"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
It is telling that on the heels of His teaching about spiritual things (charity, prayer, and fasting), without skipping a beat, Jesus continues by teaching about money. Most fail to understand that money, and what we do with it, is spiritual as well! In fact, it has been said what we do with our money is the truest indicator of our spiritual understanding, maturity, and priorities. Why is that? Jesus’ words in (v.21) reveal why. What we do with our money both indicates and steers our true priorities in life.
The foundation of understanding and using money biblically is that: (a) Nothing we have is ours. (b) It all belongs to God. (c) We are merely stewards (managers) of what belongs to God. (d) We are accountable to Him to manage what belongs to Him according to His will and priorities (not merely our own). You might want to reread this paragraph.
Many believers understand that we are to give back to God (*) a portion of His money that He entrusts to us. Some follow the biblical pattern of tithing (giving 10%). A few give more than 10%. Most give less.
But what we give is only the tip of the iceberg regarding stewardship. Yes, giving reveals our hearts regarding stewardship, but so does what we do with the larger portion that we keep. Remember, it all belongs to God. And when we give an account to God regarding money, we will not only have to account for the small percent that we gave, but also (possibly even more so) for the greater percent that we kept.
Next time: Spending vs. investing—and where?
(*) Christian giving is not merely to charity in general. Though it is not bad to contribute to secular charities, Jesus commended giving in Jesus’ name (Mark 9:41). That generally means giving first to one’s church, and then to other biblical ministries.