We have come to the topic so beloved in the church: stewardship.  (I am using that odd sense of humor that God gave me.)  We are uncomfortable talking about money.  In my earlier years I was afraid of losing spiritually searching attenders at church if I talked about money.  Surveys from years ago showed that an emphasis on giving and financial matters was a major turn off for the unchurched.  Consequently when I had to talk about it, I was too timid about it.

Stewardship - or the management of our God-given gifts of time, abilities, and money - is an important topic.  Let’s talk about money.  Let’s talk about it because the Bible talks about it a lot.  Proverbs is full of advice on financial matters of all kinds, from ethics in business dealings, to frugality in spending and discipline in saving. It warns against get-rich schemes and encourages hard work.  Jesus warns us about various issues with money, from showing off our giving (Matthew 6:1-4) to generosity (Luke 6:29-31).  He warns us many times about the dangers of greed :

¹⁵ Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15 NIV)

Paul has some amazing wisdom about giving and wealth in 1 Timothy 6:

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain.  ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  ⁹ People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1Ti 6:6-10 NIV)

And then a few verses later:

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1Ti 6:17-19 NIV)

In reality, the stewardship of your money is not a means of God’s grace in your life.  It does not, in and of itself, help you grow as a disciple.  It is a reflection of how much you believe in grace, and how much you live it out.  It is an EKG of your discipleship.  The follower of Jesus becomes a generous person.  The expression “he’d give you the shirt off his back” is a paraphrase of Jesus’ teaching about giving.  A disciple knows they have received much, and thus they give much.

Here is a real danger:  “Grace means I get to keep it all and spend it all.”  Talk a lot about God’s grace, and some people will put a few dollars in the plate to assuage their conscience, and spend every dime they make and even more than that.  “We are under grace and not under law,” they will argue.  If you’ve read the verses above, you realize that is utter nonsense.  Jesus teaches us:

²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat 6:21 NIV)

Money is important in all of our lives.  We need it to live - to feed, clothe, and house our families.  We enjoy things we get through it.  And God has a claim on it, because He made us and redeemed us.

If we take the call to discipleship seriously, and if we understand the amount of grace we have enjoyed, we will become generous with our money.  We will invest in our local church, give to spread the gospel around the world, and open our hands to the poor.  It doesn’t mean we can’t have an Ipad.  It does mean our spending priorities should reflect our beliefs.

Are you stingy?  Does your giving reflect your growth in Christ?  The good news is that you can repent and believe the gospel.  You can turn to Jesus in faith, receive forgiveness, and walk in new ways concerning your money.  You have seven elders and two pastors. Let us know how we can help. Like so many things in life, coaching helps us.

Thanks for reading about a potentially difficult subject, and may we grow in grace as a result of considering these things.

In Him,

Don