Monday Money Nuggets – Episode 4
Our resident finance enthusiast, Wale has been sharing his ‘Monday Money nuggets‘ throughout the month of June. We have reached our grand finale!
Our hope is that someone somewhere has learnt one thing from Wale’s experiences and insight.
Disclaimer:
This is not financial advice but simply someone sharing their experience and perspectives on money matters.
Enjoy learning and feel free to share with friends or loved ones!
Catch up with the other episodes on the blog.
Young adults are generally oblivious to the fact that there is a such a thing as what your relationship with money should look like.
Scripture talks about how the LOVE of money is the root of all evil –
.
1 Timothy 6:10 (NLT)
“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
It means you can have a relationship with money that is actually bad, where it becomes your mammon or god.
One of the decisions I made when I started earning was that money wasn’t going to control me, and as a result, I put things in place in form of my giving to ensure I stayed on track.
One of the common debate recently about money and the Christian has been centered around giving to the church. While this is an important discussion, one crucial thought to discuss when talking about giving is Essence.
What is the essence of your giving?
Like the wise saying, if the purpose of a thing is not known…you can complete it.
So, why do I give?
I have heard some young people say instead of giving to the church, they’d rather go out and give to the needy outside. While giving to those who are in need is a good act to imitate, there is still a displacement here.
Most have been taught to see giving as a donation, and not a service, which is where the issue lie.
Your mindset on giving needs to shift from donation to service.
From scripture, we actually see giving is referred to as a MINISTRY. (2 Cor 8:6, 2 Cor 9:12-13 NLT & NKJV).
2 Corinthians 8:6 (NLT)
“So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.”
2 Corinthians 9:12-13 (NLT)
“12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem[f] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.”
From these texts, our attention is drawn to a couple things as to why we give to the church as Christians.
1. The needs of the believer is met, and they express thanks to God.
See how scripture say they thank God, and not you? This is clearly a show of your worship to God. Through you and your giving, a believer out there is giving thanks to God.
2. It shows the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ.
Your generosity shows proof to the fact that you actually confess the good news of Christ. That’s massive! Your disposition towards generosity can actually point to the revelation of Christ you have received.
A common excuse people say as to why they don’t give is “I don’t have enough“. Like I mentioned in Episode 1 with respect to savings, if $100 is not enough for your expenses, having $95 will make no difference.
Therefore, no matter your financial condition, God still expects you to give according to the grace afforded to you.
You can clearly see this with the poor woman in the bible –
Mark 12:41-44 (NLT)
“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.[j]43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
As a matter of fact, Jesus said she gave more than the rich people.
3. Finally, put your money where your faith is.
Your money will always flow in the direction of your heart. Rather than fixate and argue on the doctrinal requirement of whether to give or not, the right question to ask is; ‘how does this help me and help the church of God?’
In summary, highlighted are a few things that points back to what generosity can show about a believer.
1. Your love for God
2. His Lordship over your finances
3. Your love for His church and the saints
Other biblical references on giving:
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT)
“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
1 Corinthians 16:1-4 (NLT)
“Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me.”
Bonus Point
Your generosity shows the disposition of your heart in gratitude to God for the good things you have received in life.
#SeekGodMore
Mo 🙂
