Money can be so…filthy.

How could a God who is so involved in the immaterial have any concern with the filthy material? Money says a lot about the condition of our hearts, and the way we deal with it shows how much we have given over to our Lord, and how much we might be holding back.

Consider for a moment that there are over 2,000 references to this topic in the Bible, compared to 500 references on the topic of faith. How about the fact that 16 of Christ’s 38 parables speak about how people should handle their earthly treasures? One out of every ten verses in the gospels deal with the area of money and stewardship. Are you convinced yet? In fact, our Lord taught more about stewardship than about heaven and hell combined!  Why in the world would God spend so much time on this topic?

 Isn’t money the root of all evil?

 Isn’t money one of the leading causes of divorce and family strife?

 Isn’t money the thing that distracts us from pursuing God?

It isn’t money itself that causes all of these problems, but rather the love of money—something that starts within our own hearts. First Timothy 6:10 states, “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.” Because the Bible is filled with so much instruction on this topic, we can assume that:

Our Creator knew that we would need plenty of guidance in this area.

He no doubt knew that this would be an area filled with great temptation.

He also knew that it would be an area that could be used to bring Him much glory!

So now it’s time for us to consider… Whose money is it anyway?

So often we get caught up with that over-possessive attitude as we consider spending and saving. We don’t even stop for a second to think about who gave these things to us, or what He has to say about them.

“It’s my house. It’s my savings account. It’s my 401-K. It’s my mutual fund. It’s my income.” And then when things take a negative turn, we start to question God. “Why did God take my job? Why did God take my home? Why did God take away my financial security?”

Of course, these are the wrong questions to be asking. When we start to look at our finances, we need to change our heart-perspective, our view of who even owns it. Take time to reflect on these verses:

Haggai 2:8 — “‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine’, says the Lord of hosts.”

Psalm 24:1 — “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.”

1 Chronicles 29:11–12 — “For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours… Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all.”

Deuteronomy 8:18 — “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…”

So the proper perspective is that God owns it all.

As you go about your day today, think about what you might be holding on to. Lay out all of your possessions at the throne of God, and don’t hold anything back.