Money Matters

“I continually find it necessary to guard against that natural love of wealth and grandeur which prompts us always, when we come to apply our general doctrine to our own case, to claim an exception.”

William Wilberforce

I was looking for a quote from William Wilberforce about doing nothing in the face of evil is an action as well when I stumbled upon this. I thought the quote is quite meaningful.  It is true.  Often when a need appears to give, I always have an exception.

• Well I can't give now because.....
• Next time I will give....
• I got to save the money for ______ .....

I know we need to save for ourselves and our necessities.  But what's necessities when I make over 50 times more than majority of the world (the average of the world makes less than 2 dollars a day)? ... I think money does matter.  It matters because it can be an idol to our lives.  I hear much of what money is a blessing.  We are also called to be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:3).  I do not see this as just preaching the Word.  It is with action.  It is physical.  It is sometimes really simple as instead of spending it on myself, I give it away.

At the same time, how rare do I hear money is an idol?  Perhaps I heard a sermon or read some where I might feel guilty because I have a lot more than others...then I walk away and forget....or I just blog about it!

I question that about myself lately, is that the type of worship what God wants?  To listen to the words and forget?  Or choose to forget and think about more entertainment for myself.  Am I a Christian consumer...or consumed by Christ love?

 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.


 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?


   “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:24-33

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Actually the quote I was looking for was from Dietrich Bonhoeffer...

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.