It was the closest to a “royal wedding” I’ve ever witnessed. Receiving an invitation at all was honor enough. Attending in person was nothing short of awe-inspiring. As Trevor and I left College Church that evening, I expected nothing more from the bride and groom. But I had a surprise coming.
When I was a teen, all I wanted was to be “normal,” to fit in. But my parents’ rules wouldn’t allow for it. I had to wear shorts that hit the top of my knees. I was pulled out of square dancing in P.E. class in fourth grade, and I wasn’t allowed to spend the …
I admit it. When I saw the theme of this year’s Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference, I wasn’t overly enthused. Nehemiah?And I care because . . .? (Okay, I didn’t consciously think that, but I might as well have!)
And I Ca…
God wants your money. But not for the reasons you think.
He’s not poor.
He’s not a mooch.
He’s not looking to take, take, take from you.
He’s not anti-money, and He doesn’t think the poor are more holy than the middle class.
Before I tell you why God wants your money, I need to back up.
Something is terribly, terribly wrong with the subject line of this post. Read it again. Did you catch it?
Nope, I didn’t misspell any words or use incorrect punctuation. I did make a wrong assumption, though.
As much as it feels like my money, God teaches that the money in my purse, the money in my bank account, that paycheck I just received . . . is actually His money. Here are just a couple places we learn this from God’s Word:
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Ps. 24:1, emphasis added).
If that’s not clear enough, how about this one from Haggai 2:8:
“The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the LORD Almighty.
(I know you don’t buy things with silver or gold, but this passage is talking about currency. Substitute “silver” and “gold” with “dollars” and “cents.”)
Before we go any further, we need to ask God to reset our minds so we realize it’s not our money; it’s His money.
We don’t own the money stuffed away in our top dresser drawer; God has entrusted us with delivering His money to those who need it most.
Picture it like this: You buy a sweet gift for your friend’s birthday. Since she just moved across the country, you wrap it up and give it to the FedEx guy to deliver to her. But instead of delivering the package, he takes it home and breaks open the present for himself!
Obviously, this guy doesn’t understand his job. He’s just the delivery guy!
Did you know that you and I are like that FedEx employee? We don’t own the money stuffed away in our top dresser drawer; God has entrusted us with delivering His money to those who need it most.
Now that we’ve cleared that important misunderstanding up, let’s get back to the original question:
Why does God want my (ahem, His!) money?
First, though, I’d love to hear from you. Is this news that the money in your purse actually belongs to God? Or have you already been thinking and living like it’s His?
Love this post? Share it! Here’s a tweet you can totally steal from us:
God wants your money. But not for the reasons you think. (Be sure to include a link to today’s post.)
This morning my coworkers sat in a circle and shared a childhood adversity they had to overcome. Some were teased ’cause they were short; some were teased ’cause they were taller than the rest. More than one had to wear special orthopedic shoes that were UG-ly. One was bullied.
What do they all have in common? They were all wounded by fightin’ words.
But these kinds of “fightin’ words” pale compared to the power of God’s “fightin’ words”:
The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12).
Did you know that God’s Word is like a sword? Ephesians 6:17 tells us what the sword is:
Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17, emphasis added).
This is no plastic kid’s sword! After watching Robin Hood this weekend, I was reminded that swords are meant to kill. Pastor John Piper says we use the sword of God’s Word to kill our fears and cravings.
Have you been treating God’s Word like a kid’s play sword or like the sharp, living sword it really is?
For example, he says when he craves some illicit sexual pleasure, the sword-swing he often uses is Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” He remembers how great it is to see God more clearly and how oppressive the aftertaste of sin is, and with that, “God has killed the conquering power of sin.”
You can also go to battle for others with God’s “fightin’ words.” I heard a true story this past Sunday from a missionary who visited my church. She told of a woman who was terrified to return home after a man put a curse on her because she didn’t accept his marriage proposal. Guess what verse the missionary had read in her Bible just that morning?
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest (Prov. 26:2).
After sharing that verse with the woman, the missionary asked, “Have you done anything wrong to deserve this curse?”
“No,” the lady responded.
“Then God says the curse won’t stick,” the missionary assured.
With that, the woman’s fear lifted, and she returned home.
So how about it? Have you been treating God’s Word like a kid’s play sword or like the sharp, living sword it really is?
I know I’ve not been taking it seriously enough, so I think I’m going to download the “Fighter Verses” app on my phone and begin to sharpen my sword. Join me?
Oh, and if you happen to be a part of the too-short, too-tall, ugly-shoe-wearing bullied crowd, here are some real “fightin’ words” for you to take to heart from Psalm 139:13–14:
You [God] knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Did you know there’s a story of a runaway slave in the Bible?
Here’s the backstory. Philemon once owned a slave named Onesimus. That is, until Onesimus ran away.
But in God’s sovereignty, Onesimus crossed paths with Paul and came to believe in Paul’s Jesus. Onesimus was then a huge help to Paul, but Paul didn’t feel okay partnering in the gospel with Onesimus without Philemon knowing about it. So Paul wrote Phil a letter.
In it, he asks Philemon to take Onesimus back. But not as a bondservant. He asks Philemon to consider him as “more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother.” Now that Onesimus has put his faith in Jesus, they belong to the same family. God is their Father, and they are now brothers.
This would’ve been a crazy news flash for Philemon, almost too much to take in without sitting down. Paul was telling Philemon that his slave, Onesimus, was no longer a second-class citizen. Even though they ran in different circles and seemed to have almost nothing in common, and even though Philemon may have thought he was much better than Onesimus, they were actually equals at the cross. The gospel tore down every barrier that separated them. Jesus welcomed them both into the family of God, so they were now brothers in Christ—family.
Reminds me of Galatians 3:28:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (emphasis added).
We’re not told how the story ends, only that Paul is confident Philemon will obey him and will view Onesimus as more than.
And that’s where you and I come in. I bet you don’t own slaves, but you do know misfits. People we view that way, anyway.
Just because they look or smell or act differently than you, do you really believe God loves you more because you perceive yourself as more “normal” on the outside?
Or are you flat-out stunned that God would pick you up out of the trash heap of sin, clean you inside and out—even your heart—and open wide His arms to you? Cause He did that for you. And for them.
They are so much more than a misfit . . .
FYI: This post was inspired by a sermon Brad Neese preached. I didn’t have the privilege of hearing it, but I heard about it from those who did.