managing money
“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, and he who loves abundance will not be satisfied with its earnings.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
A successful businessman once trusted another businessman known for his intelligence. “I’ve made a lot of money. I’ll soon be comfortably retired and able to do whatever I want.”
“John,” the wise merchant replied to the man, “I have noticed that whenever someone thinks he has built a tree so tall that it almost reaches to the heavens, God often decides to move the tree.”
The moment we begin to trust in wealth, God will, indeed, “shake the tree” to demonstrate who the source of wealth is so that we can fully trust in Him. He did this in my life, and He will do this in your life too because He loves us so much that He does not allow us to continue on this destructive path.
Money is mentioned over 2,000 times in scripture. Jesus used it several times to explain an important lesson to his disciples. He often talked about us being a good steward of the resources entrusted to us. He wanted returns on his investments and he wanted us to move away from making money the norm in our lives.
Jesus understood that He was here on earth only to do the will of the Father. “Truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does.”
When we look at our relationship with our Heavenly Father and our use of money, it is clear that we, like Jesus, are here to do the Father’s will in all areas of life. It means trying to live a life that is completely dedicated to its purposes – even in the financial realm.
Money, freedom and security are often the reasons why many people start their own business or change jobs. Examine your purposes today and see if your financial life can stand up to Jesus’ scrutiny. Are you acting as a steward of the financial resources he has entrusted to you?
