I read a really good article in TIME this week and it got me to thinking. The article was attempting to answer the question "Does God want me to be rich?" So I was curious what my Blogging friends out their thought about it. Does God want us to be rich? Is it ok for a believer to spend money on nice luxury items? where is the line? a new car, a new rolls Royce, ten Porsches etc...
I'll give my two cents next week but tell me what you think.
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7 comments:
From what i can tell, God prospers people he digs in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, people that don't dig him prosper themselves. Everything is kind of turned backwards like that. The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control. Nothing in there looks like an increase in the size of the number on your bank statement. Doesn't preclude it, but the point is the money isn't the point. It's all about being where God wants you.
I have to agree with Jeff. Spiritual health doesn't coincide with financial prosperity. But wisdom in managing what you have seems to go along with spiritual health. I suppose that the question could be asked, "Is financial blessing something to strive for if I am exhibiting the spiritual characteristics suggested by Paul and am walking in a manner that reflects Christ?"
Will financial blessing be something you're concerned about if you're in community with Christ?
I think the ability to manage what you have will reflect how financial blessing manifest in your life.
I agree that God rewards good stewardship as seen in the parable of the talents. However one cannot measure his spiritual health by his net worth. Certainly if we look at the life of Christ and the apostles they had many blessings but were clearly paupers.
Sorry, I made it sound like I ment that if you're spiritually healthy you will have money. I do believe that Spiritual health will be measured in how you manage what you have.
I like thinking of the parable of the talents more as an analogy to the spiritual gifts that we individually get... not Gifts of the Spirit, but God's mercy and grace, and the freedom and authority he gives us to act as his agents, giving mercy and grace to others, and showing the way to Him. The question is what are we going to do to make it worth him giving that freedom to us? Are we going to just keep it for ourselves so we can, on the day of reckoning, say, look, i still have the grace you gave me? Are we going to squander it? Or are we going to go out and further the kingdom with it by investing it in other people?
But that's just what i think... i think it doesn't have anything to do with money. Also, i don't think stewardship is that important in the eternal perspective. It was more important for the girl to pour out her embalming perfume on Christ's feet and wash it with her tears, than it was to sell it and give it to the poor.
aw, man... you don't let us delete our own posts... i was gonna go back on that one and erase it. I'm not happy with it. can you delete it for me?
I would if I knew how.
But since I read it I will disagree with you. I agree that stewardship goes far beyond money but it does include money. You are right when Martha poured out perfume on Christ's feet it was seen as a noble act. I think the point of that story was not that stewardship is not important but that all we have our most prized posessions should be laid at Christs feet. I do believe that Christ will hold us accountable for our finances after all the Bible talks more about tithing than about most any topic. But tithing without mercy and grace is useless.
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