Devotional - 97-07-15 - Money

"Show me the money" Matthew 22:19

The text really says in the NKJV, "Show me the tax money", or in the NASB, "Show me the coin".

On my way to church on Sunday I was struck by one womans choice of bumper stickers. Driving @20 year old Thunderbird, two of her four stickers said, "God is my co-pilot," and "My Mercedes is in the shop today". I found the combination of the two confusing. One has a spiritual connotation and the other has a worldly connotation. It was sort of like a yin-yang approach to life. Christians and money are an interesting combination. One Christian speaker who is popular said, "It is not possible for a Christian to drive a BMW". His point being that Christians should wait for our reward in heaven, but his manner of making the point is senseless. I am sure I could drive a BMW, even if I did not own it. There are also the pleas for money that Christian organizations make. It might be via the TV or through the mail, we are often pressured to "GIVE". My church has a segment in the middle of the service called, "The living church." I call it the dying church segment because of how often they use it to ask for more money. We have it pretty good in America. It would amaze many of us to see how the "rest" of the world lives. But how each of us individually deals with our finances is between us and the Lord. There are Biblical principals that are very helpful, like giving 10%, but they are not commands. Some are fortunate enough to make lots of money, 10% might not be enough for us to give. Others struggle to put food on the table, 10% might be too much. In giving to the work of the Lord we should be as generous as we are able.

"Money is in some respects like fire; it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master." P. T. Barnum

"Few things eat into the soul as devastatingly as the love of money." James Philip

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-