Management of Money and Our Relationship with God

Transcription

1 Session 1 Management of Money and Our Relationship with God For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) 1

2 2 Sesson 1 OBJECTIVES OF THIS SESSION 1. To understand how our handling of money and material things impacts our relationship with God and how our relationship with God impacts our handling of money and possessions. 2. To identify actions and attitudes in regard to money that could result in or hinder a closer relationship with God. KEY BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE How we handle money impacts our relationship with God, and our relationship with God impacts how we manage money. Jesus said, If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11). It is a common belief among Christians that there is no connection between their spirituality and how they handle money and possessions. However, in Luke 16:11, Jesus Christ clearly says that our faithfulness (or the lack thereof) in regard to money will significantly impact the extent to which God entrusts us with his true riches. God s true riches that is, the things that are really important to God include the following: 1. A Close Personal Relationship with God. There is nothing more important in this life than our relationship with God. The Apostle Paul considered a relationship with Christ more valuable than everything else (Philippians 3:8). 2. God s Peace. God has promised his peace, when we are directed by his Spirit: The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). 3. God s joy. God has promised us his joy when we are in his presence. Psalm 16:11 states, In your presence is fullness of joy (NKJV). Our management of money impacts our relationship with God At first, it may be difficult to believe that faithful stewardship (or the lack thereof) of money would affect one s relationship with God and one s peace and joy. However, in Matthew 6:24, Jesus made it clear that money can be a serious competitor with our relationship with God: No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money. Let s examine a common example of how the management of money can impact our relationship with God. If an individual or couple are spending more than they earn on a monthly basis, then in due course, they will experience financial problems. Generally, people under financial stress are focused on their financial problems, consuming a lot of time and energy. This will inadvertently

3 Financial Management God s Way 3 impact their relationship with God. Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). And if our hearts are dominated by money and related problems, how can we love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27)? The anxiety that comes from financial problems and excessive debt will generally result in a lack of peace and joy in one s life. Have you ever met anyone who was happy about missing a mortgage payment or car loan payment? Another example would be a Christian who has a compelling desire for money and material things. Even Christians can struggle with the love of money, which will negatively impact their relationship with God. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:10). If the Christian manages money in a godly fashion, being content with God s provision and living within the means provided by God, then this Christian will experience God s true riches which include a close personal relationship with God, God s peace, and God s joy. Other examples of how our management of money and possessions impacts our relationship with God are given in the case studies following. Our relationship with God impacts how we manage money Christians with a close, growing relationship with Jesus Christ will, in obedience to God, search out biblical wisdom for all areas of life and, in dependence on God, endeavour to handle money in a godly fashion. As a result, often they will experience the following: 1. They will be content with God s provision (1Timothy 6:6 8) and thus avoid the ungodly attitudes of covetousness, selfishness, and greed, which result in so many financial problems. (See Exodus 20:17, Philippians 2:3 4, Luke 12:15). 2. They will seek and obtain God s wisdom (James 1:5) in managing the money that God has entrusted to them (1 Corinthians 4:2). 3. They will meditate on God s Word (Joshua 1:8) and clearly understand God s financial principles. 4. Because of their reverence for God, they will follow God s financial principles (Psalm 111:10) and therefore avoid many of the financial difficulties that even Christians get into by violating biblical principles. 5. They will hear God s voice and follow God s specific will for their lives (John 10:27). 6. They will give God the firstfruits of their income (Proverbs 3:9) and God will bless them (Proverbs 3:10). 7. They will have minimal debt (Proverbs 22:7) and therefore avoid pressure from creditors and lenders.

