Your Money Management Matters to God
By Rick Warren
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT).
God uses money to test you. He doesn’t just automatically give his blessings to anybody; he tests you first to see if you’re responsible. If he can trust you with material possessions, then he can trust you with spiritual power. But if you’re not even managing your money well, why in the world should he give you the stuff that really matters?
Your finances are God’s favorite tool to test you. He’s using your money to test several things.
Money shows what you love most.
If you really want to know what’s important to you, look at your calendar and your credit card statement, because the way you spend your time and money tells others what you love the most.
Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth . . . Store your treasures in heaven . . . Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (NLT). Wherever you want your heart to be, put your money in it, and you’ll get interested in it.
Money shows what you really trust most.
Do you trust in your money for security? Or do you trust in God? Do you trust in money to provide happiness, or do you trust in God for your happiness? Do you trust in money to make you feel good about yourself, or do you trust in God to make you feel good about yourself? Money is the acid test of faith.
The Bible says in Proverbs 11:28, “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf” (NIV).
Money shows if God can trust you.
Money doesn’t just show if you trust God; it also shows if God can trust you. Luke 16:10-12 says, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?” (NLT).
How you handle money determines how much God can bless your life. Once you understand that there is a direct connection between money management and God’s blessing, you will be motivated to get your finances in order so that God will bless you with spiritual power.
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Talk It Over
What would you say is the desire of your heart? Does the way you spend your money support or contradict your answer?
If you lost your job today, what would you do? Do you trust God to provide for you?
How does the way you manage God’s resources show him that he can trust you?
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This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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