Monday’s Sunday

This is it! The moment you’ve all been waiting for–the final installment of our 4 part series, “How to Be Rich.” OK, really it’s just my Sunday sermon recap.

And each Sunday before service, my husband and I love to read the bulletin because they’ve been putting funny and interesting statistics about money on the back. Here’s my favorite from this week:

Microsoft CEO Bill Gates has more wealth than
the bottom 45% of American households combined.
(according to the Global Policy Forum)

Doesn’t that make you shudder?! OK, back to the sermon–

A little background: God has blessed me with more than I need. I am rich. I will not trust in my riches but in the One who richly provides. Since I have more, I will do more and I will give more. Based on 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

This week’s title was: Diversify. If I quite understood finances, I’m sure I’d get that title and find it amusing. I don’t, so we’ll have to move on. Have you ever felt guilty about the amount of stuff you have? When you see those pictures, or drive by homeless people or just hear of someone down and out? Sometimes this guilt drives us to give…kind of making you feel better about yourself because you handed someone a $5 bill. This is the wrong way to react. We shouldn’t even feel guilty about what we have because no one feels guilty managing someone else’s [read: God’s] stuff. And if we view our wealth in the correct way, as God’s money that He’s letting us manage, we won’t feel guilty. Remember, GOD PROVIDES us with everything for our enjoyment (1Timothy 6:17)!

Guilt should not motivate us to give. We should give generously because when we do, “we will lay up treasure as a firm foundation for the coming age…(vs.19)” Giving generously is not just about NOW–about the needy guy, your church’s finances or whatever–it’s about eternity! God’s whole kingdom is a paradox; die to live, serve to be first and give to receive. When we give, we are laying up a treasure–FOR OURSELVES in Heaven! We are basically doing something eternal for our lives in heaven by giving to someone on earth today!

In Luke 12, Jesus tells a parable about a rich man. He continued to be blessed and his wealth grew. In fact, he had so many crops he couldn’t fit them in his barns. So, he decided to tear down his barns and make new barns that would hold his crops. That night he died and God called him a fool for storing up things for himself and not being rich toward God. Most of us will run out of time before we run out of money. Why not spend the time we have becoming rich toward God by giving generously?

1 Timothy 6:19 ends with this phrase, “so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” When we know we are rich and trust God to provide, then give as only a rich person can, we will lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven AND we will take hold of the life that is truly life.

Let’s look at every dollar, every check, every monetary gift not as something to stuff in our barn, but as something that has eternal implications. Then we will take hold of the life that is truly life!

Here’s our completed confession: God has blessed me with more than I need. I am rich. I will not trust in my riches but in the One who richly provides. Since I have more, I will do more and I will give more. And everyday I will view my wealth through the lens of eternity so I may truly have life!