Tuesday October 27, 2020

Exhortation: Karen Monie 

TOPIC: MONEY

It doesn’t sound like a spiritual topic, but do you know that God IS interested in our relationship with money? 

In fact, to the point that money and possessions are the second most mentioned topic in the Bible. 

– So, IF in fact money is that important, how come our preachers seldom talk, or teach us about it?

– Tonight, sisters, I want to talk about MONEY, and how we can not only become good stewards for God, but also how we can ENJOY money in a Godly way that’s different from the world. 

So First Things First!

WHY IS MONEY IMPORTANT TO GOD?

– I’ll answer this question by first asking: How many times does the topic – or issue – of money come up in our conversations? Directly or indirectly? 

– How many things in our lives are driven, enabled money? 

• Our education?
• Bills?  
• Groceries? 
• Clothing? 
• Transportation?     

Now watch what happens: With all the thinking, the calculating, the spending, and sometimes worrying about money, and the daily hustle to get it, can you see what is likely to happen if we’re not careful? 

If we don’t have the right mindset towards money, it can very, very easily take the center of our lives, and put everything else – including God – on the periphery of our priorities. 

See how that can be a problem? 

Matthew 6:24 […you cannot serve God AND money…]

Not Satan!!! 

Money

That’s how powerful money is. And therefore, that is WHY God cares SO MUCH about it. He doesn’t want to have to compete with money. 

And get this: 

When God asks us to pay our tithes, give to the poor, widows, orphans, and otherwise needy, it’s not that He NEEDS our money. Which – in fact – is HIS money. 

Haggai 2:8 says: 

“The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

Romans 11:36 also says:

“For from him and through him and for him are all things.

    To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

So NO, God doesn’t NEED our money, which is in actuality HIS money. 

– What He wants is for us to develop a detachment to money, so that we don’t become worshippers of it. 

And so doing, not only do we have our focus on God; we also develop a sense of community, selflessness unlike this world that advocates for individualism and isolation. 

So! 

How do we develop Godly stewardship with God’s money? 

1. BY HONOURING GOD FIRST

Deuteronomy 8:18 says: 

“… for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth….”

How do we honour God?

Proverbs 3:9-10 says: 

“Honor the Lord with your wealth….” 

Do you see the beautiful thing about God’s instruction? There is always a blessing tied to obeying. A benefit that we can enjoy here on earth. 

– When we pay our tithes, we activate our blessings – Malachi 3:10 (Bring the full tithes….)

1. BY KEEPING GOOD ACCOUNT

Proverbs 27:23-24 says: 

“…Know the state of your….”

For some of us, we can go by weeks without ever checking to see how our bank accounts are looking, and then we practice what I like to call “Swipe-and-pray” when we get to the counter to pay for something, but because we don’t remember or know how much we have left in our Checking account, will swipe the card, and then start firing prayers in our hearts that it should go through. 

God cannot save us in that moment, because we have failed to do our own part by keeping watch of our flock. 

– The same verse also goes on to give us a warning: 

“…riches don’t last forever….”

– That $500 won’t stay in your account forever; it will eventually go, so it is important that we have control over where it is going, if not Proverbs 23:5 says, “…it will fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

Read the full verse. 

– ALSO, when you know the state of your flock, you’re in a better position to spot disaster from a distance, e.g. if a bill is due soon, and you’re short by $100, knowing this in advance will allow you time to find a solution before the due date comes around. 

The keys to keeping good account:

Know

• What you own
• What you owe
• What you earn
• What you spend
• What is left

1. BY PLANNING/BUDGETING

Proverbs 21:5 says: 

             “…and you will have plenty….”

Luke 14:28 also says: 

“…count the cost….”

Don’t be an impulse buyer!!!

I’ve been there, and let me tell you, it doesn’t take time for poverty to hit you. Because you can never run out of things to spend on. 

Do you know how many lottery winners, in the span of a year, have still gone broke? 

We need to be serious when it comes to managing our money, but also be realistic. If you know that you can’t go a week, a month, without frivolous spending, please budget for that. 

I admire people who don’t spend a single dime on things they don’t need, because I LIKE to treat myself occasionally. But that hasn’t stopped me from saving or investing. Instead, because I’m honest about my spending habits, I make sure to allow room in my budget for that kind of spending. 

Under this sub-topic, I also want to address Debt:

– Debt is bad because it is a form of bondage. It enslaves us to the lender, and strips away our freedom to invest in God’s Kingdom. 

Proverbs 22:7 says: 

“…borrower is a slave….”

– Besides imprisoning us, debt is also dangerous because it can affect our relationships, bring in stress to our home, and in the worst cases destroy relationships. 

– Instead of borrowing, God wants us to be lenders (Deuteronomy 15:6), AND

– Only owe love (Romans 13:8)

– In Proverbs 22:26-27, God warns us to not get into debt. If you do, you run the risk of losing your bed(essential belonging, home, etc)

So how do we get out of debt?

