When in his revelation to us, God says the words, “Above all else,” it gets my attention. Proverbs 4:23 reads “Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART.” God then gives the reason: “for everything you do flows from it.” Since we are to guard our hearts, it is important to know what Scripture says about money and our heart. This episode examines the biblical wisdom and warnings about the inter-relationships of money, spending, and our heart desires.
I would venture to say that Jesus and the rest of Scripture regard our use of money as a much bigger spiritual issue than most of us realize. The reason is money’s connection to the desires of our hearts. In this episode we examine 1) the threat that money is to our hearts, 2) how to set our hearts on the best investments, 3) the way our use of money directs our hearts, which is why our use of money is so important.
MONEY IS A THREAT TO OUR HEARTS
A. Jesus said, No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (Matt 6:24). In his great sermon on kingdom life, Jesus points out that money is a rival to the kingship of Jesus, himself. This hidden seductress has the ability to lure us away from our first love, not usually dramatically, but subtly. Money isn’t desired for itself; it is not as if we want to wallpaper our living room with hundred-dollar bills. Money is seductive because it gives us control and independence. Our autonomous, sinful hearts don’t like being dependent upon God.
Serving Jesus as our master puts all our financial resources at his disposal. He may lead us to give beyond our comfort level, at times. When money is our God, we won’t obey but will rationalize. Of course, good stewardship means saving for unforeseen difficulties. But this reluctance may reveal that our trust is in a big enough retirement or savings account to see us through unforeseen difficulties. Also, perhaps subtly, when money is on the throne of our hearts, we want to make sure we see enough funds in our bank and retirement accounts to do what we want to do. In contrast, Jesus seems to imply that when God is our master, we are freer to give generously because our trust for our future provision is in God. His words immediately following his warning that no one can serve God and money are, THEREFORE I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Money being our God isn’t just about extravagant spending; it is about where we place our security.
B. Paul also viewed money as a potential threat to our hearts. He wrote, Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs (1 Tim 6:9-10). First, notice that Paul is consistent with God’s Proverbs 4:23 exhortation to watch over our hearts. There is one desire, we cannot afford to entertain, but must take a knife to—the desire to be rich. Look at the words used to describe the plight of those who yield even an inch to this desire—temptation, snare, senseless longings, other harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction, having pierced themselves with many pangs. How many ways Paul warns us about the cost of yielding to this desire!
Notice, also, that Scripture does NOT teach that money is a root of all evil but that the love of money is a root of all evil. Jesus is concerned about this false god enticing our hearts and so is Paul. Paul’s warnning to Timothy is right out of the Ten Commandments. In fact, it reflects the very first commandment, “You shall have no other God’s before me.” The love of money is at the root of all evil because it tries to steal the place in our hearts that only God can fill. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind (Lk 10:27). Our “god,” among other things, is the one upon whom we depend. I must not give to God’s work to the point of financial irresponsibility. Paul does teach, If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. However, in my own life, I see Satan tempting me NOT to give at times, by appealing to my need to save for a rainy day. But at some point, this reluctance to give makes my savings account the god upon whom I depend for the future. I believe the balance is to have a responsible savings and retirement plan but at the same time to recognize the voice of Satan enticing me to keep holding on to wealth instead of letting go, giving generously, and trusting God.
C. Later in the sixth chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul continues, As for the rich in this present age, charge them… not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Here Paul continues his exhortation—this time to the rich—not to trust the false God, money. As they look to the future, their confidence is not to be upon “the uncertainty of riches” but upon the nature of God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Then Paul outlines the special responsibilities of the wealthy.
His words echo the teaching of Jesus that we examined last week, “To whom much is given, of him much will be required.” Almost every person reading this blog post is wealthier than 99.9% of those who have ever lived. Paul reminds us of our special responsibilities because this is the case:
- We are to use our leisure not as the opportunity to indulge our pleasures or waste our time but to pursue the greater pleasure of doing good works.
- We are to always be generous and always ready to share our wealth with others.
- It is by serving God’s image bearers that our greatest joys are reached. And from the standpoint of eternity, it will be our good works and sacrifices for others that we will most celebrate—not leaving a few thousand extra to our heirs.
