It is sometimes thought that the Lord Jesus was more interested in spiritual things rather than worldly things like money and possessions. But did you know that …
— 16 out of 38 of Christ’s parables deal with money…
— more is said in the New Testament about money than Heaven and hell combined…
— 5 times more is said about money than prayer…
— there are only 500 plus verses on both prayer and faith but over 2,000 verses dealing with money and possessions…
Having money and possessions is not bad in itself. It is what we do with them that counts. Here are some scripture passages to guide us in having the proper attitude toward money and possessions.
Psalm 24:1
Proverbs 11:24,25
1 Timothy 6:10
Matthew 25:14-30
Philippians 4:19
Luke 12:22-31
Proverbs 3:9,10
Deuteronomy 8:11-17
1 Peter 4:10
Luke 6:38
Hebrews 13:5-6
Malachi 3:10
Psalm 37:3
Sirach 5:1-3
In the New Testament the words of Jesus are frequently directed to a positive approach toward poverty rather than to a negative criticism of wealth. The classic text for wealth and poverty is the parable of the rich man who rejected the invitation of Jesus to follow Him (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30). Jesus also draws a comparison between the contributions of the rich to the temple and the contribution of an impoverished widow (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). What do you believe Jesus is saying to you in these verses?
The way you spend your money reflects your goals, priorities, relationships and even the use of your time. In other words, your bankbooks, checkbook and your credit card are mirrors of your life story. If God audited your bankbooks, checkbook and credit card account today, would He approve of the way you disburse His money? What would He think if He reviewed your monthly budget vs your actual expenses/disbursements?
