By Are you loving God with your money? How can you tell? One clear indicator from scripture is how you feel towards money. Do you love it? Are you afraid of it? Do you want more of it? Are you afraid of not having enough?
The primary issue of not using our money to love God deals with the heart—and it has real consequences. The Bible says the love of money pierces you with you sorrow.
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:9–10
You can’t love money and love God
Learning how to love God with your finances starts with aligning your mindsets with what the Bible says about money. In culture today, obtaining and hoarding money is one of the most common motivators for living. After all, money buys happiness, right? Ha!
Money is a tool—a way of achieving greater purposes—and it’s design is not bad. People fall into trouble when they love money. Many Christian’s who fall into this trap don’t even know they love money more than God. Loving money is experienced in two ways:
- Greed for more
- Fear of not having enough
Both of these experiences put money above God and make an idol out of money.
“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.” Matthew 6:24
Give regularly and generously
Severing the root of the love of money starts by giving it away. It was never yours to decide to keep, anyway. When you give away portions of your income (through tithing and charitable giving), you are affirming in yourself that the money you have is not yours to keep, it’s simply yours to manage.
One perk of working at a large company is that you get a company car. It’s not yours to keep, but you’re given management over it.
In the same way, Jesus—in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30)—talks about managing God-given abilities (talent, wealth) to further the Kingdom of God. The two servants in the parable who invested the master’s wealth for a profit were rewarded with 1) praise 2) being given even more responsibility 3) joy. The third servant who buried the master’s wealth (they hoarded it out of fear) had his wealth taken away from him and given to the other servant.
Exercise letting go
If you want to become free from fear regarding money, ask God to show you places you can begin exercising letting go. Look for ways to bless others and invite God into your decision-making process with finances. As you are freed from fear, your love for others and your trust in your Heavenly Father will grow.
