Monday, February 25, 2008

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

What has captured you heart more than anything else in the world. Need a hint? Just look at your checkbook and there you will see the things that are most important to you. What vision/mission are you living for? So many people who call themselves Christians invest their money into their own little kingdom. This is in direct opposition to the Bible. God says in Matthew 6 that where your treasure is that is where your heart is and goes on to say that it is impossible for people to serve God and at the same time serve money or stuff. Too many "Christians" ignore this, as well as hundreds of other biblical references to how we are to live in relation to money, by claiming not to serve money. But once we take a peak at our checkbooks and credit card statements, we realize we are spending way more on our kingdom than on God's Kingdom. We are living for stuff and pleasure instead of living to build His Kingdom.

As Christians, God has called us to invest in His Kingdom vision. This broad call tells us to fund organizations that place a high priority on global evangelization as well as feeding the poor and eradicating poverty. (Be careful to give to reputable, holy organizations and not to hucksters who are living high on the dollars of those they schmooze.)

As members of a local body of Christ with a specific vision, God calls us to fund the work that we believe in and that we are a part of. For the individuals who believe in what Crossroads Church is doing, it is their responsibility to fund that/our specific vision. I just read a quote from a Mark Driscol book in relation to this very idea. He said, "For our people to own our mission, they must also own our expenses!" I thought that was a blunt way of saying it, but it is very good. If people consider themselves members of a church and buy into the vision of that church, it is holy and helpful to fund that church and that churches mission/vision.

If Christians would really get serious about God's Kingdom, money would never be an issue in churches or in organizations that are set up to evangelize and help the poor. What are we afraid of. Why are we clinging to the things of this world? Do we not believe Matt 6:33? Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (stuff that we need) will be given to you as well. Maybe we are just selfish and are afraid that God will not give us our wants if we begin to fund His Kingdom.

If you want to read more about this, go get The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. Read it with an open heart and mind. It will transform your life. It will be the best, most eternal $10 you will ever spend if you read it and "get it".