Bad Money? Good Money?
April 2, 2019
“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.” Matthew 6:24
Money, money, money.
You think about money. You work for money. You save money. You spend money. You give money. And you stress over money too. A significant portion of your life will revolve around earning, saving, giving, and spending money. So your relationship with money isn’t something you can just brush aside as unspiritual or unnecessary.
Here’s one thing you need to know about money: Money on its own is amoral. It’s neither good nor bad. It cannot act on its own. It cannot do good deeds, and it cannot commit crimes. Basically, it’s neither good nor bad. Money can only do what you tell it to do. Money is not the root of all evil. But the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
The deal with money is that we must tell it what to do, not let it direct us. We must master our money, not be mastered by it. When we work with God to serve Him first and foremost, to put Him and His kingdom at the very top of our priorities, He makes a commitment to us. He will help us use our money, not be used by it. He will help us make decisions that make a positive impact, reduce our stress, and give us satisfaction and security.
Money isn’t bad, but you can’t let both it and God direct your life. God is the master; money is the tool.
- What can you do this week to make sure your money is serving both you and God’s kingdom?
- What would a disinterested person who looked at your money transaction records say about your finances? Who/what would they conclude was most important? Who/what would they think was your master?
- Is there any area of your life where you have a little nagging doubt about the way you are using your money? If so, talk to God about it today and re-evaluate your next step.