I believe that God will use money to reveal areas that we need Jesus.

Galatians 5:19-22 is a rather interesting passage when we read it in the context of how we handle money. If you recall this passage starts out with the phrase in the NAS "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are". The NIV starts the passage out with: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious". Either translation makes it clear that what follows is going to be a bunch of character traits that God calls sin.

Here are some of the sins that are listed in this passage: idolatry, strife, jealousy, disputes, and envying. Think for a minute how these sins become evident in the way that we handle our money.

Can money be an idol in our lives? Absolutely. Are our lives characterized by hoarding and living for the things that money buys instead of living for Christ? This can be a type of idol worship that separates us from God. Sometimes, in a very subtle way we worship money and the worldly pleasures that come along with it.

Have you ever found yourself in this situation? We don't spend time with our families, at church or even in our quiet time with the Lord because we are over committed to our jobs and making money. 1Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5 and Luke 9:25 all caution us against letting money become an idol in our lives.

How about strife and disputes? How many arguments have we participated in about money? Many surveys reveal that the number one cause of divorce in America today is money issues. Even if it does not lead to divorce, I am sure that most of us can identify arguments that were caused by money. 2 Timothy 2:23-24 and 1 Peter 3:8 and many verses in Proverbs call us to live in harmony and avoid strife and arguments.

Have you ever looked at someone else's car or house or clothing (or in my case technology toy) and want one just like it? Isn't that a case of jealousy and envy? Aren't we commanded in Philippians 4:11-13 to be content with whatever we have and in whatever circumstance God has placed us?

In discussing finances and money over the years, I have seen arguing about money, idolizing money and a lack of contentment with the amount of money God has supplied. Is the answer to these problems more money?

No, the answer is Jesus. If we continue to read in Galatians 5 we see that a Spirit filled life which is a result of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ leads to contentment, peace and the proper priorities.

Yes, I believe that God uses money in our lives to reveal our need for Jesus.

It's time to look past the current economic meltdown.....to giving.

What a road this fall has been for our economy (and personal finances as well)! Anyone that has money invested in the stock market knows that the term "fall" would certainly apply to more than just the leaves falling from the trees. Unfortunately I believe there is more to come as we are beginning to experience what Larry Burkett called "The Economic Earthquake" in his 1991 book.

Hopefully you are learning with me some of the lessons from these nasty times that God wants us to learn.

Since this is a blog and not a soap box I would really like to hear some of your thoughts. In an effort to encourage discussion, I would like to post some of the questions and comments that arise during the "Journey to True Financial Freedom" (JTTFF) seminar that I do for Crown Financial Ministries.

This time of year is the beginning of the "Seminar Season" for Crown. For whatever reason, there are more JTTFF seminars scheduled in the fall and early spring than any other time of year. My guess is that it has to do with Christmas shopping and the pressure to use and pay off the credit cards that come with the holiday season.

For what it is worth, I will include my thoughts on any question or topic with my next post.

OK, here is the first topic I would like to offer for discussion. I probably get as many questions about giving as I do any other topic during a seminar. Here is the question: Assuming that we understand that tithing refers to 10% of our income, should the entire tithe go to our local church?

I really look forward to hearing others thoughts on this question.