Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV)
Just Suppose
A giant in the world of Christian missions once said to me, “It’s surprising that Christians will borrow money to buy a TV or a boat, but they won’t borrow money to go on a missions trip. What does that person truly love?” (1 John 2:15)
Just suppose the Holy Spirit guided us to commit to living on half of our income. Yikes! (Ephesians 5:17) And He told us to give the other half to local and foreign Christian missionaries.
Would you do it?
Our first response would probably be, “God, I can’t do that. I live paycheck to paycheck now!” After our initial shock, would we consider the source? No, not who said it, but who provides our income?
In the case we’re considering, God spoke it so therefore it is His will. And, in call cases, God is our provider; our employer is a tool in God’s hand. (Matthew 6:31-33)
So, would we do it? Would we commit to living on half of our income and trusting our Provider to fulfill His will in us? There’s an old question that asks, “Do you work to live or live to work?” I think a better question is, “Do I work to give or do I work to live?” (Ephesians 4:28/Acts 20:35)
Now, let’s say that we did what God asked of us. Would we be content or would we be loudly obedient? This idea of “being content” while living on less can be a very real challenge.
No Condemnation
There is no condemnation from me about my hypothetical question. Not at all. Money isn’t evil (1 Timothy 6:10). I used money as an example because we can all relate to it. What I am wrestling with is this: what are we willing to do as Christians?
How far are we willing to turn away from the world to live for Jesus? (James 4:4) That’s all I’m asking. I think each of us needs to know how to answer that question.
Photo by Tom Parsons on Unsplash
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https://rockexcavationservice.org/2019/09/09/is-it-seed/