Written by Guest Contributor, Bob Solloway | June 13, 2024
There is a strong connection between our hearts and our money, or wealth. It is in our hearts where we make decisions and plan the course of our lives. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet proclaimed God’s word that “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:33 NASB). God’s law is no longer found on the tablets of stone given to Moses, but it is written in the hearts of His people – in our hearts. St. Paul also writes that “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). In other words, our hearts should be filled with God’s love and with his law.
It is important that we guard our hearts because it is the repository of God’s love and His law for us. It is this love and law that should guide our footsteps, not our pursuit of wealth. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also, while He admonishes us to not store up treasure on earth which is subject to corruption and loss, but to store up our treasure in heaven (in God’s dwelling place) where there is no corruption or loss, (Matthew 6:19-21). It is in the very act of giving of our treasure on earth that we store up treasures in heaven (Philippians. 4:17). Sharing our worldly wealth without expecting any return is a sign that our hearts are focused on heavenly things.
The love of God centers itself on giving. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is God’s love for us that compelled Him to give His only begotten Son that we might have the kind of life He has – a life without end. Because His love has been poured out into our hearts, we are likewise compelled to give to the objects of God’s love that which is precious to us.
Wealth by itself is not a bad thing. Afterall, it is God who gives us the power to produce wealth, (Deuteronomy 8:18). And wealth can be a meaningful tool for doing good. Paul even advised us to work so that we might have something to give (Ephesians 4:28). But when our hearts are not aligned with God’s, then wealth can replace God in our hearts. Jesus emphasized in the Sermon on the Mount that “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24). Make no mistake about it, we all serve a master. God has given us free will that we may freely choose which master to serve.
With the many lures and outside promises in our world today, it is not always an easy choice to serve God. In fact, it is a choice we must make daily. But find strength in remembering the words of Joshua: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
Bio:
R. Gordon Solloway is a member of Jordan River Church in Carmel, Indiana. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Indianapolis, Indiana, and have a daughter living in Berlin, Germany, and a son in Chicago, Illinois. He has BA and BS degrees from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and his J.D. from the McKinney School of Law of Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana.