Financial Discipleship - the Bible on Our Part预览

Results of Our Faithfulness

Faithfulness Builds Character

God uses money to refine our character. In 1918 David McConaughy wrote a book, Money, the Acid Test. In it he said:

Money, most common of temporal things, involves uncommon and eternal consequences. Even though it may be done quite unconsciously, money molds people—in the process of getting it, of saving it, of using it, of giving it, of accounting for it. Depending upon how it is handled, it proves a blessing or a curse to its possessor; either the person becomes master of the money, or the money becomes master of the person.

Our Lord takes money, the thing that, essential though it is to our common life, sometimes seems so sordid, and he makes it a touchstone to test the lives of people and an instrument for molding them into the likeness of himself.

Clearly, if we are handling our possessions as faithful stewards, our character is being built. If we are unfaithful, our character is being torn down. Richard Halverson said it precisely: “Jesus Christ said more about money than any other single thing because money is of first importance when it comes to a person’s real nature. Money is an exact index to our true character. Throughout Scripture we find an intimate correlation between the development of a person’s character and how he or she handles money.”

Faithfulness Leads to Commitment

Once we know God’s part and faithfully do our part, we can be content. In Philippians, we discover that Paul has learned to be content because he knew that God would supply all his needs (Philippians 4:19), and he had been faithful. “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things” (Philippians 4:9).

As we apply the principles of God’s economy, we will begin to get out of debt, spend more wisely, start saving for our future goals and give even more to the work of Christ. The Bible offers real solutions to today’s financial problems...

Contrast

Society says: You earned your money, now spend it any way you choose and you’ll be happy.

Scripture says: You can only be content if you have been a faithful steward handling money from the Lord’s perspective.

(excerpt taken from Your Money Counts by Howard Dayton, 2020)