City Life Starter

I. The Word: Ephesian 5:5

You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Ephesians 5:5

In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.

And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore. –Acts 10:1-6

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. –1 Timothy 6:9-10

1. What do you consider your greatest treasure?

2. Is it totally painless for you to give financially?

3. Do you think God cares about how you spend/save/give money? Do you think it will make a difference in eternity?

How do you view money? Does it guide your daily decisions? In large part, I’m sure we all make decisions based on money in one way or another. Whether it’s what kind of car to drive, what to buy at the grocery store, or how to plan for the future, we all factor our finances into our daily decisions, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The problem, however, is when we allow our finances (or lack thereof) to control us. That’s when money transitions from being a servant to a master. The Bible says that no one can serve two masters. Devotion in its essence is exclusive and rightfully so. If money is your master, that means God is not seated on the throne of your heart (Luke 16:13).

How can you truly know that you’re in charge of your money and not the other way around? Excellent question. I think one of the main ways to safeguard your heart from being enslaved to money is to be generous and make giving a regular part of your life. Don’t just give when you feel like it. Commit to it. I’ve even heard of some people creating a separate bank account that is entirely reserved for giving financially to bless others.

There are plenty of ways to give and to be a blessing to others. The tithe is a way to honor God and redeem our finances by giving our local church ten percent of all our increase. On top of that, we can also give offerings from the abundance of our hearts. You can partner with missionaries, sow financially into a ministry in your city or overseas, and give in big ways and small. Sometimes just giving someone a $5 gift card to her favorite coffee shop can brighten her day or inviting someone to church and treating him to lunch afterward can help open his eyes to God’s goodness.

Maybe you’re in a tight spot and don’t have any funds to give financially. That’s ok. There are other ways to give. You can give your time and talents. Offer to babysit for a family with young children so the parents can go out on a date or volunteer to serve at the church. If you know how to work on cars, you can help a family in need. Be creative with giving and look for opportunities to bless people just because.

While it may feel like a sacrifice to give at first, you’ll soon begin to enjoy one of the many benefits of giving and that is the amazing joy and satisfaction it brings. We were not created to be self-sufficient. God gave us His very best. He did not withhold His own Son from us (Romans 8:32) and freely gives us all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). Giving is an expression of love.

In Acts 10, Cornelius’s prayers and gifts to the poor were received by God as an offering. Can you imagine that? This guy, a Roman officer who feared God, gave so generously that God took notice and divinely connected him with Peter so he could hear and receive the Gospel. And it all began with generosity. That is really powerful.

I’ve heard some messages that demonize wealth and I’ve heard others that make it the be-all-end-all of life, but I really think that God just wants us to honor Him with whatever we have.

If you are looking at money to fulfill you, you will never obtain enough. I heard a quote that when the millionaire oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller was once asked, “How much money is enough money?” He replied, “Just a little bit more.”

Conversely, if you do not give any thought to your finances and are not a good steward, you may be subjected to unmanageable debt and will not be walking in financial freedom.

There’s definitely a balance between giving too much thought to money and too little. That being said, I think giving financially is an excellent way to safeguard your heart from greed/idolatry and to show God that you trust Him.

Prayer

Father, I thank You for blessing me so abundantly. You are such a good Father and Provider. I pray that You will guide my financial decisions and give me wisdom. I want to honor You with my finances. Please continue to show me how. In Jesus Name, Amen.