Impression Over Reality?

July 8, 2020

But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” Acts 5:1-4 NLT (Reading through v. 11 gives the whole story.)

God always gives us the choice about what to do with our money. No one wants to be seen as greedy. We all want to be known as generous, giving, and gracious. And that’s where the problem may be for you—the want to be known as something, not the desire to BE that. There’s a big difference. It led to terminal trouble for Ananias and Sapphira.

Here’s what happened. Most of the believers in the early church knew that the persecution following the early church led to poverty and very great problems for some of their community. They knew that commitment to Jesus led to commitment to their brothers and sisters in Christ. God didn’t require this of them, but their love prompted them to help each other. Acts 4 records one of the most beautiful stories of the early church: “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles” (vv. 32-37).

Ananias and his wife admired what was happening. They knew how satisfied and happy all the people were. They wanted to be seen as great people, like Joseph who gave the total profit from the land, but they wanted to keep some for themselves. It WASN’T that they wanted to keep some—it was that they wanted to create a bigger impression than reality, so they lied. They weren’t required to give it all. They were required to be honest about it. God showed Peter what they had done. He confronted them and reminded them that they were free to do whatever they wanted with the money. He asked, “Why did you lie to God and try to create an impression that was not reality?” This so frightened them that they died on the spot! Honesty is vital in our desire to be seen as generous.

• Pray: Ask God to help you truly WANT to be generous, not just be seen as generous.
• Think about any gaps between who people think you are and who you really are. Work with God to close the gap.