4 4 Sesson 1 8. They will develop and implement a budget (Luke 14:28 30) and therefore make financial decisions based upon facts rather than gut feel or personal desires. 9. They will obtain financial counsel from God (1 Kings 22:5), God s Word (Psalm 119:24), and from godly financial advisers (1 Corinthians 2:14, 15). In summary, a believer who has a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ will continually pray and search God s Word for guidance and will therefore manage money and material things in a godly fashion with godly attitudes and will experience God s peace and joy in financial matters. MEMORY VERSES If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11) No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24) CASE STUDIES, RELATED QUESTIONS, AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS Case Study #1 Bill and Sue have been married for 16 years and have two children. Bill earns an average income and Sue works part-stime. During their marriage, they have lived in four houses, approximately four years in each. With every move, they have purchased a larger and nicer home. When they purchased the last two homes, they thought that they had found the one that would make them happy and meet their needs for at least 30 years. However, within two to three years they were dissatisfied with the new home and wanted a bigger and better one. Bill and Sue spend a lot of time fixing their home to make it as nice as possible and usually keep an eye open for the right home at a really good price. They also believe that by continually upgrading to better homes they are making good financial decisions in a rising housing market. Bill and Sue note that some of their friends have nicer homes, and because Bill and Sue are Christians and believe strongly in God s desire to bless them, they feel that God will provide them with something equivalent, notwithstanding Bill s average income. In the process, the size of their mortgage has increased significantly each time that they have moved, and now they are burdened by a lot of debt. They feel that they cannot afford to tithe. To service their debt load, it will be necessary for Sue to work full-time and thus spend less time with their children. With the majority of their time and energy focused on improving their home and servicing their debt, Bill and Sue rarely have a quiet time with the Lord and they have limited involvement in their local church. Once they feel more settled, Bill and Sue intend to spend more time with God and have more involvement in their church.

5 Financial Management God s Way 5 Questions 1. How would you describe Bill and Sue s attitude with respect to money and material things? Please provide a reference to scripture where you can. Suggested answers appear as bold-faced, bulleted points following each question. These appear only in the Leader s Guide. Ungodly attitudes: They have a problem with covetousness (Exodus 20:17) and the love of money and material things (Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:6 8) Wrong priorities: It is clear that their home is more important to them than their relationship with God. Bill and Sue are serving a material thing their home not God (Matthew 6:24). 2. Do you think that their strong desire to find the right home has affected their relationship with God? How? Yes. Too much of their time and energy is spent on finding the ideal home or fixing up their present home and this has severely restricted their time with God and involvement in their church. Although not mentioned, they are likely spending very little time in God s Word. Hence their relationship with God has suffered. 3. As noted, Bill and Sue take careful note of what others have, and they have a strong desire to have at least the equivalent. What does this represent? Provide a reference(s) to scripture. Covetousness (Exodus 20:17), lack of contentment (Hebrews 13:5), selfishness (Philippians 2:3, 4), and possibly greed (Luke 12:15).

6 6 Sesson 1 4. Do you believe that Bill and Sue s very distant relationship with God has affected how they manage money? Please explain. Yes. Because they do not have a close personal relationship with God, they have developed worldly attitudes with respect to money and material things, because the world has had a greater impact on them than God or his Word. 5. What do you believe will be the impact on Bill and Sue s children? What could their children inadvertently learn from Bill and Sue s example? There is a high risk that Bill and Sue s ungodly perspective on money and material things will be unintentionally passed to their children. Their children will likely believe the lie (from the world and Satan) that only money and material things (e.g., the right home) will bring happiness. This will result in ungodly attitudes such as covetousness, selfishness, and greed, which will negatively affect their relationship with God (Matthew 6:24). 6. Assuming that God called one of their children to full-time ministry, earning a very modest income, what significant challenges could she or he face as a result of Bill and Sue s influence? Assuming that Bill and Sue s children adopted the same ungodly attitudes and thinking as their parents, it is likely that they would be very frustrated and unhappy working in full-time ministry because the income would likely not be sufficient to provide for their material desires. As the saying goes, It is easy to go up but hard to go

7 Financial Management God s Way 7 down. There is a high risk that they would get into a lot of debt trying to maintain the lifestyle they became accustomed to. Also, there is a high risk that they would not follow God s calling, if they believed the lie that money and material things will bring happiness. 7. Discuss the relevance and application of the following verses with regard to Bill and Sue s situation. Write your comments below each verse. You shall not covet your neighbor s house. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:17) God commands us not to covet what others have. Bill and Sue have a big problem with covetousness and need to learn, with God s help, contentment. (Philippians 4:11 13) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) God commands us to be free from the love of money (including material things such as a home) and to be content with his provision. Bill and Sue have a significant problem with the love of money and material things and therefore need to renounce this ungodly attitude and, with God s wisdom, direction, and strength, learn contentment (1 Timothy 6:6 8; Philippians 4:11 13). Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19 21)

