Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Luke 16:10-13 New International Version.
Money has the uncanny ability to get our attention. Many of us may have either allowed it to influence our decisions or done things out of character for the sake of financial gain. This is because mammon, an evil spirit that attaches itself to money, tries to fool us into believing we don’t need God to succeed. If we have any character flaws at all, money will magnify them.
How we think about wealth colors every area of our lives. Money is the least important thing in the kingdom of God. Jesus taught that he who is trustworthy with worldly wealth, which is the least, is also faithful in the much. Likewise, people who are untrustworthy in money matters can’t be trusted with true riches.
People who make money their god show it by their behavior. We’ve all seen people who lie, cheat, and steal because they don’t believe, or may not know, God’s Word in this area. God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. This includes our finances.
We’ve also seen people who want instant gratification, with no concept of self-control or discipline in money management. They want what they want now, with no waiting. We show biblical wisdom when we use money to plan for the future. Just as Jesus commended the unjust steward for planning for his financial future, God is pleased when we plan for ours.
Letting God’s grace motivate us, instead of the spirit of mammon, impacts our entire lives. God wants us to prosper in every area of our lives, including our family relationships, our emotional well-being, and our finances. His wish for us is that we prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. We see true prosperity when we focus on God, not money.
PRAYER
Lord, money can exert a strange power over us if we let it, and it has the potential to draw us away from You. You gave us Your Word on how to handle wealth so that we would not fall into the trap that the spirit of mammon sets for us. Thank You for this. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
Luke 16:10-13, NIV
Philippians 4:19
Luke 16:1-9
3 John 1:2
Related Topics : Creflo Dollar, Money,
