What to do with your extra riches
August 19th 2008 01:26 pm
Lindsay has posted an interesting bible study on our needs and God’s riches on her website.
I think it is amazing how God seems to talk to us about something from so many places at the same time. My church preached on Sunday about God vs Gold and then last night I happened to listen to a couple of Northpoint sermons on money. And then today I read this bible study by my friend Lindsay saying almost the same thing again!
The challenge I feel God is setting for me is to re-evaluate what I am doing with my riches. God has given me all that I need and has blessed me with much more. But what should I do with the more? Should I be saving it for a rainy day like the rich man in Luke 12:13? According to Jesus no. We have this view that when God blesses us with extra it is for us when in fact it is for us to give to others.
The best explanation I have heard is to give first to God, then save and use the rest to live on. I feel challenged at the moment to work out what I need to live on and use the rest more wisely (i.e. no more DVDs that I don’t watch or books I never read) but to save some and use the rest for the glory of God. I also feel like I need to look at all the things I already have and work out how I can best leverage them for God (this could mean giving things away or maybe using them for a better purpose than gathering dust in my garage/loft).
When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount he clearly says we should store up riches in heaven and not on earth (Matthew 6:19). Am I being a good steward of things here on earth? I think I could do better as I am storing up too many things for myself.
A Spirit-led rethink is needed I think!
Lindsay responded on 20 Aug 2008 at 12:14 pm #
Franck and I were watching a film set in Africa the other day and it really hit me how rich we are in this country. And how even if we are struggling we can get council houses, free heath care and there are people to help us with food. [Locally we have Swindon foodbank (www.swindonfoodbank.co.uk) who do a great job where the system falls down!]
This film, and other passages in the bible that we have been reading really challenged us and got us asking God about how we should be using our finances in order to help the poor and needy as well as to help further God’s kingdom.
The question is always, “where to start?” when we see soo many needs all around us both locally and abroad? There’s loads of amazing Godly projects that we can invest in but sometimes it’s so overwhelming that we end up doing nothing instead. But we can’t change the world by procrastination!! And if each one of us did our part, we really could have a huge impact.
We think Compassion are doing a great job helping children in poor countries (www.compassionuk.org). We sponsor just 2 children through them but it’s great to be able to write to them and receive letters with how they are doing. It’s a small thing in this big world, but what a huge difference it makes to the lives of those individuals.
How do you help the world? One person/good deed at a time!
Adam responded on 20 Aug 2008 at 5:15 pm #
Amen to that!!