So, Scripture teaches, in no uncertain terms, that money has the ability to entice our heart loyalties, perhaps in ways we do not even see, especially as the source of our security. But as God’s adopted children our certain hope is that God will continue to give us his good gifts to enjoy all of our lives. That certainty makes us more willing to let go of dollars we would rather hold onto for the future.
HOW TO SET OUR HEARTS ON THE BEST INVESTMENTS
If you have read through the Wall Street Journal or the financial section of other online news outlets, you have probably come across advertisements for financial online newsletters. Kiplinger, Morningstar, and MarketWatch are 3 popular ones today. These newsletters justify their cost by promising that if you read and heed their advice you will reap huge financial rewards. In Matthew 6:19-20 Jesus lays out his investment strategy for kingdom disciples. And he promises huge eternal payoffs if we follow it. But, as you know, this investment strategy is radically different from that of any Wallstreet financial guru. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Let’s notice two parts to Jesus’ investment advice.
A. If you were to read a sampling of these financial newsletters, you would see that a good financial newsletter tells you what NOT to invest in. A headline might read, “Get out of utility stocks,” or “Sell your biotech stocks.” Similarly, Jesus first point in his investment strategy is what NOT to invest in: “STAY OUT OF EARTHLY TREASURE.” Be bearish on anything that can rot, rust, or be ripped off. In Jesus’ day, when there were no stocks to invest in or banks to hold your money, one of the major ways that the rich maintained their wealth was through fine cloth. Prior to the days of mass-produced clothing, garments represented a considerable investment. The word for rust is literally “eating” and could refer to the common practice of storing up wealth as grain that could rot or be eaten by rodents. It certainly covers lots of today’s possessions that are subject to the corrosive effects of the environment, like rust. The word, “break in” used of thieves meant, literally, “dig through,” which referred to the custom of storing valuables in holes dug into the walls of the house. There were no lock boxes or bank vaults back then.
So, Jesus says, “If you load up on earthly treasure you will lose your investment.” There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things God has richly given us to enjoy. I love driving my convertible and my family’s power boat. However, Jesus is saying that from the viewpoint of eternity, “It’s okay to carry a few losers in your investments. But the bulk of your portfolio should be invested in winners. Think it over, from the viewpoint of eternity.”
B. The second part of a quality investment newsletter is that it will tell you what TO invest in. “Buy bonds. Buy European stocks. Real Estate value is expected to go up, etc.” Similarly, Jesus tells us what to load up on. “I’m bullish on the heavenly stuff. That is where you ought to be diverting as many of your resources as possible.” One wealthy Christian, who understood these words of Jesus, describes how he feels when he makes an investment in kingdom ministry:
“The feeling I have is relief. I know that as long as that money is in my account, something could happen to it. It could be lost. I could fritter it away on things that don’t really matter. But as soon as I transfer it to God, I know it is safe, secure, forever. And I know it is earning dividends in my kingdom account. And someday I will be presented with a commendation for having stewarded it that way. The feeling that I have when I write that check is a great sense of relief.”
When in eternity we celebrate what God has done through our efforts to reduce our standard of living to give generously to kingdom work, including wisely helping the poor, we will see that every sacrifice was worth it.
HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY DIRECTS OUR HEARTS
We began this episode by noting God’s highest priority for us—to watch over our hearts because everything we do flows from them. It is the desires of our fallen, sinful hearts that ruin our lives. But what if there were some concrete way to set those desires more on pleasing Jesus and helping his kingdom expand? It turns out that there is such a way to do that. Jesus reveals this profound secret following his admonition to not invest in earthy treasure but to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. He then states this remarkable principle. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt 6:21) On the surface this principle seems counter intuitive. It would seem that our hearts determine where we invest our treasure. But as with so many principles of wisdom, the truth is the opposite. And it is profound. Our HEARTS follow WHAT WE INVEST IN. Where our treasure is STORED—there our hearts WILL BE FOCUSED. Ten days ago, my wife and I spent a good bit of money for spring annuals for our yard and then spent all Mother’s Day afternoon with our kids planting them. Some of our time-treasure and money-treasure is stored in those beautiful flowers so my heart naturally motivates me to make sure they get enough water and pesticide to cause them to flourish. Let’s consider the Biblical practice of tithing in this new light that our hearts follow the giving of our treasure.
