gifts - Thoughts About God

Money Matters

Thoughts_About_God — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:03:20 +0000

“41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’” Mark 12:41-44

Do you ever feel anxious when the collection plate comes around? Paul somewhat surprisingly tells us that “You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give.” Not only that, but giving should be joyful, not forced: “Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Jesus spoke more about money than almost any other topic. According to author Randy Alcorn, about 15% of Jesus’ sayings recorded in the Bible relate to money and possessions. Why did Jesus (and the New Testament authors like Paul) speak so often about money? Perhaps because we seem to have so much trouble using money wisely. Thankfully, the New Testament gives us plenty of guidance.

In the story of the widow’s offering, Jesus commends her gift of the equivalent of two pennies. She gave “more than all the rest.” Paul clarifies that “If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to give” (2 Corinthians 8:12). So, clearly the amount given is not most important. Then what is? It is our attitude towards giving.

Often, the Pharisees (the religious zealots of Jesus’ time) tried in vain to trap Jesus with tricky questions. On one such occasion, Jesus’ reply was “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). So what portion of our money is “God’s”? In a sense, it all is, since we have been given stewardship over our money. How much should we give to the church or other important causes? Paul answers this question thusly: “Give whatever you can according to what you have” (2 Corinthians 8:11). The widow did just that; she gave what little she could afford and Jesus approved of her.

Finally, note what Jesus says about giving: “Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired … Give your gifts in secret” (Matthew 6:1,4). Keeping your giving between yourself and God ensures you are giving for the right reason and won’t become prideful. As Paul says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others” (Philippians 2:3).

Follow these biblical principles when giving, and you will be giving joyfully, as the Lord wills you to do.

Lord, help me to remember that You own everything and my finances are Yours. Forgive me for the times I stress over money and hold it as an idol in my life. Help me to fully trust You with my earnings. Amen.

Question: What is your attitude towards giving? What can you do to become more like Christ in this area?

by Darren Hewer
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The Generosity Habit
Try Tithing
Joyful Generosity
You Cannot Out-give God

Follow Us On: Facebook • ‘X’ Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest

The post Money Matters appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Managing for God

Thoughts_About_God — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:03:07 +0000

“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9 (ESV)

God has entrusted you with and has declared you a manager of all things on this earth. Did you know you were a manager for God? When we give our lives to God, we are to manage the gifts He gives us.

In Luke 16:1-9 Jesus tells the parable of the dishonest manager. This manager was not taking care of his master’s possessions and when called on it, he ran away to secure a life for himself instead of repenting. We can secure a life here on earth yet what are we doing to secure our eternal life?

In this parable Jesus is telling us that money is a gift from God. We are to use it according to His will, not for our own selfish purposes or to benefit ourselves. We do not make friends with God’s gifts to secure our life here on earth; we make friends with God’s gifts to secure our treasures in heaven. We use money to bring all praise and glory to Him, not to ourselves. God owns everything. We are just the stewards or the managers here on earth.

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:10-13, ESV)

There are so many important points of this parable. First, Jesus tells us that if you are unfaithful in the little things in life, you will be unfaithful with the big things. Second, Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two masters. Money is a master that all too many serve. You cannot serve God and make money number one in your life. Money like all other things we have been blessed with belongs to God, not to us. It is not up to us to determine how it will be spent yet it is to be prayed upon so we may be led by His Holy Spirit as to how it will be used to bring praise and glory to His mighty name.

Heavenly Father, we pray today that with all things that You have blessed us with in this life that we would use them to bring praise and glory to Your name. That we would seek You and Your will with all things. We thank You and praise You. Lead us by your Holy Spirit and let our hearts, souls, and minds be open to receive your Living Word in our live. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Questions: Are you using your gifts to bring glory to God or to yourself?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The post Managing for God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Giving Away Our Gifts

Devotionals — Sun, 11 Dec 2022 09:03:04 +0000

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans.” Proverb 16:3

In Whistle While You Work, Richard Leider and David Shapiro make the point that “calling” has traditionally been associated with God’s summoning of pastors or missionaries. We’ve likely heard such language as: “He was called to the ministry” or “she was called to missions.” When we adopt this way of thinking, we judge non-ministry work as second-class and less worthy.

But Leider and Shapiro suggest that calling is more inclusive than just to ministry; they believe calling is any inner tug or summoning to “give our gifts away.” We sense that bid for our heart when we’re doing what we do well and blessing others along the way.

What gifts do you love giving away? What activity brings you joy? Which of these joy-giving abilities do you value most?

Maybe your answer is serving people, working with technology, planning events, building things, performing music, or teaching others. God calls us to go for it as we love him and love others. As the proverb notes, when we commit our ways to Him, he will help us figure out the details.

Can you name a gift you passionately value? Are you willing to commit it to God? Doing so will help you discern your calling where you are right now.

Dear God, thank You for making sacred the work I do in Your name with the gifts You’ve given me to give away. Help me take stock of my gifts, passions, and values so I may discern how I may best invest my life loving You, people, and myself. May I know in my spirit Your summoning so I may joyfully give my gifts away. Amen.

By Bill Strom
Used by permission