– As Dave Ramsey puts it, “we didn’t get into debt overnight, so we won’t get out of it overnight either”.

– In Proverbs 6:1-5, God tells us not to rest until we’ve freed ourselves from any debt. 

1. BY INVESTING & SAVING

I. For The Future

The Parable of the Talents – Matthew 25:14-30 (the one with 5,2,1 bag(s) of gold)

Key things this passage teaches: 

– Money tests our faithfulness to God. It exposes YOU. 

– You see, like these servants in Matthew, if the Master had not given them this responsibility over his money, he’d never have known who will be reliable or trustworthy. 

– And, just like the servants who got more because of their faithfulness, God is able to tell which one of us He can also entrust with more. 

Luke 16:10 says:

“…trusted with very little….”

– We are God’s bank account managers. His investors. When He gives us money, it’s not for it to just idle around; it’s to invest. 

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 says:

“…invest in seven….”

Verse 6 also says:

“…do not know which will….”

– It means we should never put our eggs in one basket. Start an initiative, and while waiting for it to bear fruits, start another one. That way, you’re covering your grounds, and can be sure that whatever the results of either one, you’ll not be found wanting. 

Proverbs 24:27 (“complete your outdoor work….”)

II. For Our Descendants

Proverbs 13:22 says: 

“…leaves an inheritance….”

– Please, let us not become people who, after we leave this earth, will leave our children to finish paying off our mortgage. 

– I know, we can’t know when our time is, but let’s ensure that we’re actively working towards clearing off any debt we have, so that as good parents, we can leave behind an inheritance of wealth, rather than debt. 

– When you leave a good inheritance, in addition to a God-focused legacy, you’ll not only ensure they have a good future, but also facilitate the continuation of God’s work. 

– 1 Timothy 5:8

“…does not provide for his relatives….”

III. For The Future

Proverbs 21:20 [The wise store….]

– Social media can mislead you if you’re not careful; all the IG babes, those that are always travelling, living the life, don’t be misled to want that kind of lifestyle. You don’t know how they’re funding those trips and activities. 

– It doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your money. This is the next sub-topic here, but let’s just get into it: 

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 says:

“…when God gives someone wealth….”

– So we are also meant to enjoy our wealth, but the HUGE difference with the one that God gives us is that it doesn’t come with any sorrow (Proverbs 10:22)

– So it’s not that we should NOT treat ourselves to fine things in life; do it the smart way, which is through Godly stewardship. The world tells us to want things NOW NOW NOW, but instead we must first handle our responsibilities(tithe, bills, debt, charity, investment), THEN we can enjoy the fruits of our labour, because guess what? 

There won’t be any stressing, restless nights, or anxiety; that’s the kind of life God desires for us: one that is stress-free, because only then can we freely serve and honour Him. 

Proverbs 21:17 [Whoever loves pleasure….]

– In a past job, I worked with two brothers, who own a film/tv production company, and are wealthy, but guess what? Not once did I ever see them dressed up in fancy clothes. 

– Nope. It was ALWAYS T-shirt & jeans. That’s it. Because instead of spending this money on clothes, and things that have no future profit, they invest their money in real estate, and other things. Things you can’t see at first glance.

BUT WE AFRICANS

– Even when we’re on a shoestring budget, we cannot fail when it comes to the impress-others department. 

– We wear the latest fashion, try not to be seen in one clothes more than twice, and etc. 

Let’s read Proverbs 13:7 (…One pretends to be rich….)

IV. To Give

When God enables us to earn money, it’s not just for us, oh. 

– We have an obligation to help the needy. 

Leviticus 19:9-10 (…leave them to the poor….)

James 1:27 (…to look after orphans and widows….)

Isaiah 58:10 (…needs of the oppressed….)

– Giving is a blessing

Proverbs 19:17 (…whoever is…lends to the Lord….)

2 Corinthians 9:6 (…sows sparingly….)

Luke 6:38 (Give, and it will….)

– Besides the physical and spiritual blessings when we give, we are also filled with contentment and joy which greediness does not bring. 

Proverbs 28:27(He who gives….)

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (whoever…never has enough….)

1. BY ENJOYING GOD’S GIFT

— Which we’ve already touched on previously. 

– So sisters, tonight I invite you all to build a healthy relationship with money; not the kind that’s dictated by worldly principles, but the one that has God and His word at the center. 

– Because when we keep our finances God’s way, it assures us joy, not sorrow; satisfaction, not emptiness; peace, not stress or worry; and a wealth of friends, not loneliness. 

– And the beauty about practicing the Godly principles of money is that you not only enjoy the benefits here on earth, you become a blessing to others, you in turn are blessed, and you invest in Heavenly treasure, that neither thieves can steal, nor moths destroy. 

– Money is an intimidating topic, but it shouldn’t be. Because it is important in the work of God