The Purpose Of Money

Posted by Brance on May 29th, 2005 filed in The Bible And Money

Today we are starting an interesting study. At least I find it interesting. We are going to discuss the most talked about subject in the Bible. Jesus talked more about this subject than he did about any other subject, including love. Yet I would say this is possibly the most misunderstood subject the Bible talks about. We’re talking about money. Why do you think Jesus, and the Bible as a whole, spend so much time talking about something as worldly as money? Here’s what I think. I think Jesus talked about it so much for two basic reasons. First, because he knew it was something that would cause a great deal of trouble for a good many people, and it affects us all. Aren’t we all affected by money? Almost every day we think about, work for, or use money. Money is something that we really can’t function in society without, but if we’re not careful it will consume us. Second, because he wants us to give. That’s really the main theme behind everything the Bible teaches on money, GIVE. We’re going to talk more about giving in a later lesson, and we’ll probably mention it in all the lessons.

What exactly is money’s purpose?

According to the dictionary, money is a medium of exchange; an equivalent for commodities; something for which individuals readily exchange their goods or services; a circulating medium.

But what is money’s purpose from God’s perspective?

tool - God uses money as a tool to teach us. He teaches us contentment, trust in him, and humility by a lack of money. With an abundance of money God can teach us how to deal with greed, how to give, how to show wise stewardship, how to love and maintain relationships, how to use time wisely, how to deal with the fear of losing money, and so on.

test - God uses money to test our faithfulness.

testimony - If we are faithful to God in our use of money, it becomes a testimony to the world, about Him.

Remember these verses from our relationship study?

How does our testimony with money look to the world? Does it bring glory and honor to God? As Christians, God calls us to be different from the world. We need to look at our finances and ask, what kind of a statement am I making to the world with the way I handle my money? Would someone know I was a Christian by looking at my checkbook?

What does it mean to be different? I think it means such things as spending less than you make (most Americans don’t do this) and avoiding the use of debt. This debt issue can be a real problem because it will mean that more than likely you will live in a smaller house, in a different neighborhood, and drive older cars than many of your friends who have bought into the world’s philosophy of using credit to have what they want now rather than waiting. As Christians we must look different from the world. God uses money as a means to allow us to do that.

Now let’s spend a little bit of time in 2005 looking at some real world reasons why this money thing is so important.

How many of you would like to be married some day? Did you know that current statistics tell us that about one-half (52%) of all new marriages (first marriages) are going to dissolve within the first six years. About 80 percent of those couples who are divorced also say that most of the problems they had were financial.

According to the American Bankruptcy Institute 1 in 72 households filed bankruptcy last year, and the number is expected to increase this year.

“The Federal Reserve indicates that household debt is at a record high relative to disposable income.This unprecedented level of debt might pose a risk to the financial health of American households. A high level of indebtedness among households could lead to increased household delinquencies and bankruptcies, which could threaten the health of lenders if loan losses are greater than anticipated.”

As Christians bankruptcy is NOT an option.

Unless you wish to be wicked then you must repay what you have borrowed. That eliminates bankruptcy as an option. Besides which, if you have gotten your finances in such a state that bankruptcy is an option you are considering, then you have not been a good steward.

Which leads us to the next thing I want to talk about this morning, stewardship. Most of us are familiar with that term. It’s a very ‘churchy’ term. It was a word that was introduced in the Christian vocabulary by the KJV. A steward was someone who managed another person’s (usually a wealthy landowner or a lord or king) resources. Today in the business world we call that an asset manager.

Larry Burkett said it this way:

Each of us is a manager, not an owner. God is the owner, and we are to manage according to His plan. All of the promises God has made regarding His blessings in this area are predicated on the principle that we relinquish ownership. If we refuse to do this we can never experience God’s plan for our finances. As a consequence, our lives will be characterized constantly by turmoil and anxiety in the area of money.

I want to close today by looking at this passage.

Why did Jesus tell him to sell everything and give it to the poor? Is it wrong to be wealthy? No, Christ knew that inside, this man loved his money. (1 Timothy 6:10) He had kept all the external commandments, but he could not keep that internal attitude straight. Because of this, Christ asked him to sell what he had and follow Him. He refused to do so.

Attitude is always God’s concern. Christ’s statement dealing with the rich young ruler was based on that man’s attitude, his motivation, and the purpose behind his money, not the money itself.

Next week we’ll talk about the importance of saving, and how to save.