What Would Jesus Do With "My" Money?

 

“The world asks, ‘What does a person own?’ Christ asks, ‘How does a person use it?’”—Andrew Murray

I've known what it's like to not have enough money to make ends meet.  

I've lived paycheck to paycheck, and realized that there was more month at the end of my money than money at the end of the month.  

When I was a kid, we shopped at thrift stores for my toys, books, and clothes.  Out of necessity, not because we wanted to be trendy.  

I remember more than a few times when I was a young man, living on my own, having to steal crackers and salad dressing from the salad bar at the Disney employee cafeteria for lunch because I was broke.  

Thankfully, I had a friend who worked the register and let me slide because she felt sorry for me.   

I've also known abundance to the point where I could buy whatever I wanted without worrying about my checking account getting emptied.  

I went on fantastic vacations, ate at expensive restaurants, and reveled in the fact that I wasn't shopping at Goodwill because I had to, but because I wanted to find a Halloween costume or a trendy shirt.  

And I also know what having money can do to you when you turn it into something that you use to measure your worth as a human being.  

I've crashed more than once, speeding through life with that mentality.   

Jesus talked about money a lot.

In fact, he talked about it more than he talked about heaven or hell.  

Jesus understood what money can do to the human heart, and he wanted his followers to understand how dangerous it could be.  

Money can provide security, opportunity, generosity, education, shelter, and countless good things. But money can also become something more.

As I mentioned, it can become the way we measure our worth.

The way we compare ourselves with others.

The thing we believe will finally make us secure.

It can become an idol that replaces the Divine as an object of worship.  

Jesus warns, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Notice the order.

Jesus doesn't say we spend money wherever our hearts happen to be.

He suggests that our hearts often follow our money.

Look at how you spend, save, and give, and eventually you will discover something about what matters most to you.

Which raises a surprisingly practical WWJD question:

What would Jesus do with "my" money?

I use the quotation marks in that question because we are generally under the mistaken notion that any money we may have is ours.  

Jesus certainly wouldn't tell us that money itself is evil. People need homes, food, clothing, education, recreation, savings, and provision for the future.

But Jesus would probably ask some uncomfortable questions.

How much is enough?

Does what I own serve me, or am I serving it?

Can I enjoy what I have without constantly needing more?

Does my financial life include generosity?

Am I spending money in ways that reflect the person I want to become?

I imagine that some of you might be thinking, "Ah, here's the pastor who gets paid through donations, offering a bit of guilt to people so they will give more to the church."

I get it.  But here's another way to frame this idea: 

Christian stewardship ought to begin not with guilt but with gratitude.

Everything we possess ultimately comes to us as a gift—our abilities, opportunities, resources, even the days we have been given on this earth.

And gifts are meant to be enjoyed, cared for, and shared.

You don't have to give everything away to follow Jesus.

But following Jesus should change your relationship with what you have.  So much so, that the idea of giving everything away doesn't sound so far-fetched.  

Spend thoughtfully.

Save wisely.

Enjoy gratefully.

Give generously.

Hold what you have been given loosely because a tightly closed hand can neither give nor receive. 

And occasionally ask yourself:

Does the way I use the money I have look anything like what Jesus would do?

Because our bank statements can sometimes reveal our discipleship more clearly than our words.

(Scripture referenced: Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:13–21)

Prayer

Generous God, thank you for everything you have entrusted to me. Free me from greed, comparison, and the fear that I will never have enough. Give me wisdom in what I spend, discipline in what I save, gratitude for what I enjoy, and generosity in what I give. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What does the way I currently use money reveal about what matters most to me?
2. Where does the desire for “more” have too much influence over my life?
3. What is one intentional act of generosity I could practice this week?