"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income."Money is not bad. Some say it makes the world go round. I'm not so sure about that, but it is important. Sometimes the church has talked about money like it's this terrible thing. It's not. It's necessary in our culture. You have to have it to pay bills, buy food, get educated, and be entertained. And there's nothing wrong with making money, saving for your future and taking care of your family. Perhaps the best thing about money is how it allows us to bless and encourage others. We are able to give to others who need a helping hand and we are able to be a part of God's Kingdom work through His Church and other great organizations.
-Ecclesiastes 5:10
However, love of money is really bad. Ecclesiastes speaks to many real issues, and I've found these words on finances to be true. Money is the new idol. We don't carve little statues or build altars to pagan gods, we marvel at our bank accounts and lust over the things that we don't have. We yearn for someone else's fortune or salary. If we have that attitude, we will never have enough. Never. If you're always complaining and bemoaning what you don't have or aren't getting, you'll never have enough. You'll always feel like you deserve more. You'll always be comparing yourself to others and feel like you're coming up short. And, I'm telling you, that kind of mindset is like a cancer. It's so hard to get rid of once it starts creeping in. You can always find others to agree with you and tell you that you should be getting paid more or that you deserve more. The problem is that when we love it so deeply, no matter what we make or how much we have, we'll always feel like we could or should get more. It becomes an obsession. The problem is that we're supposed to be obsessed with the Gospel. Often, our obsession with money can cloud our judgment from following the call God has on our lives and doing exactly what He wants us to do.
One of the most crucial things God has given us to help us keep our hearts in check is tithing -- giving 10% of our income to the work of God. I have found that tithing reminds me that I'm connected to something bigger than me, that God has not given me the resources he's given me for me, but to bless others. In tithing, I'm also reminded that God is my provider because it doesn't make sense. It makes no sense that the believer is better off living off 90% of their income versus 100% of their income. But I believe it to my core. I believe we see God's provision in profound ways when we are faithful to invest in His mission. And it feels so much better. Personally, by tithing to my local church, the gifts God has blessed me with are used:
- In children's ministry to teach kids about Jesus
- to bless students through our student ministry
- to help pay our dedicated staff
- to fund outreach to the community
- to connect those that don't know Jesus through advertising
- to invest in global and denominational-wide missions including
- starting new churches
- helping to fund scholarships for young leaders
- supporting Africa University and raising up church leaders on that continent
- funding scholarships for seminary students
- supporting college campus ministries
- And a million more things.
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