Calling all Cosmic Coin Collectors!
For today’s grand finale, we’re zeroing in on the ‘how’ of spending our moolah. That’s right, we’re gonna take all that wisdom we’ve gathered from our chocolate coin adventure, and put it to work for the kingdom!
As we start in James 5:3c, we’ve heard the mantra: You can’t take it with you. But James goes a step further. Not only can’t we take it with us, but if we stockpile it here, we’re basically stashing away judgment against ourselves. Woah! So, what’s the Biblical remedy for this condition? Generosity! Consider the principle of the tithe, or supporting charitable causes; leaving a bigger tip for the poor waitress, or simply paying for coffee when your friend can’t really afford it. These are all ways we can start to loosen our choke on our golden goose. In other words, your bucks might be more valuable in the hands of someone in need. Generosity is, indeed, a fantastic financial strategy for Kingdom investors!
Next, we’re gonna grapple with James 5:5a and the pursuit of luxury and self-indulgence. You know, that shiny new gadget that just hit the market or that expensive and exotic vacation? Why chase after what’s fleeting when we can wrap our arms around contentment? After all, the best things in life can’t be bought. Remember, it’s about the chocolate inside the gold foil, not the flashy packaging! If you’ve ever gone on a shopping spree only to leave those three different colored t-shirts unworn in your closet, you know what I’m talking about.
Lastly, James prods us to stand up for economic justice instead of turning a blind eye to exploitation (James 5:6). As Christians, our dough should be a force for good, promoting justice and equality. Whether through supporting fair trade to providing micro-loans to budding entrepreneurs in developing nations, there are plenty of opportunities to use our resources wisely and justly. Think of it as sending your money on a mission trip, using your finances to advocate for and uplift those who are often overlooked.
Looking back at our week, we’ve journeyed through our calendars and checkbooks. We’ve examined how our desires shape our time and money management, understood the humility in planning, acknowledged God’s sovereignty in our schedules, and unpacked the Biblical perspective of wealth.
Reflection time: Are you using your money generously, with contentment and a concern for justice? How can you adjust my spending habits to better serve God and others?
Until our next adventure in faith, life, and laughter, be generous, be content, and seek justice! In the meantime, if any of you looking for a simple way to manage your money better, download or copy this Pear Budget Googlesheet here and start tracking and budgeting for what God has given you: https://bit.ly/pearbudget
Our Lord Jesus said that “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
Luke 16:10
I remember tithing when I was still in school was pretty easy, but then when I started my career and my first paycheck was more money then I had ever seen before, (in my 3 year residency program, my salary was under the poverty level), 10% of a larger sum was, well…a larger sum.
But we continued to tithe and now go above the tithe for other ministries.
God continues to bless us (not necessarily materially..He’s way more creative than that) way above and beyond our comprehension..in spiritual and relational riches.
So let’s be faithful and generous with little..so that later we can be faithful and generous with much ?
I believe I am using my money generously for the most part but I know there is always more that I can be doing. One thing that I have been doing for years that was mentioned in the reading is helping to provide micro-loans through an organization called Kiva. My friend actually turned me onto this a while back and I have been lending money to people who are trying to make a better life for themselves. I like Kiva because you can read people’s stories and see why they are requesting money. I have generally concentrated my efforts in Vietnam in helping people who want to build a modern toilet or are trying to make money by buying a farm animal which tends to be the general reasons. In the future I look forward to increasing the amount of money that I am able to lend to help people through this organization.
I love eating good food sometimes that can be a very bad habit which leads me to spend a lot of money on. ? My love language is eating together that’s how I show my love to others. I pray God that you give me the strength, wisdom, and being able to identify to be generous and share with those that are in need with joy. I will continue to tithe to the kingdom of God but honestly I need to give more. I pray that I can go into the weekend with a grateful and generous heart and spread love to those encounter. Have a good weekend everyone ???
I think I am using my money generously, however there is always more that I can do. I am not sure how I can use my money with a concern for justice and this reading has interested me to look into more ways to do so. I can adjust my spending habits to better serve God and others by budgeting on what I spend for myself and pray for God to reveal who I can help.
I think lately I’ve been using my money generously with contentment, but i feel like i can work on using it as a concern for justice. I’ve been able to bless my family in small little ways; I’ve always envisioned myself helping and giving back to my family. It’s humbling being able to give back and I hope I can do that for more people. In an effort to adjust my spending habits to better serve God and others, I should control how often I eat out and maybe work on cooking more at home. That way, I can save more money to ultimately glorify God and bless others.