God & money

Money can buy a house, but not a home
Money can buy a bed, but not sleep
Money can buy a clock, but not time
Money can buy a book, but not knowledge
Money can buy food, but not an appetite
Money can buy position, but not respect
Money can buy blood, but not life
Money can buy insurance, but not safety.

Money can be used for such good - but can cause such pain!

Some have said that money is the route of all evil, however the true quote is “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” which you can find in the bible in Paul’s letter to Timothy (1Tim 6:10). So it isn’t the money that is the problem but people’s attitudes towards it!

When I (Robin) first broke through my predudices and finally discovered Jesus back in 1998, I started to question if it was right to be working in an industry that places so much importance on money and the making of it. However the reality is that money and wealth are a part of God’s plan. He wants to bless us and for us to be a blessing to others. It is just our attitudes (and sometimes lack of understanding) that cause the problems. I now have no doubt that there is a huge need for sound advice and help on this subject and am happy to be working in a field of such need.

There is no doubt that money causes all sorts of problems in the world, and worries about a lack of it can cause people real despair and pain. In Rob Parson’s book “The Money Secret” he shows how shops and financial organizations encourage people into thinking that we can buy now and pay later. It is so easy to get sucked into it and then find yourself in trouble – it is so common, particularly here in the UK, where personal debt is soaring along with the divorce rate.

But the bible says words to the effect - “do not worry about your clothes or what you are going to eat, because He (God) knows you need all these things… but seek His ways first and all these things will be given to you also” (Matt 6:31-33).

If you have debt problems (or know someone else who has), then you are not alone, but you do need to act as soon as possible as it often affects every area of your life, including your loved ones and your own health. We are happy to talk and assist where we can, but there are excellent organisations such as Credit Action or CAP (Christians Against Poverty) who are specialists in the field.

Sharing the good news

Plainly as a Christian the real good news is that however big a mess we get into in whatever area of our life, we have a loving dad (in God) who wants to wipe the slate clean and give us a fresh start. Jesus came to set us free (all of us), and that includes from financial worry and the love of money.

Our faith in Jesus is the greatest investment we can ever make and the returns are out of this world. But God does want to bless His people financially on this earth now. His desire is not that we should all be as poor as the proverbial church mouse, but rather that we should enjoy our lives and be free from fear - people overflowing in joy, able and willing to be generous.

Sadly when someone gets up to speak on money in a church it is often because the roof has a hole in it, and the response is often groans rather than joy! God’s Word is so full of promise - He wants to pour out so much more blessing (yes that includes money) on us that we really don’t have any way of using it all. When we see what joy and pain money can cause, it is not surprising to find that the bible is not silent on money matters. In fact it says more on money than about how to get into heaven! - in total there are more than 4000 mentions (not that I have counted them all!) including help on:

  • Good stewardship
  • Debt management
  • Sowing and reaping (which works in every area of life!)
  • Honesty and sealing
  • Generosity and giving (what’s all this about tithing?)

God’s Word is just stuffed full of good material, so dig in. If you need a miracle then ask: Gods’ in the business of miracles, if you need some help just ask.

I have set out a few usefully links below including UCB (word for the day), Bible gateway (who provide an online bible look up), CAP and Credit Action (for specific debt related assistance).

If you want to talk then your local pastor/vicar is a pretty good place to start, but if you would like to chat to me that is OK too.

If you want someone to talk to a group about God’s Word on money, there are a number of good speakers around, and then there is always me!

One day I would love to produce some cheap(ish) booklets on God & money-matters, so people can study privately or in home-groups. Sadly there seems to be a real lack of good stuff on the subject, it is however still on my wish list to produce some.

Other useful links