IN GOD’S LOVING HANDS

God wants us to have an abundant life. He is abundance. (Psalms 78:20, 135:15, 145:6-8, Romans 5:17, 2 Corinthians 1:5, 1 Timothy 1:14). If you have been blessed with money – that’s great! Use it wisely and it will not be a problem to you.

If you have money, but don’t pay your taxes and try to hide it in various accounts to keep it all to yourself, or if you lavish things on yourself and ignore the needy – That’s a problem.

What you are doing is making the money more important than God and your neighbours. When you make money the be all and end all of your life. You have a problem! That is idolatry!

Now most of us don’t think we have much. But compared to some, what we have is a fortune. It’s not a sin to have a nice home, go on holiday or own a car. But we must remember that some don’t own a book, never mind a car or a home.

If we spend all our time and energies on earning to own things it can become idolatry, because we are not spending time seeking God, nor communicating with him – other than to ask for ‘stuff’ for ourselves. I think we do this all the time without knowing it. Especially in today’s world where we have gradually been taught, over the last few decades, to feel entitled to have anything we want.

No-one should be poor! But we are not entitled to have a life full of things - things we often get bored of once we have them, then go on to look for something else to fill the gap in our lives. No. God made this planet for us, so that we could live abundantly and happily with Him. But if we try to replace Him with other things, we create an emptiness in our souls which we cannot fill, and a constant longing for ‘something’ else. We feel that we must earn or win lots of money (through the explosion of gambling ads and internet sites that have taken off in the last couple of years), to buy what ever it is that is creating this longing.

But Money cannot fill the longing in our souls. We need money to live – I know that, but the love of money and what it buys can be a distraction that takes our eyes of Jesus and our Heavenly Father who loves us and will supply all our needs if we ask with right motives.  (Philippians 4:10-20)

I often find it difficult to let go of money, even though I believe with all my heart that it isn’t right, I still find myself thinking, ‘I really need this’ when I really don’t!  or ‘I need to keep this for a rainy day’ when I know God has that rainy day covered, but I still want to be in control!

*Relinquishing our money to God is not easy because we must trust Him, and most of us have been let down more than once by people we trust, but if you Read Philippians 4. You will see that Paul says he has seen times of need and times of plenty and has learned through these times to be content because God has kept him going. In other words, he learned to trust God. Also, I believe God has helped Paul see that when you have plenty – share, because when your time of need comes, you will want someone to share with you! And most of us will have times of need and times of plenty in our lives - in varying degrees. Myself included as this last year has shown me. But thanks be to God, my needs are being met.

Put God first and don’t ignore those in need. And you will be fulfilling the two commandments Jesus left with us. (Matthew 22:34-40)

So, maybe our new year Resolution should be, ‘This year I will trust God more.’ As I type it, I wonder if I can really do it and not let Him down. But I think it is a message worth meditating on.

This is how I understand my God.

Read for yourself, see what you think.

*Relinquish means, ‘voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up.’