Money

Money is a vital commodity in our daily living. The value of it would fluctuate according to the economic situation of the country that produces it.   The Bible mentions a great deal about money both its positive and negative aspects.  Let’s deal first with the negative aspects of money.

Money, considered as unrighteous mammon (Lk 16:9), has the power to control mankind, in that man can pursue it at the expense of all other important things in life. It can even become a “god” in competition with the Almighty God.  Jesus rightly puts it, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Lk 16:13b (NASB). Here mammon is equated to riches which can have an evil influence over our lives.  The apostle Paul said that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil and some by longing for it have wandered from the faith (1 Tim 6:10).  Covetousness is a spirit that has to be renounced and Jesus denounced it explicitly and by way of a parable (Lk 12:13-21).  We may think that the rich man was very industrious and entrepreneurial in that he devised a plan to generate wealth.  But God thought otherwise and called him a fool.  He was rich on earth but poor in his soul.

For those under the influence of mammon, the only way to break its power and influence over our lives is to give it away.  The rich young ruler who sought eternal life was told by Jesus, “Go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Mt 19:21 (NKJV). Likewise, Zacchaeus the tax collector broke the power of covetousness by making restitution – half of his wealth given to the poor and those he had cheated, he would pay back four times (Lk 19:8).  Even as we give money away, God searches the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.  Ananias and Sapphira gave out of impure motives and were struck dead by God when they were found to have lied about their giving (Ac 5:1-11).  They wanted to be recognized as great benefactors but still keeping some profits for themselves without declaring. 


Let’s now look at the positive side of money.  The Bible tells us that God has given us the power to make wealth (Dt 8:18).  This is for a reason, that we may support our own families and help those in need (1 Tim 5:8; Eph 4:28). We know that Jesus was supported by well-to-do women and ate with the rich and privileged (Lk 8:1-3; 11:37; 14:1). The apostle Paul has learnt to live in plenty and in want (Phil 4:12).  God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the wealth in every mine.  He has enabled His people to be blessed so that they could also be a blessing to others.  Both Job and Abram were blessed by God with material wealth.  However, beyond the material blessings, God desires us to remain upright and blameless before Him as the story of Job reveals.  


God expects His children to tithe to His storehouse (Mal 3:10).  This means giving a tenth of all that we have earned or gained to the local church that we belong to.  Just as the children of Israel tithed to the Lord so that the priests and Levites can fulfill their roles and responsibilities in the house/tent of the Lord, we do likewise for the local church to minister to both the spiritual and felt needs of the assembly and the communities beyond.  Beyond the 10% giving would be our offering to the Lord.  This can be given to help others in need outside the local church, be it Christian organizations or other endeavours that support the work of Christ.  Our giving need not always be in cash, it could also be in kind, such as medical or food supplies or even Bibles.  Giving frees us to care and be used by God to answer the needs of His children.    


The chasm between Third world poverty and First world affluence is accelerating at an alarming rate; this is also seen in individual societies between those in the upper and lower classes.  The way to bridge this gap is to find ways and means to help the poor and less privileged to succeed in life.  As believers, we are called to use money without serving it.  Money has to be brought into obedience to the will of God for our lives. For some, this could be working in a job that pays much lesser but we know we are aligned to God’s perfect will. For others, the investment profits reaped could be channeled to more charitable causes or those that extend God’s kingdom.  May God give us wisdom to use the money wisely inasmuch as He has given the power to make wealth!