What God Really Wants Us To Do With Money

In this blog, and in my ministry, I strive to share as much as I can what God teaches me about living out His word. There’s so much noise in the world that only leads us astray, and makes the destructive standards of the world seem normal, or even cool.

But I hope that as I write these things out, it may help you to see that the godly way of living, though it may feel unnatural, and oftentimes more difficult, is actually worth it in the long run. And although unpleasant, yields peace in your heart that will be incomparable.

The Grace of Giving

One of the areas of my life that often gets challenged is contentment. Blessed with a generally comfortable life, and filling my time with social media, it’s so easy to be swayed by new shiny things that I feel I should have.

When Paul challenged the Corinthian church to give in 2 Corinthians 8, I felt that he was talking to me too:

But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:7)

Having a lot, whether it’s material things, wealth, or even knowledge and faith, may seem like an admirable thing. But God’s word will say otherwise.

A little is better to the righteous than abundant wealth of sinners. (Psalm 37:16)

Quantity in riches matters little to a godly person. Moreover, even the immaterial such as knowledge and faith means nothing, if it is not made evident with acts of love, especially to the church.

The Test of True Love

Notice also an important disclaimer from Paul:

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. (2 Corinthians 8:8)

He was not commanding the church to give. It is not a sin in itself to not give.

But he does say that giving is an evidence of something internal—that is, the “sincerity of [our] love”.

Paul was looking for the sincerity, or trueness, of the love of the Corinthian church, that would be displayed by their act of giving to the church in Jerusalem.

And notice that this is not about how much they would give, for it is not a competition. It does not make a Christian holier when he gives more than another.

More than the intensity of giving, it’s the sincerity that makes all the difference.

It’s Not Ours

It’s also interesting that in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul quotes a passage from Exodus when God rains down manna from heaven for the Israelites.

As Tim Keller says, “Money is much a gift of God, as manna was a gift of God.” Though we may do the labor of gathering—manna and money alike—the fact remains that these blessings came from one Source.

And so money belongs to God.

Take What You Need

Given this, it would be right for us to ask, “What should we do with it?”

To answer that question, let’s look at the passage Paul quotes from Exodus:

“The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” (2 Corinthians 8:13)

When God gave the Israelites manna, of course they had to gather the manna themselves. There was no automated system that gathered and distributed this equally among everyone.

But this is the most interesting part about it: no matter how much people gathered, they were to keep only enough of what they needed.

“This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’” (Exodus 16:16)

What happened when they gathered too much? The manna would rot.

Similarly, it shouldn’t take long for us to realize that when we gather too much money—more than what we really need—it rots. Specifically, it rots our souls, with the wickedness of greed.

Given to Be Shared

Tim Keller observed that God’s design was about community. He says that God’s provision was meant to be pooled and distributed among God’s people.

And that was how he who gathers much would not waste the excess, and he who gathers little would not lack.

Money is given to be shared.

Get To Know Your Community

You might think, “Who does that?” If you are thinking that, then perhaps you might be hanging out with or looking intently at people who are too similar to you, or who make much more than you.

Another insight from Tim Keller that I found sobering was this: we should take the time to know and associate with different members of our church. Particularly, if we spent time getting to know, caring for, and loving the poor members of our church and community, then it would likely open our eyes to how greedy we really are.

You Are Rich

Generosity comes from a heart that is contented in all that one has in Christ. True generosity will not come from a heart that is trying to prove anything. Rather, it comes from a heart that is at peace, even if to the world they have nothing.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

We cannot begin to imagine how rich Jesus really is. Yet He has shown us that the life that counts in heaven does not take pride in wealth or status.

To be truly rich, in God’s book, is to give in a way that actually costs us.

And if the Holy Spirit is truly in you, and if your righteousness is in Christ alone and not in your good works, then you have nothing to worry about.

You are rich. It took the nail-shaped holes in our precious Savior’s hands to make it happen. All God’s promises are yours—your inheritance—as His child.

Do you dare to believe it, and live generously?

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