GOD’S ECONOMY
Key Factors in God’s Economy
1. God owns everything. (Ps 24:1; Is. 66.2; Hag. 2:8; 1 Cor. 10:26)
2. God gives us the ability and power to earn money and get wealth. (Deut. 8:17-18).
3. God has made us stewards of His resources—not owners. (Gen 1:28; 1 Cor. 4:2; Mt 25:14-30)
4. God asks us to all give back a portion of what He has placed in our care—the tithe, or 10%.
(Mal. 3:8-12). The only place in Scripture where we are asked to test God and He promises to reward us if we obey. It is an act of worship when done from the heart. (Deut 14:23b; Heb 7:1-2; 1Cor.16:2)
5. God gives the “gift of giving”. You have this gift if your resources exceed your needs (Rom12:6-8).
6. God loves and honors cheerful, generous, sacrificial giving. (Prov. 11:24-25; Mark 12:41-44;
Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6-15)
7. God rewards humility and faithfulness. (Prov. 22:4; Prov. 28:20; Mt 6:1-4; Luke 16:10-13).
8. God warns about wrong motivation in our giving. We should not give to get. (1Tim 6:5-6; Mt 10:8). He warns about the “love of money”. (1 Tim 6:9-10).
9. God uses money (and lack of money) as one of His major tools to test us and develop us—after all He owns it all. (Deut 8:2; Job 42:10; 2 Cor. 9:11; Heb 12:7,11). Is God using this tool in your life?
10. God’s standard of value is not money but people. (Mt. 16:26).
Four Basic Purposes of Money for a Christian:
In the “World Economy”, the standard of value is money and the purpose for money is to achieve some combination of wealth, power and prestige. But for a Christian, there are four basic purposes for money:
1. To give to the Lord’s work to help others and spread the Gospel through our giving of tithes and offerings. (Mal 3:10; Mt. 6:33; Mt. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 9:7-8).
2. For our family’s needs. (1 Tim 4:8).
3. To enjoy the fruits of our labors. (Eccl. 5:18-19).
4. For savings for retirement and special needs. (But our treasures should be in heaven). (Prov.13:22; Mt. 6:19; 2 Cor. 12:14).
Balance is needed in our handling of the last three, but the first point cannot be over-done.
The Major Steps to Financial Success
1. Giving tithes and offerings first.
2. Paying off and avoiding high interest debt.
3. Protecting income through steady, honest, hard work and good insurance coverage.
4. Budget carefully and control expenses. Don’t let advertising drive our decisions.
5. Think long-term. Set aside time at least every year for some assessment and planning.
God Is Faithful
We know that God loves us and is anxious to care for all our needs. He continues to prove this in the lives of all His children. In this process, God is developing character within us. (Mt. 6:32-33)
Comments