God wants Christians to be generous givers. In fact, Jesus said that giving frees us from idolatry. If we have a heart for God and want to further His kingdom, we will be givers.
Idolatry has always been a problem for God’s people. The people of the Old Testament (OT) were tempted by idols. In today’s world, we idolize money. If we want to loosen the power of this idol, then we must learn to be generous.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Money Isn’t a Bad Thing
The Bible doesn’t say that money is bad or wrong. It is the love of money that causes sorrows. As Christians, we may possess many things, but we own nothing. It all belongs to God and that is why we are called to give. We are blessed by God to be a blessing to those around us.
Have the Right Perspective on Money
Jesus wanted to make sure his followers had the right perspective on their money. He wanted to make sure that they were generous. And he gave this great insight into how to keep money from being an idol in our lives:
Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Your Heart Follows Your Treasure
If you want to mature and really know Jesus on a deeper level, you should be a giver. Giving generously keeps us from making money an idol. When our giving becomes a priority, we are going to see our hearts following God even more.
There are many places to give: people in need, missionaries and ministries, and your local church are all good places to share the blessings God has given you.
No matter what, make sure you are honoring God with your money. Show your money who’s boss by being a giver.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Have you ever seen how the “love of money” has ruined someone? Share about what happened.
- Your heart follows your money. Have you seen this in your life? Give an example.
- What do you think it means to “give eagerly?” How do you think you can do it?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
