Money is Spiritual, Not Just Practical (Part 3)

Money is good that can become bad.

“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (I Timothy 6: 9, 10).

The love of money – the love of money. Not money itself, but the love of money. That’s how money, which is a good, turns to bad in any person’s life. Yet, people tend to love money. They’d kill for love of money. They’d steal for the love of money. They’d commit crimes for love of money. They’d corrupt or prostitute themselves for the love of money.

Money is not spiritually harmless. It can be a very seductive, addicting idol to a heart not in tune with God. Jesus warns, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12: 15)

Money cannot buy happiness and security.

“If I only had a big house … if I only had a $100,000 a month … if I only had a new car … if I only had a better education … and on and on.” In themselves, there seems nothing wrong. Trouble is that people tend to think that this is what life is really about, that money ultimately leads to happiness.

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Whether poor or rich or somewhere in the middle, if money is driving us, we will never be happy and satisfied. The desire for money will continue to dominate us whether our income is $100,000, $500,000, 1 million dollars, or 100 million dollars. Indeed, as we desire more, that desire itself may change us.

Another lie is the belief that security comes from building up “financial security.” Well, why? It’s logical to feel secure when I have 1 millions dollars in my bank account. Why not?

The Bible gives 2 reasons why money can never be our security:

1.) Even in this life, even in this life, money is fleeting. Riches disappear. “Cast but a glance at riches and they are gone. For they will certainly sprout wings and fly off like an eagle.” (Proverbs 23: 5). Our Lord Jesus Himself said that treasures on earth are destroyed by moth and rust, where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6).

2.) We entered this world with nothing, and we leave it with nothing. That’s what Paul wrote to Timothy. Jesus also made this point very forcefully to the rich man in Luke 12 – “ ‘But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life would be demanded from you…. This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (vv. 20, 21). This man’s problem is not his success or wealth, but thinking of this wealth as his security. He was not using the wealth that God had given him for His purposes.

Would you feel unhappy and insecure because of lack of money? Our happiness and security should come only from God.

How you spend money reveals where your treasure is.

I once read of the Christian testimony of the owner and founder of Quaker Oats. He did not tithe. He gave 65% to 70% of the income of his company to Christian causes. Thus was built great Christian ministries worldwide such as Moody Memorial Church, Moody Bible Institute, and numerous others that reach out around the globe up to this day.

Christians are called to handle money with eternity in mind. We need to reflect on the proper use of material gifts God gives us that lead to eternal gain. Our Lord Jesus calls it “storing up treasures in heaven.”

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also… No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6: 19-21, 24)

Christian Yet Most Corrupt?

This morning, I received a disturbing and embarrasing news about my country. According to the World Bank in its 2008 Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), the Philippines is declared as number one most corrupt country in East Asia today.

All over the world, we take pride as the only Christian nation in the Far East. Most of our neighbors are predominantly Buddhist (Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam). Mainland China is likewise Buddhist and communist in government. Japan is into Shintoism. India is Hindu by majority. Yes, the Philippines is the only Christian country in East Asia!

"Christian yet most corrupt." The words are totally incompatible and opposed to each other. An oxymoron! It's like saying that one can be a "Christian stealer," a "Christian murderer," or a "Christian adulterer." If that is our brand of faith, then something is deeply flawed and defective. It surely does not represent Christ and His true disciples.

How then do you explain this disturbing finding of a reputable international financing institution about the Philippines as "Christian yet most corrupt?"

Is it because "poverty breeds corruption" in the Philippines ("Naghihirap kasi yung mga tao e.")? I don't think so. I say this because, in the Philippines, the biggest crooks, thieves, and most corrupt can be found among the richest and most influential Filipinos, not among the poor!

Indeed, the heart of the matter is spiritual and not economic. In the very root of corruption is the sin of selfishness, which says, "Even if all generations suffer, go hungry and homeless, as long as I and my family have more than enough, that's fine with me." (Scriptures: 1 Timothy 4, Matthew 6)

Through this piece, I pray that we may all understand (individually and corporately) the true nature of being a Christian or followers of Christ - that we may not end up bringing dishonor to His name.

The Only Girl I Love

A beautiful girl I met for the first time,
There she walked along,
Stepped out into the shoulder of the road,
And begun for us a life of song.