8 8 Sesson 1 Bill and Sue s efforts to obtain a nicer home are storing up treasures on earth, which is temporary. Hence, they need to learn that only treasures in heaven will last for eternity. They need to focus their time and energy on treasures in heaven (i.e., things that will last for eternity), which include their relationship with God, the salvation of people, and the rewards that God will give for faithful service on earth. What is the focus of Bill and Sue s hearts? Treasures on earth (their home) not God and not treasures in heaven, which will last for eternity (see Mathew 6:19 21; Colossians 3:1, 2). Case Study #2 John and Chris have been married for 14 years. They have a son and a daughter. John owns a successful business. Managing this business requires a substantial amount of his time, averaging 65 hours per week. John feels that his time commitment to the business is appropriate because it is his responsibility to provide for the needs of his family. Chris works part-time for the business. John and Chris own a large home in Toronto, a nice cottage in Muskoka, and a condominium in Florida. At present, because of John s exceptionally high income, their debt load is quite manageable. John admits that the biggest struggle he has today is not with his personal cash flow but with the allocation of his personal time. John feels strongly that, to be good stewards, he and his family need to spend a reasonable amount of time at the cottage as well as their condo in Florida. In addition, John and Chris need time to maintain the cottage (including the boat and Sea-Doo) and the Florida condo, including their motor home located there. John understands that quiet time with the Lord is important, but because of these other time commitments, he rarely has a quiet time and has limited involvement in his church. Chris enjoys the respect and prestige of owning all these assets and delights in the envy she senses from her friends. However, Chris finds that her time with the Lord is very limited as well. Questions 1. How would you describe John and Chris s attitude with respect to money and material things? Please provide a reference to scripture where you can.

9 Financial Management God s Way 9 Their attitude is materialistic and worldly: John and Chris struggle with the love of money and material things. The things of this world are more important to them than their relationship with God, with each other, or with their children. 2. Do you think that their management and attitudes toward money and material things have affected their relationship with God? How? Yes, the focus of their time, energy, and talents is on their material possessions, not their relationship with God. Hence they have very little time to spend with the Lord or to be involved in ministry. John s real priorities are his business and money, not his relationship with God or his wife or children. Unknowingly, John is serving money, not God (Matthew 6: 24). 3. Chris likes the prestige of owning all of these assets and the envy of her friends. What does this represent? Please provide a reference to scripture where you can. This represents pride, which God strongly opposes (James 4:6). 4. How has John and Chris s relationship with God affected how they manage money? Because they are not connected with God through a close personal relationship, they have developed worldly attitudes with respect to money and material things; the world and their flesh have had a greater impact on them than God.

10 10 Sesson 1 5. What do you believe will be the impact on Chris and John s children? What could their children inadvertently learn from their parents regarding money and material things? Chris and John s children will likely adopt the same ungodly attitudes toward money and material things that their parents have. They too will likely end up serving money rather than God. Hence, the parents worldly management of money will likely impact their children s relationship with God. 6. What if their children s earning abilities are substantially less than John s? What significant challenges could they face as adults because of their upbringing? If their children have the same ungodly desire for money and material things, without sufficient income to pay for those things, they will likely spend more than they earn, resulting in a lot of debt and significant financial difficulties. They will likely struggle with covetousness and lack of contentment, which will negatively impact their marriages and their children. John s son, especially, may struggle with self-esteem issues if he does not have the earning capacity of his father. 7. Discuss the relevance and application of the following verses with regard to John and Chris s situation. Write your comments below each verse. Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Proverbs 23:4, 5) John is wearing himself out to get rich and is not exercising godly wisdom to get his priorities in proper order that it, his relationship with God first, then his wife and children, then ministry, and lastly business.