Benefits to the Biblical Practice of Tithing
A. Tithing sets our affections on the things above (Col 3:2). Tithing is giving my treasure to ministries that further the kingdom of God. Since our hearts follow to the place where we invest our treasure, our hearts are set more fully on Christ’s kingdom advancing over the earth (including in my own heart). I have discovered over the years that when young Christians begin the practice of tithing—their spiritual growth takes a huge leap forward. Why? They are investing the first ten percent of their income (their treasure) in kingdom ministry, and their heart naturally follows their investment.
B. Tithing is the natural fulfillment of the first commandment, “You shall have no other God’s before me.” Life only works for us properly when we keep God first. The practice of tithing is the natural expression of the fact that we are giving God first place. We give him the firstfruits of our labor. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the FIRSTFRUITS of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. It would be dishonoring to God to give to him from the leftovers after our other desires are satisfied and bills paid. Tithing is an appointed biblical way to say, “God you are first in my affection and loyalty. I give you the first 10% of my income.”
C. Tithing is not a way of being legalistic but of being grateful. The principle of tithing began with Abraham, the father of the Christian faith, before the Law of Moses was even given. In Genesis 14, Abraham is returning from a great victory over 5 kings who had taken his nephew, Lot, captive. A mysterious priest/king, Melchizedek, (who the NT says prefigures the priesthood of Jesus) meets him. We read, He was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. It is clear that this 10% was a gift to God in gratefulness for Abraham’s victory. Later, Moses would spell out the requirement of the law to tithe, You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year (Deut 14:22). In gratefulness to God for the 100% of income he has given to us, we return to him the firstfruits—the first ten percent as Abraham modeled and the law of God required of his covenant people, Israel.
D. The practice of tithing is an expression of our trust in God to live on the remaining 90%. God equates the failure of his covenant people to tither, to “robbing Him.” But most importantly, God sees tithing as an act of trust in Him. God even challenges his people to test his faithfulness to repay what is tithed!
‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.
Ask nearly any Christian who has been tithing and he will have stories to tell you of God’s faithfulness. You probably have many. I remember a special incident that brings joy whenever I think of it. Several years after we were married, we began our family with twins. We were living on one income--a church planter’s salary in Montgomery County, Maryland. But we tithed as a couple and tithed as a church. My wife was sitting in the middle of the girls’ bedroom looking at all the toddler outfits we had received as gifts or hand-me-downs for them. We had more than enough for both girls to go 21 days without repeating the outfits--over 42 outfits—and WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM to put all the outfits in the little dressers that we had. YOU CAN TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD! I will pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
E. Tithing brings the joy of seeing God provide. If we are unwilling to give ten percent of our income to God and trust him to enable us to pay the bills through the other 90%, we will miss out on the joys of seeing God provide. Jesus said, Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Lk 6:38). Without giving enough so that we ourselves, though being responsible, must trust God to meet our needs, we deprive ourselves of the joy of seeing God at work. Again—my family, one pastor’s salary, five kids, and we are given the opportunity to take our family to Disney World. The weekend before we left, a father of one of those I pastored handed me a check for $ 2500.00 “to cover any extra expenses we might have.” What a thrill seeing God act.
F. Tithing Christians is a fundamental way God wants to support ministry for his kingdom. All across the world are Christian workers who are preoccupied with finances because they are on such a tight budget. There are ministries bursting to expand that need facilities. There are missionaries who can’t get to the field because they can’t raise their budget. When God’s people don’t give sacrificially it is like God’s people not sharing their faith—God has no other plan. Kingdom work suffers.
G. Tithing and financial giving are a measure of spiritual maturity. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving…. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Cor 8:7,9).
Managing our money cannot be separated from our hearts. We are called to follow Jesus in the grace of giving. Giving generously to Christ’s kingdom work of restoration both makes our heart more like his and reflects a heart that is becoming more like his.