We both loved the Lord and served Him,
Memories of our sacrifices and fun together,
Each passing day I simply longed for her,
I just had fallen in love with her.

We begun a music of living in marriage,
Composing, practicing, and perfecting,
In the lyrics of our humble family home
God’s gift of beautiful children enjoying.

Then, in some years, we missed God’s best
Oh, -- the light trembles within the circle!
Memories eclipsed by fierce ones,
Indeed, how great was the darkness!

Our loving Lord of course can turn bad to good,
For He is a God of abundant grace and healing,
Who makes all things worked out for good,
As we continue to love and follow Him.

Oh, -- there’s so much more in life!
My love which I pledged would surely never die,
For a simple girl I once met for the first time.
The covenant I have to her before God endures.

Parenting or Providing?

A young mother gives birth to her baby girl and immediately sends her baby to their own country so she can work. A father almost never sees his children each day because of too much busyness in his business. Numerous overseas foreign workers leave for high paying jobs at the expense of presence in the lives of their children's growing up years. Today, many parents, in the effort to make ends meet and support the family, lose sight of God-ordained parenting responsibilities.

Dr. Bob Barnes writes: "Establish daily: 'What's the priority, parenting or providing?' You need to decide to sit at your children's bedside and talk with them tonight and do the laundry later—even though you are exhausted. Then, you need to make the decision to choose parenting first again tomorrow night, or there may be nightmares later on when the kids are out of control because there was no nurturing parent; there was just a provider.'"

It can be draining and discouraging to be "supermom" or "superdad." But I remember how great and mighty God is! He does not expect us to do this on our own strength.

"GOD's love is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, making everything right for them and their children" (Psalm 103:17 Msg).

"Dear God, show me how to arrange my busy mind and my busy schedule so that I always put God-pleasing things first—like snuggling up and laughing with my children! Amen."

International Consultation for Global Diaspora (Lausanne), August 2008

Money is Spiritual, Not Just Practical (Part 2)

Tomorrow, I'll preach in a church on God and money again. I thank God for the opportunity for me to address this very important topic -- one which confronts each one of us every day of our lives. I also teach my self as I preach to others! It's clear that our attitude towards money indicates who we are and what our relationship is with God.

You will find that God has very challenging things to tell us about money in His Word that are different from what the world thinks. Money is a very prominent topic in the Bible. Over 2,000 verses, including many sayings from our Lord Jesus, are recorded in the Bible on money and possessions. Money is thus a big issue, not just in our lives, but especially in Jesus' teachings and His Word.

I have 4 big points that I've shared on money during my church sermons these past several weeks. They are:

# 1 Money is not yours. (Psalm 24:1; Deut 8: 17-18; 1 Chron 29)
# 2 Money is good that can become bad. (1 Timothy 6:10; Proverbs 11:28)
# 3 Money cannot buy happiness and security. (Luke 12:15; Eccl 5: 10; Matt 6:19; Prov 23:5)
# 4 How you spend money reveals where your treasure is. (Matthew 6: 19-21; Matthew 6:24; Rev 3:17, 2:9)

Money is not yours

Psalm 24: 1 - “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”

One time, I received a text message from one who proudly claims that she's earning money as a result of her "work." Her view of money is that she owns it because she works.

It is very easy for us to claim that we own the money we have because we have "worked for it." Well, I ask these questions, "Do you really own money or anything? To what extent is your income the result of your own effort? There are many "accidents" or chance that lead one to have more money than another. There is the accident of your race, accident of your color of your skin, accident of your family inheritance, accident of your family, accident of your country, accident of other people around you helping, accident of government policy etc. Thus, even from a secular perspective, you do not deserve what you have -- a lot of what is yours is because of "accidents," because of chance!

From a biblical perspective, we do not own or deserve what we have at all. The Lord owns everything.

Deuteronomy 8: 17, 18 tells us, “You say to your self, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

1 Chronicles 29 - “Wealth and honor come from you, Lord …”

So what God is saying here about money? Even if the money you have is a result of your "hard work," that hard work itself is a gift from God. The energy you use, the air that you breath, the pounding of your heart, the life that you use to "work hard" to earn money are not yours! Divine "accidents!" This is why our life, self-worth, or status does not depend on our income. Who we are does not consist of what we own. For after all, the money we claim we have is not really ours! We do not deserve what we have. Everything is owned by God and a gift from Him.