By Dynamis Ministries | July 29, 2021
How we handle money is paramount to our faith. The Bible has over 2,000 verses about money and possessions. Nearly half of Jesus’ parables are based on how people handle their money and possessions. That’s a lot of talk about money and material things! Clearly, God cares deeply about our relationship with money and has filled scripture with instruction, encouragement and even warnings in how we should manage it. One such place is in 1 Timothy 6:18 where the Apostle Paul writes:
“Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”
If we had to sum up this verse in a simple way, we could say, “Our money is to be used!” Money is meant to be an instrument in our lives for doing good. It is neither inherently good nor inherently bad. The way that money is used makes it good or bad. As pastor and author Rick Warren observes, when we use money in a way that honors God, we will love others. However, when we love money, we end up using others, and this doesn’t honor God.
To illustrate this idea let’s think about somebody who has a lot of influence with the way they handle money: a business owner who uses money in a God honoring way. They may leverage their business in making the community a better place, which could include volunteering in local non-profits or financially contributing to local projects. They might go above and beyond to invest in the welfare of their employees by paying good wages, providing adequate benefits or providing a positive work environment that boosts morale. Lastly, they could use their profits to love people in need by being personally generous themselves.
In contrast, consider the business owner whose love for money causes them to use people. They may diminish a customer’s best interests by manipulating a sale to increase their revenue. They could refuse to give market rate pay increases to employees and instead keep all of the profits for themselves, taking advantage of the people who brought them success. They might cut corners in the quality of a product or service that causes a safety and health issue for their employees, customers or the environment. None of these things are God-honoring and place money above people.
In either scenario it’s the relationship between what is loved and what is used that makes money a good or bad tool. This is why it’s important that we establish a proper understanding of how money should be handled. Money is not the endgame. It’s to be used for doing good works for others, especially people in need. Ultimately, money is to be used to love. We all have some level of money in our possession, and it is a tremendous opportunity to honor God by showing love to others. When we have money in proper perspective this way, we can partner with God and use it the way it was intended; an instrument to love and bless others.
