Day 11: The Payout

Money, its a crime
share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say,
is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they're
giving none away.
~Money, Pink Floyd
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Ah, the classical lyrical poet, Pink Floyd. What amazing wisdom they speak. Think their the only source of wisdom on money? Think again.

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. (Psalms 23:1, NIV)

Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice. (Proverbs 16:8, NASB)

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. (1 Corinthians 16:2, NIV)

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. (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV)


These are just a few of the passages, including some heavy hitters. Money is all over the Bible. What to do with it, where it comes from, the dangers, the rewards, everything, it's all there.

Wealth is very ensnaring. For wealth, we will work day in and day out, sacrifice our time, and take risks. Money is the fuel that modern society moves on. "Gotta have money to make money" is a common saying. The government, businesses, and individuals move billions of dollars all over the place in the attempt to make more money.

But, what are we chasing? Why are we after more money anyway?

If your reading this, I want to challenge you a bit. Jesus has some pretty provocative things to say about what we do with our wealth. He challenges one young man (who is a very "good" man) to give up all his wealth, sell all his possessions. When he walks away, defeated, he immediately turns to his disciples and repeats this troubling statement:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:23-24, NIV)

The disciples' reaction makes sense. I believe they are seeing money as a sign of God's blessing on the individual. They wonder if it is this hard for a blessed person to enter the kingdom of heaven, who can be saved? Jesus responds:

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26, NIV)

But, why would Jesus ask this man to sell his possessions? Wealth was the big obstacle between him and God. His priorities might have looked like this:

1. Stuff
2. God

I think this whole wealth issue needs some serious examination for those whose life has been devoted to Christ. I've found that it is really easy to simply follow the money instead of seeking out God's will. The gospel has called us to a higher authority. Any amount of money is totally insignificant when you consider how temporary it all is. We all have to die someday, and what happens to it then? Will God count our green? No, what matters is obedience.

I'm still working out what this all means in my own life, but I think there are some pretty interesting implications here. I'm concerned that some are sacrificing their whole lives, all their time, and bigger, better things in service of that ever-escaping dream of wealth.

Putting God first is going to look different for everyone. For some, it could be taking a lower-paying job in order to have more time to devote to family and God. For others, it might mean simply living within their means (seen the troubling statistics on debt lately?). Maybe it's just realizing we don't need that must-have item on the TV. But for all, God has called us to fight, not to simply go with the common flow.

That's not to say that having money, making money, and working hard are bad things (their not!). God has called us to be responsible, provide for our families, and build his kingdom. Money must merely become a tool and not an end in and of itself.

I'll leave you with final passage from the words of Jesus. I think it is self-explanatory.


No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24, NIV)

See you tomorrow.