Your Money and Your Life #13: A quick review

Our culture has much to tell us about money and wealth, and it is often at odds with what God calls us to. Thankfully God gives us a picture of what He wants for us with “Your Money and Your Life.”

God has blessed most, if not all of us, with wealth at varying levels. We need to cultivate the character to handle that wealth – righteousness, humility, hard work, and fair work. Then we need to put it in perspective. Hard to do, but we have to think on the most important things, and money isn’t it.

But God knows our hearts and that we can forget what’s most important. So He gives us some tools to make sure we put wealth in its place. He asks us to tithe, give 10% to the church. And then He asks us to be generous on top of that – to any number of places, most specifically to the poor.

That’s the picture in Proverbs. The big question for us now is, “What’s next?”

If you aren’t tithing, start. God asks us to test Him in this. It isn’t often that we’re to test God, but we’re challenged to with tithing. Scary? Yes. But it’s also clear. It is an act of obedience. It feels odd to lay it out there because we don’t like to talk about it, but it is for your benefit. God will get done what He’s gonna get done. He doesn’t need it. You need to give it. I need to give it.

After your tithe, look for opportunities to be generous – whether at a whim or planned out with regular giving. Even if you don’t want to do it, start looking for options. Peru. India. Los Angeles. Cypress. Your community

Now some of you may be like Donald Miller, or myself at times, and your finances are somewhere between utter disarray and not as organized as you’d like. You don’t know where you’ll find the space for these disciplines. I encourage you to get help. We’ll be offering a biblical financial stewardship class soon. Sign up today and start honoring God in an area that is so challenging to us as individuals, particularly in the culture we live in.

Friends, God wants to bring balance to “Your Money and Your Life” for your good, and my good. Let’s cooperate with Him in obedience, and then enjoy the blessings of His goodness without hindrance.