More Money. More Possibilities.

I was deep in the church during those “name it and claim it” years when the evidence of your faith was determined by the size of your house and the make of your car. As much as I don’t agree with that teaching, I also don’t think many “good” and “faithful” Christians understand that money is a tool. Having money does not land you squarely with The Notorious B.I.G. He had mo’ money and mo’ problems. But me, I’m going with Proverbs 10:22.

Proverbs 10:22 tells us that “The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” If I have to choose between Notorious B.I.G. and God. I’m going with God every time. This notion that Christians should not care about building wealth was likely made up by the 10% of people who amass 70% of the nation’s wealth. I’m only half-kidding here. Yes, Paul warns us in 1 Timothy 6 that people who desire to be rich fall into temptation and have many foolish desires. These temptations and desires often destroy their lives. Verse 10 has to be one of the most misrepresented verses in the Bible. “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people craving money, have wandered from the the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” That, my friends, is more money and more problems. Side note: I betcha didn’t even know there was more after “evil” did you?

Notice the passage says that only “some” people wandered from the faith craving money and ended up with more problems. If you keep the pursuit of money in its rightful place, far behind God and the things of God, then you should be a rich Christian with a world of possibility. Anybody can get rich. In Malachi 3:15 we see the people complained about it. “For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.” Sometimes it looks like the bad guys are winning. But God quickly corrects our thinking about this. He’s made promises to us in Malachi 3 regarding our “stuff”. But most importantly God reminds us that there is a difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who are rich from evil and those whom the Lord blesses with wealth.

So…as Christians be good stewards over the money you have. That means more than just protecting it and saving it. It means maximizing it and growing it. I want to be like Joseph, the rich man from Arimathea. He had enough money, resources, and influence to get Jesus’ body from Pilate, bury it, and set the stage for the greatest event in Christian history. He financed the supplies for the resurrection. That’s #squadgoals. I want to finance the next big move of God. Don’t you? Well you need money for that.

So let me ask you something. Do you think Joseph of Arimathea went to Heaven? I do, too. Though it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven, it is not impossible. In fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:26 that with God all things are possible. So when it comes to building wealth and getting rich, my money is on God.

What are you financial goals and how do those goals exhibit your faith and identity as Christian?