Dear Crosswalkers,
Money is a very important part of our lives. It always has been and probably always will be. That's why the Bible has a lot to say about money. In fact, the Bible devotes 500 verses to prayer; less than 500 verses to faith; but over 2,000 verses to money and possessions. In fact, Jesus talked about money in one out of every 10 verses in the Gospels. The Lord talked about money more than he talked about heaven and hell!
And get this: The Bible says that the way you handle your money determines how much God will bless your life. Strange but true. How you manage your money is evidence of your spiritual maturity. Here’s what Jesus said,
“If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” - Luke 16:11
Interestingly, a recent article in the Boston Globe was devoted to this question: Does money change you? The article reported:
As a mounting body of research is showing, wealth can actually change how we think and behave—and not for the better. Rich people have a harder time connecting with others, showing less empathy to the extent of dehumanizing those who are different from them. They are less charitable and generous. They are less likely to help someone in trouble. And they are more likely to defend an unfair status quo. If you think you'd behave differently in their place, meanwhile, you're probably wrong: These aren't just inherited traits, but developed ones. Money, in other words, changes who you are.
The article went on to summarize research studies conducted by Kathleen Vohs, a professor at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Carlson and her colleagues have found that even the mere suggestion of getting more money—a technique known as "priming"—makes people less friendly and less sensitive to others. Moreover, the suggestion of getting more money showed people to be more likely to support statements like "some groups of people are simply inferior to others."
The article noted that "if you win the lottery and you want to avoid becoming an insensitive lout," there is a simple solution. One of the researchers summarized it this way: "Give at least half the money away."
This Sunday is Faith Promise Sunday. We will be challenged by an incredibly gifted speaker, Dr. Hormoz Shariat, who is featured in the article below. We will also be challenged to to make a faith promise. This is a promise to give, as God provides, over and above our tithe to support missions both here and abroad. This is a promise we make by faith. Honestly, it's hard to live by faith in today's world. We have insurance for everything. Here we make a faith promise and then "watch and pray" for God to provide.
God does provide, because God wants his world to be reached with the good news.The Lord is looking for people like you who will be open channels through which he can provide for the gospel to be preached in every people group. This is God’s plan A, to reach the world through his church, and there is no plan B!
How does God provide for our faith promises? From the experiences of many individuals and churches, there are three general ways God provides:
1. In Unexpected Ways: These can be retroactive pay raises, bonuses, unexpected gifts, inheritance or tax refunds.
2. By Reordering of our Priorities: When we manage our lives as God would have it, we can generate additional income for the Lord’s work. This would include a commitment to live more simply, to fast once a week and give the money for that meal to missions, to cut down on unnecessary expenses, etc.
3. In Creative ways: There are creative ways to generate extra income, such as having a garage sale and giving the proceeds to missions, using a hobby to generate income, a fun job to keep busy during your retirement, etc.
Here's some good news: Money can change us for the better! But only if we recognize it as a blessing from God given to bless others. God wants us to be a channel through which his blessing flows!
Love in Jesus,
Pastor John Christie
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