The first and most important question that we must ask and answer, if we want to have a right relationship with our money with regard to the Lord, is “Whose money is it?”
- Is it all mine?
- Is 90% of it mine, after I give the Lord his 10%, or
- Does it all belong to the Lord?
- And, of course, the final choice – “I don’t know.”
Judging by the giving habits of many church goers, the answer is #1. Among those who have discovered the blessings associated with giving back to God, many accept the Old Covenant tithe (10%) as the normative level for their giving. But what about that other 90%? Is that mine to do with as I please, or is it God’s for me to manage as he pleases? Many have discovered the liberating truth that all our money and everything else we have, including life itself, is on loan to us from God. It all belongs to him, and we are assigned to manage it well.
So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. Luke 14:33 (NLT)
A disciple is someone who lets go of everything for the Lord’s sake. When God puts something in our hands to steward, we are tempted to think of it as our own. Think Gollum in Lord of the Rings – “my precious.” We forget from whom it came and to whom it ultimately belongs. When we die, we take nothing with us. It is wise to hold on to what God has given us with an open hand. Be ready to let it go.
I am reminded of when my children were small, and we would go to McDonald’s to eat. I would pay for their meals and later ask if I could have a french fry – just one. Sometimes the answer was “no.” They did not want to share what had been given to them with the one who gave it. That’s how we are with money quite often because we just don’t understand.
Pure selfishness might be the motivator, but often fear is behind our refusal to release ownership of our money. We doubt that we will have enough for ourselves; so, we hold tightly to what is “ours.” The only problem is that it’s not really ours. It’s God’s to be used as he sees fit. What if we handled all of our money as if it were God’s? Would it make a difference in how we spend, save, or give it away? Most likely. But if we treat our finances as if we are accountable to no one but ourselves, we might easily miss out on God’s best, or, worse, end up handling it very poorly.
The first step in gaining financial freedom is to recognize that all of our money belongs to God and act accordingly.
We will see what this looks like in coming articles. Until then, why not tell God that now that you realize that of your money, all of it, and everything else you have, belong to him, and he can do with it as he sees fit? Sounds scary? Only because we don’t trust him or realize how loving and generous he is. It’s time for us to let go of our wallets and exchange fear for faith in God’s faithfulness.
