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Managing God's Money Part 1

Starting Right: A Biblical Mind-Set About Money

     Money can be a touchy subject for some people to talk about.  Perhaps you have a shopping addiction and don't have money to pay bills on time or your paycheck just got cut at work.  It could even be an opposite problem - there's plenty of money in the bank, but you never really feel fulfilled or happy.  Therefore one would conclude that the saying "Money is the root of all evil" would be correct."  This is far from the truth; in fact, God WANTS us to use money but not necessarily for the things we think we need.  It is to be used strategically.  So, how does God want us to use our money strategically?  First, we have to get into the Christian mindset concerning money.

   I think the absolute backbone of this book and God's message about money is that He owns ALL of it.  He owns everything that ever was and ever will be.

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it"

Psalm 24:1 NIV

"The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants"

Leviticus 25:23

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  Wealth and honor come from you, you are the ruler of all things"

1 Chronicles 29:11-12

     I think some people gather so many possessions because they are afraid of losing them.  "Things" can become our comfort and reassurance of our success in life and we don't want to let go of that.  But if you look an object and know that God can take that item away from you whenever He wants to, how does that change it's value?

     No matter how much money or possessions we have, none of it is our own, but God's.  So why have we been entrusted with so many wonderful things?  Not only are we entrusted with money, but also our time, talents, the earth, it's creatures, AND it's people.  We have been called to be stewards of God's creation.  What exactly does a steward do?  By definition, it is someone who is entrusted with another's assets.  They are expected to keep the owner's things safe and to make good decisions with them by investing and allowing the assets to grow.

If Christ is not our Lord over our money and possessions, He is not our Lord." -Managing God's Money

Randy includes two great lists in his book that describe the roles of the Owner and the steward:

The Owner shows                                                             

Ownership- has the right to do anything he wants                      
                   with his assets                                                                          

Authority- His will is the final decision                                    
                                                                                                                         
Trust - He trusts us with the ability to manage what            
           he gives us                                                                  

Generosity - he promises us things in return for                      
                    taking care of His things

Expectations - we need to be aware of his high standards


The steward shows

Stewardship: know that we are to care 

                     for things that are not ours

Accountability - we cannot blame others for

                            the mistakes we make

            

 Faithfulness  - stewardship is a lifelong calling

 Industriousness - we must work hard

                 

 Wisdom - to invest in God's kingdom

                                                                 

Respect - doing as the master wishes

  Focus - having our life revolve around the 

                 idea of managing God's money 

                wisely

     In the list it was mentioned that we should be wise so that we can invest in God's kingdom.  How on earth (literally) can we invest in The Kingdom?  A good place to start is to look at where you are spending your money right now.  Mostly in food? Clothes? Cars? Charity? Vacations?  Most of the time, it can be said that where you spend the most money is what you value most.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also - Matthew 6:21

    Material things we buy will not come with us when we die, so what can we buy that makes an eternal difference?  Things like feeding the hungry, funding the building of churches, bible translation, disaster relief, child sponsorship programs....the list goes on and on.  And we don't just need to invest money; invest your time in people who need Jesus.  Invest your talents to create music or art for God's purposes.  Luke 16:10-11 says, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.  And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?"  This verse invalidates the saying we often hear, "If I only had more (money, time, talent), I would help out more." Forget later - the time is NOW.  God is trusting us to make good decisions with what we have been given and not waste them on our own pleasure.   

So this week I want to ask you this question.  

As of right now, how am I using the money God has given me to build His kingdom?

Next week we will be exploring "Perspectives that Impede Faithful Money Management." 

Click here for Week 2! 

     

New Design and New Series

     Its been a month or so in the works, but I've finally redesigned my blog the way I like.  I applaud the graphic designers and web designers in the world, who have the patience to work with photo editing software day after day.  It gets frustrating when you can't get an image to look just right or fit into the right place! Hats off to you all :)  I've also added some new features here such as the new daily email subscribing list - you can get all the posts from LIFS sent right to your inbox!  I also included an easier to navigate "Blogs I Love" section sorted by category so you can easily find blogs about topics you are interested in.

   Starting this week I will also be launching a new series called "Managing God's Money."  The series will be a summary of highlights from Randy Alcorn's book that helps people understand exactly what Christian financial stewardship means.  When it comes to a Christian perspective on handling money, most people think that as long as they give their 10%, God is satisfied.  But there is SO much more than simply giving a percentage of our income to further the ministry.  Along with the check in the offering plate, our hearts and minds need to be as well.  By understanding the concept of people being stewards and not owner's of God's money, we can better use it to make a difference for the eternal kingdom.

To read some excerpts from the book, check out his book here!